Meanings, Measures, Maps, and Models: Understanding the Mechanisms of Continuous Change
Name
Continuous_Chng_v1.0.doc.pdf
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71.34 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
61c3621b80271d6858d65b190a779c84
Author(s)
Repenning, Nelson
Date Issued
November 2000
Abstract
There is now considerable controversy concerning the role that incremental change plays in the process of organizational transformation. Some scholars assert that incremental change is the primary source of resistance to more radical re-orientations, while others argue that on occasion, ongoing incremental change can produce dramatic transformation. To help reconcile these competing perspectives, in this paper I report the results of an inductive study of one firm's successful attempt to improve continuously and incrementally its core manufacturing process. The principal results of this effort are: (1) to challenge the current view of the source of change in process-oriented improvement initiatives; and (2) to offer an alternative characterization of the mechanisms through which competence-enhancing, incremental change actually occurs. The theory emerging from this analysis provides one path to resolving the dilemma posed by incremental change processes that can, on occasion, produce organizational transformation, but more often limit the organization's ability to adapt to its environment.
Subjects
organizational transformation
process-oriented improvement initiatives
competence-enhancing
incremental change processes
system dynamics
implementation dynamics
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