Organizational Change and Values Systems Alignment

Abstract

This chapter examines how the success of change initiatives can be increased by designing the change communication process to create alignment between the values underpinning the type of change, the values of the people implementing the change, and the values of the people affected by the change. The authors use Graves' ECLET values systems methodology to show how change agents can understand and identify the dominant values systems within the people and organizations they are working with, which will enable them to express change communication in a way that creates values systems alignment. The chapter begins by examining why change fails. It then moves on to describe Graves' work and then to provide examples of how it can be used to improve the success of change projects. The chapter concludes by suggesting key questions change agents need to ask when undertaking change initiatives.