Initiating Change in a Medium Sized Voluntary Organisation

1. Initiating Change in a Medium Sized Voluntary Organisation an action research proposal Simon Thompson HRM2016

2. Proposal structure • Organisation background • Aim of the research • Methodology • Tasks and milestones • Limitations & risks • Reasons for optimism • References / Bibliography Simon Thompson HRM2016

3. Organisation Background • A small unit of a voluntary sector organisation delivering substance misuse treatment • 12.5 full time equivalent employees • Currently offering residential and day care services • Funding crisis • Health Services funds being re-directed to other (larger) residential services; declining Criminal Justice funds • 2-5% annual funding increase is insufficient to cover costs • The last bastion: other residential services have already been closed in another part of the organisation • Reliance on single funding source • Tired / de-motivated staff want a change Vickers (2008a, 2008b) Simon Thompson HRM2016

4. Organisation Background (continued) • Potential for new alcohol and stimulant services • Market demand for day services • New interventions possible • Alternative funding sources identified • Improving cross-organisation collaboration (domestic violence / family support) • Premises believed to be capable of re-configuration at moderate cost • Reconfiguration planned to start in April 2009 • Project team of 5 (2 head office, 2 local, 1 other consultant) Vickers (2008a, 2008b) Simon Thompson HRM2016

5. Aim of the Research • To identify a suitable method of project management for the organisation • To identify if a ‘learning organisation’ approach is feasible • To identify any constraining factors that would affect the implementation programme Simon Thompson HRM2016

6. Methodology (Research) • Pre-understanding activity • Action research • Project management • Organisation: people, visions and structures • Timetable and ‘hygiene’ • Research diary • Obtaining opinions • Framing, advocating, illustrating & enquiring • Studying the organisation in action • Summarising, generalising and reflecting adapted from Coghlan & Brannick (2001) and Gummesson (2000) Simon Thompson HRM2016

7. Left brain / right brain approach (from Webster 1994) Methodology (Project) • Preparatory meetings • Structured interviews with stakeholders • Research into alternatives • Presentation to the project team • Draft proposal review • Agree final documentation / deliverables Simon Thompson HRM2016

8. Limitations and risks • Confidentiality • Access and trust issues • Lack of detailed knowledge of the business • Short time frame (July) / holiday clashes • Lack of knowledge of Action Research … Simon Thompson HRM2016

9. Gummesson (2000) Role of researcher Role of researcher Role of researcher Reflection Reflection Reflection Reflection Reflection Project Project Project Dialogue & action Dialogue & action Dialogue & action Role of consultant Role of consultant Role of consultant Limitations and risks • The duality of the situation • A compromise that meets neither objective – making Procrustes’s Bed Simon Thompson HRM2016

10. Reasons for optimism • Better than usual undergraduate credibility and access • Main contact is familiar with, and supportive of, learning organisation concepts through recent management training • Philosophic / professional approach of the organisation • Change is welcomed by all the project team and most other stakeholders Simon Thompson HRM2016

11. References • Coghlan, D. and Brannick, T. (2001). Doing Action Research in Your Own Organization. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. • Gummesson, E. (2000). Qualitative Methods in Management Research. 2nd Edn. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. • Vickers, L. (2008a). Initial project meeting, 23rd May 2008. S. Thompson. • Vickers, L. (2008b). Initial project meeting, 17th June 2008. S. Thompson. • Webster, G. (1994). "Whole-brain Project Management for All". Industrial and Commercial Training26(11), 22-31. Bibliography • Maylor, H. and Blackmon, K. (2005). Researching Business and Management. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. • Rowley, J. (2003). "Action research: an approach to student work based learning". Education + Training45(3), 131-138. • Whitehead, D. (2005). "Project management and action research: two sides of the same coin?" Journal of Health Organisation and Management19(6), 519-531. • Workman, B. (2007). "'Casing the joint': Explorations by the insider-researcher preparing for work-based projects". Journal of Workplace Learning19(3), 146-160. Simon Thompson HRM2016

12. Any questions? Simon Thompson HRM2016