This blog post briefly examines four instances of successful organizational change related to online learning. According to Al-Haddad and Kotnour, “a change project is deemed successful if it is completed within the predetermined objectives (i.e. completed within budget, within schedule, conforming to customer requirements and satisfies the main stakeholders)” (2015, p. 251). Qualitative interviews of individuals within the investigated organizations revealed the common occurrence of problems with technology and resistance to change, yet each instance of the evolution had other unique characteristics. With multiple journeys, resources, and techniques creating both challenges and triumphs on the path to success, these four examples can provide a partial, rough map for navigating change in the field digital learning.
The first example explores the circumstances of an educational institution which adopted an all-mobile platform for learning—a bring your own device (BYOD) program. There were some hurdles to overcome. Updating the wifi infrastructure to handle increased bandwidth caused hiccups. Significant resistance from faculty emerged, which the interview subject believed could have been mitigated if all relevant parties had been consulted and included in the decision-making. Despite that mistake, the organization came through right away and developed a committee to include faculty in the process. “Carrying out the plan requires getting everyone involved who has a stake in the change” (Biech, 2007, p. 1). The faculty was also provided an exceptional training package delivered by adept instructors where learners were allotted both payment and time for their training.
In the second example, affected staff were not afforded any special training. Instead, they were expected to dive in and make the transition from classroom to online safety training by the quickest and simplest means possible. The small organization’s leader instilled confidence in the team and delegated his vision of change using positive and enthusiastic tones, which fit three of Kanter’s seven skills of effective change leaders: “communicating a compelling aspiration,” “transferring ownership to a working team,” and “making everyone a hero” (1984, p. 34). Being a small company allowed for changes to occur without any hindrance from red tape, but the lack of planning and speed of implementation created significant technology-related problems and resistance from frustrated learners who did not appreciate the change.
The interview subject in the next case stated that it is impossible to please everyone all the time. The large public school district he works for had adopted a hybrid program where all classroom learning was also available online. Leadership made all the decisions and consultations. The interviewee believed the process could have benefitted by speaking more with those outside of the senior team, although he conceded it is challenging to talk with everyone and find a balance between wide-ranging opinions. Being a government-funded organization at the mercy of public scrutiny means changes are often painstakingly researched and planned then carefully adopted in incremental phases. Biech (2007) sums up the essence of such a process succinctly: “you must plan the work and work the plan” (p. 1).
The final organization of interest planned the work and worked the plan in order to create a worldwide training program of consistent quality for staff in different countries. Language barriers, cultural differences, plus poor devices and internet capabilities were notable challenges to overcome. Contributors to the program’s success that the interviewee cited include: good communication, support from leadership, having a driver to spearhead the cause, and creating employee buy-in by asking for input. The latter aligns with one action on Weiner’s (2009) list for effective organizational changes: “getting people involved and invested in implementing the change” (p. 6). Biech (2007) discusses using a “facilitative strategy” for change management, which “depends on a shared responsibility and the involvement of everyone in the organization” (p. 2).
Combining the four cases together implies the importance of preparing to address challenges related to technology, as well as anticipating and alleviating stakeholder resistance as much as possible (preferably before making the changes). In these examples, the inclusion of individuals with vested interest in the planning, decision-making, and implementation process evidently decreases resistance and correlates with successful change and organizational alignment. Organizational alignment is described by Kotnour, Barton, Jennings, and Bridges (1998) as “organizations doing the right thing, the right way with the right people at the right time” (1998, p. 19). There are inevitable challenges when implementing complex organizational changes related to online learning, but committed leadership and organizational members who are onboard with the process can steer the ship through storms and past icebergs to successfully dock on wonderful, newfound lands.
References
Al-Haddad, S., & Kotnour, T. (2015). Integrating the organizational change literature: a model for successful change. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 28(2), 234-262.
Biech, E. (2007). Models for Change. In Thriving Through Change: A Leader’s Practical Guide to Change Mastery. Alexandria, VA: ASTD.
Kanter, R. M. (1984). Change masters. Training and Development Journal 38(4), 39-43.
Kotnour, T., Barton, S., Jennings, J. and Bridges, R. (1998). Understanding and leading large-scale change at the Kennedy Space Center. Engineering Management Journal, 10(2), 17.
Assignment 1: 
