Article Summarization Creating the Capacity for organizational participation and Receptivity to change Change: Personnel

Creating the Capacity for organizational participation and Receptivity to change

Change:Personnel

Keith L. Smith
Associate Vice President, Agricultural Administration Associate Dean, College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Director, Ohio State University Extension Gist Chair in Extension Education and Leadership Ohio State University Extension Columbus, Ohio

Smith.150@osu.edu Cynthia B. Torpa

Associate Professor Department of communication Studies Marshal University Huntington, West Virginia

torpa@marshal.edu

Journal of Extension August 2010, Volume 48 Number 4- Article Number 4FEA1

Article Summarization ValerianoKataya DBA 861 Instructor: Dr. James William June, 18 2011

Article Summarization Creating the Capacity for organizational participation and Receptivity to change Change: Personnel

Introduction This paper reviews the article referring to Creating the capacity for organizational change: personnel participation and receptivity to change. It was written by Keith L. Smith, Associate vice President, Agricultural Administration and Cynthia B. Torppa Associate Professor, Department of communication studies. The purpose of the article is to create the capacity for organizational change and to encourage the personnel participation and receptivity to change. The authors point out the fact that when people are involved in planning process they are more receptive and less pessimist about the plan and are more motivated to make the plan a success. At the same time, the authors evoke the impact of economic decline, rapid technological innovations, and the shift to a knowledge based workforce to Extension organizations. These facts are seen as challenges that can contribute to the creation of great opportunities for innovative programs. Despite of positive impact they can provide to the organizations, they also can affect them negatively. For example: economic declines and funding reductions can limit any public sector or greater good organizations unencumbered focus on its mission ( Lyons, ONeill, Polain,Mickel,&Hlubik,2008). Authors demonstrated that, these challenges provoke changes that can cause either positive or negative impact to organizations. It can cause extension personnel to suffer from fatigue, apathy, resistance to change and these reactions can prohibit strategies for successful programming from being accepted and implemented successfully ( Amenakis, Harris, and Field, 1999) cited by ( Smith, L. Keith and Torppa, B. Cynthia , 2010 p.1). Taking on account the permanent increase of these changes, the researchers come up with the following research question. What can Extension organization do to flourish during continuous change? It is a very important research question. It appeals for tasks or actions to be taken into consideration in situations that, the organizations face the problem of change.

Article Summarization Creating the Capacity for organizational participation and Receptivity to change Change: Personnel

Thus, the paper analysis important aspects related to strategies taken to create support for current changes and growing capacity. Yet, it refers to some other aspects referred to the methods, the variable, measurement, space of research. It is still also going to highlight the result, the significance of the article, the way the article has enhanced my knowledge and important questions raised by the authors.

Creating support for current changes and growing capacity for future changes

It is known that as long as an organization develops, it encounters different challenges, fruit of changes that occur in such organization. It implies, the organization creates alternatives or strategies as to overcome the consequences that may be provoked by these events. In the light of this perspective, the researchers of the current article suggest some tasks or actions they think should help support current changes and also grow capacity for future changes. In response to the first question, what can extension organizations do to flourish during continuous changes? The researchers focus some tasks as for example: navigating immediate changes, while simultaneously helping personnel develop the capacity to thrive as ongoing and future challenges and opportunities arise ( Frahm and Brown, 2002) cited by( Smith, L. Keith and Torppa, B. Cynthia , 2010 p.2). This is a task that helps to find out criteria to set up strategies in order to overtake different challenges. The authors advance with another task or action Extension organizations can take to help personnel adapt to current changes that is encouraging personnel to take an active role in organizational planning processes. (p.2). To support this position, the researchers evoke the idea of encouraging the personnel participation involving a conscious and intended effort by individuals at a higher level in an organization to provide an extra- role or role-expanding opportunities for individual or groups at lower level in organization.

Article Summarization Creating the Capacity for organizational participation and Receptivity to change Change: Personnel

It is also relevant to say that group members can offer outcome participation and bear future changes getting acceptable knowledge related to the current context. It means, organization personnel should keep learning how to do things better, and keep spreading that knowledge throughout their organization.Learning help people change their attitudes and it is reflected in the formal and informal rules that govern the organizations behavior. It is the key competence required by an organization that wants to survive and thrive in the times of change. Therefore, participation helps really grow personnels capacity for dealing with future changes however more than all the findings described, it should also be sustainable if the organization could insert the learning project for improving the participative skill. The article advances with some research questions about participation in strategic planning in Extension organizations. First, will OSU Extension personnels participation in creating a new 5 -year strategic plan be associated with greater receptivity to the plan? Second, will OSU Extension personnels participation in creating a new 5 year strategic plan be associated with lower pessimism about the potential success of the plan? Third, will OSU Exte nsions personnels participation in creating a new 5 -year strategic plan be associated with greater motivation to make the plan successful? Finally, will the relationship between participation and receptivity, pessimism, and motivation be different for personnel on the foundational levels of the organization than for personnel in the managerial levels of the organization? (p. 3) Methods To accomplish the study, the researchers sent an invitation to the All-Extension listserve at the authors university. Emails were sent to invite all personnel to take part in the study, explain all procedures to be followed and show the URL containing the survey. It was invited every member of the population of personnel at Ohio State University Extension to participate in the study. Random sampling was used to approximate the views or characteristics of the population in survey findings.

