Organizational Development: Change Mechanisms and Adaptability

This essay provides an extensive analysis of organizational change, focusing on two primary mechanisms: drastic actions and evolutionary adaptation. It explores the significance of change in corporate organizations, emphasizing the importance of adapting to evolving business environments. Drastic actions, often driven by transformational change theory, involve rapid adaptations that can potentially disrupt organizational behavior and culture. Evolutionary adaptation, on the other hand, is a slower, more systematic process that fosters stability and strengthens organizational dynamics. The essay also touches on the eight-step model theory, which complements evolutionary change by providing a structured approach to business evolution. Ultimately, the essay concludes that while external factors initiate organizational changes, the adaptability of an organization hinges on its behavior, culture, dynamics, and effective change management strategies, all of which require strategic and systematic planning to mitigate risks.

Running head: ASSESSMENT 2: ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
ASSESSMENT 2: ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVES
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ASSESSMENT 2: ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The essay focuses extensively on the topic of organizational change and the various
ways in which organizations take part in developmental changes. The essay is focused
towards analysing the various factors and aspects related to mainly two kinds of change
mechanisms. The change mechanisms are that of drastic actions and evolutionary adaptation.
The first one is a kind of forced change implemented by higher management and the second
is more systematic and environment based in nature. The greater significances of these types
of change need to be discussed further.
Change is a much important factor that affects corporate organizations across the
world. Change is constant as civilization keeps on progressing towards greater advancement
of living standards, technology, business and corporate environments (Bertram, Blase and
Fixsen 2015). It is important for organizations to keep on changing their business outlook,
productivity functions, management, promotion and communicational aspects from time to
time. This helps corporate organizations to ensure the sustenance of their business
performance in the long term. However, how to implement essential and effective changes
considering the behaviour, dynamics and culture of organizations are important questions in
the existing corporate scenarios (Carnall 2018). Change management thus, becomes an
essential function across all the large or small business organizations.
In the rapidly changing corporate scenarios across the globe in recent times drastic
changes have become more common among organizations. Businesses are trying to adapt
faster than ever in a bid to gain an upper hand over competitor enterprises (Cameron and
Green 2015). However, this kind of change is highly incoherent and not systematic. These
kinds of change oriented conducts among organizations are not much suitable for long term
progressive change management. Moreover, the drastic action changes can harm the
organizational behaviours, cultures and dynamics to a great extent. Organizational behaviour
is the internal and external behavioural tendencies of organizations that are determined by the

2ASSESSMENT 2: ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
operational and structural aspects present of the particular business. The cultures in
organizations are also much dependent on its behavioural aspects. Moreover, the
organizational dynamics are determined by how ready the stakeholders of organizations are
to adapt to changes. Drastic actions often create an environment of discontent within an
organization (Van der Voet 2014). The rapid adaptation to changes is mostly forced by the
management. This can cause coordination problems within the organizational framework
rising from discontent among the employees, stakeholders and lower management of
organizations. Transformational change theory guides drastic actions to a great extent. In the
theory, the current situations with regards to the corporate environment such as technological
advancement, political climate, customer preferences and other factors need to be considered
while bringing about change (Burke 2017). The drastic change mechanism is also related to
the three phase theory of change management. In the theory organizations try to primarily
resist change, then engage in implementing necessary changes through training and education
and in the last phase establish the new changes as norms. Dynamic adaptability can cause less
harm if the organizational hierarchy is very strong.
Evolutionary adaptation is a much slower process. However, optimal levels of
organizational stability are maintained. It is important to consider that evolutionary changes
are inevitable for the growth of any large organization (Van der Voet 2014). It is a much
required survival mechanism that organizations need to stand the test of time. Evolutionary
adaptability also gives an organization essential experience in the long run corporate market.
Unlike drastic action change it is a much natural process. This kind of change is important for
maintaining a smooth organizational behaviour (Hornstein 2015). The process is slower
giving ample time to the organizational stakeholders to communicate, cooperate and
coordinate successfully towards change. The organizational culture is enhanced and the
organizational dynamics are strengthened. However, given the slow nature of the process its

3ASSESSMENT 2: ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
occurrence in real-time is lesser compared to drastic change. The process is more beneficial
for larger established organizations. Change management becomes relatively easier as the
organization slowly adapts to the changing business environment. The eight step model
theory can complement this type of change where the steps involved are establishing urgency,
teambuilding, creation of vision, staff empowerment, short term goal creation, persistence
and finally establishing policy (Burke 2017). The evolutionary changes are not automatic and
have to be systematically guided though strategies that are aimed towards effective business
evolution of an organization. The cultures of organizations are crucially impact the change
adaptability of organizations. Hence, only effective change management can determine the
success of adaptability.
In conclusion, it can be said that organizational changes are mostly initiated due to
crucial external factors. However, organizational behaviour, culture, dynamics and change
management functions play crucial role towards determining the adaptability of an
organization. In any case risks are involved that can only be effectively tackled through
strategic and systematic planning.

4ASSESSMENT 2: ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
References
Bertram, R.M., Blase, K.A. and Fixsen, D.L., 2015. Improving programs and outcomes:
Implementation frameworks and organization change. Research on Social Work Practice,
25(4), pp.477-487.
Burke, W.W., 2017. Organization change: Theory and practice. Sage Publications.
Cameron, E. and Green, M., 2015. Making sense of change management: A complete guide
to the models, tools and techniques of organizational change. Kogan Page Publishers.
Carnall, C., 2018. Managing change. Routledge.
Hornstein, H.A., 2015. The integration of project management and organizational change
management is now a necessity. International Journal of Project Management, 33(2), pp.291-
298.
Van der Voet, J., 2014. The effectiveness and specificity of change management in a public
organization: Transformational leadership and a bureaucratic organizational structure.
European Management Journal, 32(3), pp.373-382.