Rearticulating Values Through Applied Theories at Children’s Hospital Colorado

Abstract

The Problem

A large, academically affiliated pediatric institution experienced a period of dramatic change leading to concerns of cultural fragmentation and a loss of shared cultural values.

The Solution

An intervention was crafted using theories of action learning, appreciative inquiry (AI), and Scharmer’s (2009) Theory U to reformulate organizational values. A project team representing different departments and organizational levels was created to develop a new values statement. The team facilitated staff listening sessions, distilled perspectives into themes, and synthesized the themes. A traditional values statement was replaced with a unique and original credo. The intervention demonstrates a unique approach to applying multiple theories to an organizational culture change effort.

The Stakeholders

Human resource development (HRD) practitioners and scholars who are interested in the application of theory to interventions in an organizational context.

Keywords

action learning organizational values appreciative inquiry change intervention Theory U case study

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Cameron

K. S.

Quinn

R. E.

(2011). Diagnosing and changing organizational culture based on the competing values framework. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley.

Children’s Hospital Colorado. (2010a). Human resources report. Aurora, CO: Author.

Children’s Hospital Colorado. (2010b). Report of the annual employee opinion survey. Aurora, CO: Author.

Cho

Egan

T. M.

(2010). The state of the art of action learning research. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 12(2), 163-180.

Denison

D. R.

(1990). Corporate culture and organizational effectiveness. New York, NY: John Wiley.

Hassan

(2007). Human resource development and organizational values. Journal of European Industrial Training, 31, 435-448. doi:10.1108/03090590710772631

Lynham

S. A.

(2002). The general method of theory-building research in applied disciplines. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 4, 221-241. doi:10.1177/1523422302043002

Marquardt

M. J.

(2004). Optimizing the power of action learning. Palo Alto, CA: Davies-Black.

Marquardt

Banks

(2010). Theory to practice: Action learning. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 12(2), 159-162.

10.

Marsick

V. J.

O’Neil

(1999). The many faces of action learning. Management Learning, 30(2), 159-176.

11.

Meyer

J. C.

(1995). Tell me a story: Eliciting organizational values from narratives. Communication Quarterly, 43, 210-224.

12.

Nolan

M. R.

(1991). Timeshare beds: A pluralistic evaluation of rota bed systems in continuing care hospitals. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Wales, Bangor, UK.

13.

Nolan

M. R.

Grant

(1992). Regular respite: An evaluation of a hospital rota bed scheme for elderly people. London, UK: Age Concern.

14.

Nolan

Grant

(1993). Action research and quality of care: A mechanism for agreeing basic values as a precursor to change. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 18, 305-311.

15.

Posner

B. Z.

Schmidt

W. H.

(1993) Values congruence and differences between the interplay of personal and organizational value systems. Journal of Business Ethics, 12, 341-347.

16.

Revans

R. W.

(1982). The origin and growth of action learning. London, UK: Chartwell Bratt.

17.

Scharmer

C. O.

(2009). Theory U: Leading from the future as it emerges. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler.

18.

Schein

E. H.

(1990). Organization culture. American Psychologist, 45(2), 109-119.

19.

Schein

E. H.

(2010). Organizational culture and leadership (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

20.

Watkins

J. M.

Mohr

B. J.

(2001). Appreciative inquiry: Change at the speed of imagination. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley.

21.

Whitney

D. D.

Trosten-Bloom

(2010). The power of appreciative inquiry: A practical guide to positive change (rev. ed). San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler.