PhD dissertations
It was Dr Kilian Bennebroek Gravenhorst’s PhD research that led to the creation of the Change Monitor. The first track in that study dealt with the obstacles and success factors in complex changes. Kilian brought together numerous theoretical but incomplete explanations for the success and failure of change processes. His integration of those organizational and process-based factors led to a new and more complete view of what makes change so complicated. One of the more interesting findings of his research was that while horizontal and vertical collaboration is difficult during changes, such collaboration is nevertheless essential for success. The second track in Kilian’s PhD research focused on the development of the Change Monitor as an intervention. He identified what it takes to involve all relevant parties in a dialogue about the quality of the change process. Besides the theoretical discussion and the methodological development, the dissertation also contains six in-depth case studies. The commercial edition of the study is a useful tool for all professionals who work with surveys in organizations.
- Convincing Cases of Collaboration: Survey Feedback for Dealing with Obstacles in Organizational Change (PhD disseration)
- Shaping a learning process and realizing change: Reflection, interaction and cooperation through survey feedback (article)
Renate Werkman’s PhD dissertation further deepened and broadened the research program. The first track of her study dealt with why changes often proceed with such difficulty and showed what change managers can to do to achieve success. Renate also showed how the interaction patterns within seven organizations formed an obstacle to change and how the Change Monitor helped identify and break such patterns. The second track of her dissertation substantially broadened the methodological perspective by adding the theme of change strategies. It also described insights from the application of the Change Monitor in over 400 organizations. Those organizations were divided into five different categories representing the characteristic patterns with which organizations approach changes and the success they have in that regard. These five configurations – ‘innovative’, ‘political’, ‘ambiguous’, ‘skeptical’ and ‘cynical’ – serve as reference material in our current practice with the Change Monitor.
