An attitude survey and a role-playing case were used to identify the typical
approaches people use to implement important changes in organixations. This
typical strategy, suggested or used by over 90% of the subjects, was not successful
in producing change in any of thefourteen role-playing trials. However, with ten
minutes of instruction in the "Delta Technique," 86% of the subjects were suc
cessful in introducing change in another fourteen role-playing trials. The
"Delta Technique" consists of simple rules drawn from half a century of
research.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Armstrong, J.S., Advocacy and objectivity in science. Management Science , 1979, 25, 423-428.
2.
Bass, B.M.Utility of managerial self-planning in a simulated production task with replications in twelve countries. Journal of Applied Psychology, 1977, 62, 506-509.
3.
Batson, C.D.Rational processing or rationalization? The effect of disconfirming information on a stated religious belief. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1975, 32, 176-184.
4.
Becker, L.J., Joint effect of feedback and goal setting on performance: A field study of residential energy conservation. Journal of Applied Psychology , 1978, 63, 428-433.
5.
Blumberg, P.Industrial democracy: The sociology of participation. New York: Schocken, 1968.
6.
Brown, R., Social psychology. New YorkFree Press, 1965.
7.
Dawes, R.M.The robust beauty of improper linear models in decision making. American Psychologist, 1979, 34, 571-582.
8.
Fischhoff, B., & Beyth, R.I knew it would happen: Remembered probabilities of once-future things . Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 1975, 13, 1-16.
9.
French, J.R.P., Kay, E., & Meyer, H.H.Participation and the appraisal system. Human Relations , 1966, 19, 3-20.
10.
Ginzberg, M.J.A study of the implementation process. In Robert H. Doktor, R. L. Schultz, and D. P. Slevin (Eds.), The implementation of management science. New York: North-Holland, 1979.
11.
Hillery, J.M., & Wexley, K.N.Participation effects in appraisal interviews conducted in a training situation . Journal of Applied Psychology, 1974, 9, 168-171.
12.
Ilgen, D.R., Fisher, C.D., & Taylor, M.S.Consequences of individual feedback on behavior in organizations. Journal of Applied Psychology, 1979, 64, 349-371.
13.
Janis, I.L., & Mann, L.Effectiveness of emotional role playing in modifying smoking habits and attitudes . Journal of Experimental Research in Personality , 1965, 1, 84-90.
14.
Langer, E.J.The illusion of control. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1975, 32, 311-328.
15.
Lawler, E.E., & Hackman, J.R.The impact of employee participation in the development of pay incentive plans . Journal of Applied Psychology, 1969 , 53, 467-471.
16.
Lewin, K.Group decision and social change. In G. E. Swanson et al. (Eds.), Readings in social psychology . New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1952.
17.
Lonnstedt, L.Factors related to the implementation of operations research solutions . Interfaces, 1975, 5, 23-30.
18.
Marrow, A.J., & French, J.R.P.Changing a stereotype in industry. Journal of Social Issues, 1945, 1, 33-37.
19.
Mahoney, M.J., & DeMonbreun, B.G.Psychology of the scientist: An analysis of problem-solving bias. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 1977, 1, 229-238.
20.
Mosteller, F. "Innovation and evaluation. Science, 1981, 211, 881-886.
21.
Nisbett, R.E., & Borgida, E.Attribution and the psychology of prediction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1975, 932-943.
22.
Slovic, P., & Fischhoff, B.On the psychology of experimental surprises. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 1977, 3, 544-551.
23.
Snyder, M., & Cunningham, M.R.To comply or not to comply: Testing the self-perception explanation of the 'foot-in-the-door' phenomenon. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1975, 31, 64-67.
24.
Strickland, L.H.Surveillance and trust. Journal of Personality, 1958, 26, 200-215.
25.
Ward, W.C., & Jenkins, H.M.The display of information and the judgment of contingency. Canadian Journal of Psychology, 1965, 19, 231-241.
26.
Wason, P.C.On the failure to eliminate hypotheses—a second look. In P. C. Wason and P. N. Johnson-Laird (Eds.), Thinking and reasoning. Baltimore : Penguin, 1968.
27.
White, S.E., Mitchell, T.R., & Bell, C.H., Jr. Goal setting, evaluation apprehension, and social cues as determinants of job performance and job satisfaction in a simulated organization. Journal of Applied Psychology, 1977, 62, 665-673.
28.
Zand, D.E., & Sorensen, R.E.Theory of change and the effective use of management science. Administrative Science Quarterly, 1975, 20, 532-545.
