Walden University ScholarWorks Harold L. Hodgkinson Award for Outstanding University Awards Dissertation 2004 A narrative inquiry into the experiences of individuals in the midst of organizational change: A shift from systems to stories Stanley M. Amaladas Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/hodgkinson This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the University Awards at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Harold L. Hodgkinson Award for Outstanding Dissertation by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A Narrative Inquiry into the Experiencesof Individuals in the Midst of Organizational Change: A Shift from Systems to Stories by Stanley M. Amaladas M.A. University of Manitoba, 1981 B.A. University of Manitoba, 1979 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Management Walden University May 2004 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 3138845 Copyright 2004 by Amaladas, Stanley M. All rights reserved. INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. ® UMI UMI Microform 3138845 Copyright 2004 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DISSERTATION OF STANLEY M. AMALADAS APPROVED: PAULA E. PEINOVICH, Ph D PRESIDENT AND PROVOST WALDEN UNIVERSITY 2004 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Walden University APPLIED MANAGEMENT AND DECISION SCIENCES This is to certify that I have examined the doctoral dissertation by Stanley M. Amaladas and have found that it is complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Dr. Lilbum P. Hoehn, Committee Chair Applied Management and Decision Sciences Faculty 7 Signature Date Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Walden University APPLIED MANAGEMENT AND DECISION SCIENCES This is to certify that I have examined the doctoral dissertation by Stanley M. Amaladas and have found that it is complete and satisfactory in all respects. Dr. Sybil M. Delevan, Committee Member Applied Management and Decision Sciences Faculty c 5 ( Signature Date Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Walden University APPLIED MANAGEMENT AND DECISION SCIENCES This is to certify that I have examined the doctoral dissertation by Stanley M. Amaladas and have found that it is complete and satisfactory in all respects. Dr. Raphael Becvar, Committee Member Health and Human Services Faculty ''-Signature 'g/y/o-/ Date Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Walden University APPLIED MANAGEMENT AND DECISION SCIENCES This is to certify that I have examined the doctoral dissertation by Stanley M. Amaladas and have found that it is complete and satisfactory in all respects. Dr. Annemarie I. Murphy, Faculty Representative Psychology Faculty J i . P k 0 Signature I U 3 , ^ Q O '-i Date Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Abstract A Narrative Inquiry into the Experiences of Individuals in the Midst of Organizational Change: A Shift from Systems to Stories by Stanley M. Amaladas M.A. University of Manitoba, 1981 B.A. University of Manitoba, 1979 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Management Walden University May 2004 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Abstract This study explores how individuals understand and make meaning of their experiences while in the midst of radical organizational change. Empirical materials for this research were obtained though written stories and interviews of two groups of managers within the Canadian public sector who were themselves in the throes of organizational change. The findings of this study were analyzed through a three- dimensional narrative-inquiry-space framework. In this study, stories and metaphors were used as expressions of experience. The results of this study support the postmodernist notion of a dialectical, co-constructed, and recursive relationship within expressions, namely between metaphors and stories, and between expressions and experience. It was also discovered that 7 key variables moderated the relationship between expressions and experience. These variables are linked to 4 categories: cognitive, internal beliefs, relationships, and language. The findings of this study suggest that the success of managing change is directly related to the ability of leaders to attend to the problem of the interconnectedness between cybernetics and interpretive paradigms. The scholarly need to address this problem was in direct response to the predominant tendency among scholars and change practitioners to focus exclusively on either one of the two approaches. Accordingly, the call to scholars and practitioners to shift from systems to stories is grounded in the need to shift from the cognitive tyranny ofeither-or to the genius of theand. Narrative inquiry is well aligned to promoting the cognitive genius of theand as a strategic tradition of inquiry. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. DEDICATION In a world of constant change, this dissertation is dedicated to three wonderful and beautiful constants in my life. To my dear wife and partner, Miriam, and my daughters Sacha Claire and Kayla Marie: Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for encouraging me. Above all, thank you for allowing me to fulfill my dream. Cheers! Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines acknowledgment as “admitting the truth” and as “expressing appreciation.” Accordingly, let me express my appreciation by admitting the truth. As much as writing this dissertation was a solitary process, I must admit that I was not alone in my journey. I want to especially thank three key social units who enabled me to complete this journey. First, my family. Thank you for your constant support and encouragement. Thank you for allowing me to create that soulful place to finish some unfinished business. Second, my committee members. Dr. Lilbum Hoehn, thank you for the gifts of staying connected and your authentic sense of collegiality. Dr. Raphael Becvar, thank you for your gifts of intellectual curiosity and playfulness. Dr. Annemarie Murphy, thank you for your willingness to accommodate and work with us on such short notice. Finally, thank you Dr. Sybil Delevan. I will always cherish your constant demand to raise the bar, your careful reading, and your genuine desire to be there for the student. Thank you all for making this journey enjoyable. Finally, to all 11 participants who chose to participate in this research study. Thank you for the gift of your stories. I wish each and every one of you the very best in your journey as you meander through the messiness of organizational change. May our paths cross often! Cheers! ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures ............. vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY.............................................................. 1 Introduction................................................................................................................................... 1 The Statement of the Problem...................................................... 4 Background.............................................................................................. 5 Purpose of the Study.................................................................................................................. 10 Significance of Study................................................................................................................. 11 Nature of the Study........................................................ 14 Research Questions.................................................................................................................... 17 Conceptual Framework................................................. 17 The Perspective of System Integration..............................................................................18 The Perspective of Social Integration................................................................................19