Modules/Module5/Mod5Home.html
Module 5 – Home
Implementation of Change
Modular Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this module, the student will be able to satisfy the following outcomes:
- Case
- Explain why fidelity of implementation of technologies can be a particular problem.
- Identify various socio-technical implementation strategies available to organizations.
- Explain the role of organizational research and development (R&D) in innovation and the “NIH Syndrome.”
- Describe the evolution of corporate wellness programs as a case study in problems of implementation.
- SLP
- Complete first draft of literature review.
- Discussion
- Continue discussion of unresolved course questions and issues.
Module Overview
We will conclude our study of creativity and innovation with a look at the particular management problems posed by the process of implementation of technology, and the difficulties with forming effective business strategies under conditions of risk and uncertainty about the effects of social and technical change. It is often said that “the devil is in the details” – that is, however good your idea may be, it is ultimately no better than your ability to put it into practice in a complex social situation where you exercise only minimal control over many of the critical elements.
Implementation is the process of gradually specifying how a change will work in relation to all of the other things that are already in place in your organization. Inevitably, this requires compromises and mutual adjustments both in the innovation and in its social surround. This is the essence of what is called socio-technical design – namely, a systematic and organized way of approaching implementation dynamics, as opposed to the more usual simple fumbling around and trying to fix problems one at a time, generally while compounding other problems that you may not even understand. We do know a good bit about how to implement complex innovations in ways that do not tear their organizations apart. What is sad is that we usually do not pay much attention to it.
If implementation is the “grunt work” of trying to integrate changes into existing systems, then the more rarefied work of formulating effective business strategies allowing for these processes and their inherent uncertainty is the task of the senior management of the organization. An important part of this strategy needs to be a careful understanding of implementation dynamics and change management, but it also involves environmental scanning, organizational analysis, devotion of resources to research and development, effective use of “big data,” and the development of interorganizational and international alliances on an unprecedented scale. The scope of changes that we are currently experiencing and their increasingly rapid time frames mean that more than ever, we need to be proactive as well as responsive in our approach to change.Privacy Policy | Contact
Modules/Module5/Mod5Background.html
Module 5 – Background
Implementation of Change
Video material
Required Reading
Leonard-Barton, D. & Kraus, W.A. (1985) Implementing new technology. Harvard Business Review. November. Retrieved October 24, 2017, from https://hbr.org/1985/11/implementing-new-technology http://www.ecoman.ktu.lt/index.php/Ekv/article/download/4732/2739
May, C. (2013) Towards a general theory of implementation. Implementation Science. 8:18 Retrieved October 21, 2017, from https://implementationscience.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1748-5908-8-18
Mujtaba, B. and Cavico, F. (2013) Corporate Wellness Programs: Implementation Challenges in the Modern American Workplace. Int J Health Policy Manag. Sep; 1(3):193–199. Retrieved November 15, 2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3937880/
Society for Human Resource Management (2015) Wellness Programs: What are the general steps for implementing a wellness program, and how can a wellness program benefit employers? Retrieved November 15, 2017, from https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/hr-qa/pages/wellnessprogramscontributingtotheemployer%E2%80%99sbottomline.aspx
Pellissier, R. (2014) Towards strategy formulation in a complex environment. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure. 3 (1). Retrieved November 15, 2017, from http://www.ajhtl.com/uploads/7/1/6/3/7163688/article_25_vol__3_1.pdf
Optional Reading
Parnell, J. (2016) A Business Strategy Typology for the New Economy: Reconceptualization and Synthesis. Journal of Applied and behavioral Management. Retrieved November 15, 2o17, from https://jbam.scholasticahq.com/article/1052.pdf
Ozminkowski, R. (2002) Long-Term Impact of Johnson & Johnson’s Health & Wellness Program on Health Care Utilization and Expenditures. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 44(1):21-30. Retrieved November 15, 2017, from http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20101201230423/healthco/images/3/31/Johnsonjohnson.pdf
Bromiley, P and Rau, D., (2014) Towards a practice-based view of strategy. Strategic Management Journal. Retrieved November 15, 2017, from https://escholarship.org/content/qt1z04d5mw/qt1z04d5mw.pdfPrivacy Policy | Contact
Modules/Module5/Mod5Case.html
Module 5 – Case
Implementation of Change
Assignment Overview
As our focal technology for this module, we will consider the evolution of corporate wellness programs. The technologies associated with promotion of “corporate wellness” (in itself a concept that has many different definitions and varieties) are generally fairly broad in range and capable of being introduced into practice in many different ways. It is certainly desirable to have technologies that can be adapted effectively to particular organizational situations during their implementation; but if there are certain elements of the technology that will only be effective if they are implemented in a particular kind of way, then a flexible orientation can easily introduce enough error into the process that the positive effects of the technology are not realized.
It is extremely difficult to separate failures in implementation from failures in the technology itself. Moreover, since implementation problems tend to become fairly contentious issues in organizational politics, there are likely to be wider repercussions felt throughout the system. Organizational life is further complicated when one attempts to separate bad decisions from those made about negative things, or separate bad decisions from the good in a complex situation where a number of people in several places are making decisions simultaneously.
