Cormier’s 2017 post explores how grade schools in PEI are changing learning experiences to match the technology age. He also highlights the danger of one-size-fixes-everything solutions and proposes activities that help build momentum, tackle projects with adequate resources, and achieve successful change.
Although the post did not articulate the change plan, it acknowledged how recent infrastructure and capital expenditures in PEI had created an environment conducive to change. These expenditures include a critical ‘brainstorming’ phase in the project’s first year, creating an opportunity to brainstorm comprehensive solutions before implementing the solution. This well-rounded approach to change indicates that the ‘tide’ was already in Cormier’s favour, and his project was receiving adequate support from higher-level decision-makers. Social cognition theory may explain how the project reached this level of support. When the interconnectedness of decision-makers helped them realize an opportune moment for change (Weiner, 2009) or when the chosen change type matches the method and outcomes desired (Al-Haddad & Kotnour, 2015), social cognition theory helps build momentum for change.
The post also illustrates the importance of short-term wins. Creating online social spaces helped Cormier reduce teacher admin time in the short run and build momentum for other technology apps in the future. Short-term wins are essential, especially when working with organizations that want to see results on the balance sheet. Beer & Nohria’s (2000) Theory E, a change management method that illustrates changes in shareholder value helps us understand the importance of cost-savings measures.
Most interesting, creating communal online spaces fostered innovation, helping stakeholders see tangible results from tech tools and build further momentum. Wiener (2009) explains that Momentum Theory indicates that when stakeholders are more social, they may go beyond the minimum expectations and exceed job requirements in a work setting. The shift from “need to” to “want to” parallels Cormier’s reflection that parents started engaging with online spaces and go above and beyond to help their children learn.
So, it would appear at the time of Cormier’s post in 2017 this educational organization in PEI is fulfilling its change mandate in alignment with the needs of the stakeholders and is “doing the right thing, the right way with the right people at the right time” (Kotnour et al.,1998, p. 19).
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.
Beer, M., & Nohria, N. (2000). Breaking the Code of Change. Harvard Business School Press.
Weiner, B. J. (2009). A theory of organizational readiness for change. Implementation Science, 4(67).