The types and purposes of change
Tasks # 3

Tuesday, January 29 through Thursday, January 31

1.  Take notes on Tuesday's lecture "Types and purposes of change" especially the material from the book Breaking the Code of Change.

2.  Read "Resolving the tension between Theories E and O of Change."  This is on electronic reserve and is the thirty page introduction to Breaking the Code of Change (2000) pp. 1-33 edited by Michael Beer and Nitin Nohria.  Be sure to complete the reading by Tuesday so that you can meet face to face or online with your team and prepare your team's presentation for Thursday.

3.  Prepare for the following team presentations:

Scott Paper vs. Champion International (10 minutes)

The contrasting stories of Scott Paper and Champion International.  Each team will have five minutes to summarize the following:  1) the company's situation, 2) the changes that were implemented, and 3) the results of these changes.  These two companies will serve as examples throughout the semester so be precise in your description of their experiences.

• a spokesperson for one team will tell the story of Scott Paper.
• a spokesperson for another team will tell the story of Champion International.

Debate: Theory E vs. Theory O  (20 minutes)

A debate between two teams over the relative merits of Theory E versus Theory O.  A representative from each team will present an 8 minute case summarizing the arguments that explain why a CEO must follow either Theory E or Theory O when designing and implementing change.

• a spokesperson for one team will tell CEO's why they must use Theory E as a manual for change.
• a spokesperson for the other team will tell CEO why they must use Theory O as a manual for change.

Questioning Period (15 minutes)

Two teams will prepare a list of questions that they will direct towards the two debaters.   One team will question the advocate for Theory E.  The other team will question the advocate for Theory O.  These questions should challenge the assumptions, facts, generalizations and implications of these two theories.

The synthesis of Theory E and Theory O (20 minutes)

Two teams will offer ways of integrating these two competing theories of change.

• a spokesperson for one team will explain the "sequencing scenario."
• a spokesperson for the other team will explain the "simultaneous scenario."

4.  Formal assignment # 3:

• Each team should post their written preparations on the bulletin board under assign # 3 "Theory E vs. Theory O" by Thursday morning at 10 AM.
• Each team must designate one of their members to present their team's preparations.
• Each team will receive a score of 0 - 10 points for the quality of their written work and the effectiveness of their representative's oral presentation.

last revised by dhostet@siue.edu
December 11, 2001