Our case here involves looking at corporate wellness interventions as examples of technologies where implementation is absolutely critical, and how you get to a new equilibrium is as important, if not more important, than the content of the equilibrium itself. We will consider these issues both from an implementation (bottom-up) perspective as well as from a strategic (top-down) perspective, and try to see how these two perspectives hopefully complement each, other but can easily wind up in conflict.
Case Assignment
Prepare a 5- to 7-page paper in accordance with the following Assignment Expectations on the topic:
“Strategy and implementation of corporate wellness programs”
You should begin your paper by reviewing the general idea of corporate wellness and the knowledge base underlying its popularity and value. You should then assess how companies make strategic decisions about putting such programs in the place, and how that strategy is then translated into an effective or ineffective implementation process. Discuss how, during implementation, programs are shaped in different kinds of ways, some better than others. You should include your paper with a couple of paragraphs outlining your own recommendations on how companies can more effectively integrate overall innovative strategies with local change management, under conditions of uncertainty and risk.
Assignment Expectations
Length: The written component of this assignment should be 5-7 pages long (double-spaced) without counting the cover page and reference page.
Organization: Subheadings should be used to organize your paper according to the questions.
Grammar and Spelling: While no points are deducted for minor errors, assignments are expected to adhere to standard guidelines of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence syntax. Points may be deducted if grammar and spelling impact clarity. We encourage you to use tools such as grammarly.com and proofread your paper before submission.
When you write your paper make sure you do the following:
- Answer the assignment questions directly.
- Stay focused on the precise assignment questions. Do not go off on tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background materials.
- Use evidence from your readings to justify your conclusions.
- Cite at least five credible resources.
- Reference your sources of information with both a bibliography and in-text citations. See the Student Guide to Writing a High-Quality Academic Paper, including pages 11-14 on in-text citations. Another resource is the “Writing Style Guide,” which is found under “My Resources” in the TLC Portal.
Your assignment will be graded using the following criteria:
- Assignment-driven Criteria: Student demonstrates mastery covering all key elements of the assignment.
- Critical Thinking/Application to Professional Practice: Student demonstrates mastery conceptualizing the problem, and analyzing information. Conclusions are logically presented and applied to professional practice in an exceptional manner.
- Business Writing and Quality of References: Student demonstrates mastery and proficiency in written communication and use of appropriate and relevant literature at the doctoral level.
- Citing Sources: Student demonstrates mastery applying APA formatting standards to both in text citations and the reference list.
- Professionalism and Timeliness: Assignments are submitted on time.
Modules/Module5/Mod5SLP.html
Module 5 – SLP
Implementation of Change
Module 5 marks the completion of the first draft of a literature review for your project. The assignment for this module is to complete the first draft, based on the annotated outline for it that you submitted in Module 4. By now, you should have all your sources lined up; have some practice at writing paragraphs for a literature review; and received feedback. If your annotated outline is well developed, turning it into your draft should not be too hard. It just requires putting together all the skills that you have been developing throughout the program to date.
Back in Module 1, you had a chance to look at literature reviews from a number of DBA projects. You should try to emulate the academic style of these reviews to the degree possible.
SLP Assignment Expectations
Length: The draft that you submit should be 15-20 pages long (double-spaced) without counting the cover page and reference page.
Organization: Subheadings should be used to organize your paper according to the questions.
Grammar and Spelling: While no points are deducted for minor errors, assignments are expected to adhere to standard guidelines of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence syntax. Points may be deducted if grammar and spelling impact clarity. We encourage you to use tools such as grammarly.com and proofread your paper before submission.
As you complete your assignment, make sure you do the following:
- Answer the assignment questions directly.
- Stay focused on the precise assignment questions. Do not go off on tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background materials.
- Use evidence from your readings to justify your conclusions.
- Cite at least five credible resources.
- Reference your sources of information with both a bibliography and in-text citations. See the Student Guide to Writing a High-Quality Academic Paper, including pages 11-14 on in-text citations. Another resource is the “Writing Style Guide,” which is found under “My Resources” in the TLC Portal.
Your assignment will be graded using the following criteria:
- Assignment-driven Criteria: Student demonstrates mastery covering all key elements of the assignment.
- Critical Thinking/Application to Professional Practice: Student demonstrates mastery conceptualizing the problem, and analyzing information. Conclusions are logically presented and applied to professional practice in an exceptional manner.
- Business Writing and Quality of References: Student demonstrates mastery and proficiency in written communication and use of appropriate and relevant literature at the doctoral level.
- Citing Sources: Student demonstrates mastery applying APA formatting standards to both in text citations and the reference list.
- Professionalism and Timeliness: Assignments are submitted on time.
Modules/Module5/Mod5Objectives.html
Module 5 – Outcomes
Implementation of Change
- Module
- Describe the implementation of change as a socio-technical problem, and outline different organizational strategies that may be used to institutionalize changes.
- Complete a draft of the literature review section for your doctoral project proposal.
- Case
- Explain why fidelity of implementation of technologies can be a particular problem.
- Identify various socio-technical implementation strategies available to organizations.
- Explain the role of organizational research and development (R&D) in innovation and the “NIH Syndrome.”
- Describe the evolution of corporate wellness programs as a case study in problems of implementation.