Article Summarization Creating the Capacity for organizational participation and Receptivity to change Change: Personnel

The online survey was activated during 3- week period and 325 individuals completed the questionnaire. The population was divided by classes through percentage according to its characteristics and region. It was used a questionnaire as tool for gathering required information. Participation in the planning process was measured by averaging responses to 10 items about opportunities that had been made available to all personnel. The questionnaire contributed to help researchers to collect data related to personnels interests, their position titles, regions, program areas and length of tenure with OSU Extension. Findings Results from the research questions posted above demonstrate some findings to be considered: question 1_ as far as participation and receptivity to the strategic plan concerned a significant positive correlation ( r=.36,p < .01, twotailed) indicated that the more personnel participated in the planning process, the more likely they were to be open to the changes in the plan. It is understood that participating in the planning process had a significant, substantial, and positive impact on personnels willingness to accept the pla n. Related to question 2 participation and lower pessimism, a significant negative correlation (r= -.2,p<.000,two-tailed) indicated that the more personnel participated in the planning process, the less likely they were to be pessimistic that the changes in the pla would be successful. This means that participating in the planning process significantly and substantially reduced personnels concerns that the plan might not work. Related to question 3 : participation and higher motivation, a significant positive correlation ( r=.44,p<.000, two-tailed) indicated that the more personnel participated in the planning process, the more likely were to be motivated to keep trying to make changes successful. This means that participating in the planning process had a significant, substantial, and positive impact on personnels motivation to make the plan a success. The final research question is about the participation and benefits for personnel. The finding showed trough the table 1 (p.7) indicate that participation in the strategic planning process was associated with greater receptivity, lower

Article Summarization Creating the Capacity for organizational participation and Receptivity to change Change: Personnel

pessimism, and greater motivation. It is affirmed that twelve of 15 of those correlations were significant. The significance of the article This is an academic article. It has showed the way how to approach a subject and get to a conclusion. The way the article has enhanced my knowledge This is a very important article, exactly because it was possible to understand clearly how to perform a research as to get good results. The articletaught that random sampling is used when it is impossible or impractical to survey the population. It was noticed that there are always some implications intervening in any research and a good method can help to find out these implications and obtain acceptable findings. Findings permit to reach a clear vision on the subject in research and prevent assuming false positions. It was also showed that nor always surveys present expected results. There are many reasons for which participants do not respond fullyto the questions. The article pointed out for example the distrust as one of this reasons. Weakness There are some aspects that researchers may disregard and a full survey can wide open it. Important questions raised by the authors. The authors raised the following important questions: First, will OSU Extension personnels participation in creating a new 5 -year strategic plan be associated with greater receptivity to the plan? Second, will OSU Extension personnels participation in creating a new 5 year strategic plan be associated with lower pessimism about the potential success of the plan? Third, will OSU Extensions personnels participation in creating a new 5 year strategic plan be associated with greater motivation to make the plan successful? Finally, will the relationship between participation and receptivity, pessimism, and motivation be different for personnel on the foundational

Article Summarization Creating the Capacity for organizational participation and Receptivity to change Change: Personnel

levelsof the organization than for personnel in the managerial levels of the organization? Conclusion It is advisable that managers and DBA students read this article. It has a deep approach as far as research field concerned. It discusses the subject with such a depth that permits the analyst develops his investigative capacity. Practical aspects can also be learned, since the article show how participation may not only help personnel cope with current changes but build capacity for on-going changes.

Article Summarization Creating the Capacity for organizational participation and Receptivity to change Change: Personnel

References Amenakis, A., Harris, S.G., and Field, H.S. (1999) Making change permanent: A model for institutionalizing change interventions. Research in Organizational Change and Development, 12 97- 128. Frahm, J.,and Brown, K. (2007). First steps: Linking change communication to change receptivity. Journal of organizational change, 20, 370-387. Lyons, R., ONeil, B.,Polanin,N.,Mickel,R and Hlubik,W. (2008). Proactive planning to address budget shortfalls: The Rutgers Cooperative Extension Experience. Journal of Extension,46 [on-line] Article 4FEA2. Available at: http://www.joe.org/joe/2008august/a2.shtml Knowledge Management (KM) Collecting, Leveraging, and Distributing both Explicit and Tacit Knowledge Throughout Your Organization available at: http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/im_knowledge.html

Article Summarization Creating the Capacity for organizational participation and Receptivity to change Change: Personnel

Comment: Name: Valeriano Kataya Course: DBA 861 Creating Capacity for Organizational Change Professor Name: Dr. Moe Eze I like your analysis of the subject matter. You provided a detailed synthesis and evaluation of the subject matter. You also provided how your expected deliverables will accomplish your task. (25 points); your work follows APA guidelines (25 points); There are no spelling, grammar or punctuation errors. The sentences are complete, clear and concise. (25 points); the information is relevant to the content and the topic provided. You provided copy of the articel with summary. You needed to provie lesson learned from the article. (20)

1. Demonstration of knowledge of the subject matter - 25 2. APA Requirements 25 3. Mechanics and writing style 25 4. Provided report without summary 20 Total Grade: 95/100