Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Change Agency in Learning, Instruction, and Performance

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to describe the state of research and theory in the area of Change Agency in instructional and organization systems. The study of the diffusion and adoption of innovations arguably began with a need to understand how external change agents could encourage relatively passive users of an innovation to accept the need for change and implementation of the desired change. The change agents’ frustrations with the lack of relevant useful results led to more collaborative efforts to design, develop, implement and benefit from research, processes and products. The last few decades have seen research on change and change agency that is focused more on how to engage users in the change process through change agents who are internal and external to the system.

We begin this chapter with a brief history of research and theory from diffusion and adoption processes to a more inclusive and collaborative look at organization and system change. This is followed by a discussion of the latest research in business/corporate and nonprofit organization change focused on leadership in change management and communication modes and messages. We finally consider what the overall research tells us and what gaps remain to be filled in order to continue a robust agenda for effective change agency research and practice.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 229.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    In earlier incarnations of Rogers’ work, he called late adopters, “laggards.”

References

  • Ackoff, R. L. (1981). Creating the corporate future. New York, NY, John Wiley & Sons.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alfes, K., Truss, C., & Gill, J. (2010). The HR manager as change agent: Evidence from the public sector. Journal of Change Management, 10(1), 109–127.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bakhtin, M. M. (1981). The Dialogic Imagination. Austin, University of Texas Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Balogun, J. (2006). Managing change: Steering a course between intended strategies and unanticipated outcomes. Long Range Planning, 39, 29–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Banathy, B. H. (1991). Systems design of education: a journey to create the future. Englewood Cliffs, N.J., Educational Technology Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Banathy, B. H. (1992). A systems view of education: Concepts and principles for effective practice. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Banathy, B. H. (2000). Guided evolution of society: A systems view. New York, NY: Kluwer Academic/Plenum.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Barge, J. K., Lee, M., Maddux, K., Nabring, R., & Townsend, B. (2008). Managing dualities in planned change initiatives. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 36(4), 364–390.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beckhard, R., & Pritchard, W. (1992). Changing the essence: The art of creating and leading fundamental change in organizations. San Francisco: Jossey–Bass.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beer, M. (1980). Organization change and development. A system view. Santa Monica, CA. Goodyear.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, R. (2010) A change agent’s guide to organisational sustainability. NZ Business, 24(4), 70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Business Dictionary. (2010). BusinessDictionary.com. July 12, 2010, from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/champion.html

  • Carmen, R. (1990). Communication, education and empowerment (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED362649). Manchester, UK: Centre for Adult and Higher Education, Manchester University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carr-Chellman, A. A. (2007). User design. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • *Carr-Chellman, A. A., & Savoy, M. (2004). User-Design Research. In D. H. Jonassen (Ed.), Handbook of Research for Education, Communications and Technology (2nd ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cawsey, T., & Deszca, G. (2007). Toolkit for organizational change. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chreim, S., Williams, B. E., Janz, L., & Dastmalchian, A. (2010). Change agentry in a primary health care context: The case of distributed leadership. Health Care Management Review, 35(2), 187–199.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Croft, L., & Cochrane, N. (2005). Communicating change effectively. Management Services, 49(1).

    Google Scholar 

  • Duffy, F. M., Rogerson, L. G., & Blick, C. (2000). Redesigning America’s schools: A systems approach to improvement. Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon Publishers, Inc..

    Google Scholar 

  • Ely, D. P. (1999). Conditions that facilitate the implementation of educational technology innovations. Educational Technology, 23–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans, R. (1996). The human side of change: Reform, resistance, and the real-life problems of innovation. San Francisco: Jossey–Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fliegel, F. C., & Kivlin, J. E. (1962). Farm practice attributes and adoption rates. Social Forces, 40(4), 364–370.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ford, J. D. (1999). Organizational change as shifting conversations. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 12(6), 480–500.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Ford, J. D., & Ford, L. W. (2008). Conversational profiles: A tool for altering the conversational patters of change managers. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 44(4), 445–467.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frambach, R. T., & Schillewaert, N. (2002). Organizational innovation adoption: A multi-­level framework of determinants and opportunities for future research. Journal of Business Research, 55(2), 163–176.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freire, P. (1998). Teachers as cultural workers. Boulder, CO: Westview.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fullan, M. (1993). Change forces: Probing the depth of educational reform. Philadelphia, PA: Falmer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fullan, M. (2001). Leading in a culture of change. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fullan, M. (2005). Leadership & sustainability: System thinkers in action. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

    Google Scholar 

  • *Fullan, M., Cuttress, C., & Kilcher, A. (2005). Eight forces for leaders of change: Presence of the core concepts does not guarantee success, but their absence ensures failure. Journal of Staff Development, 26(4), 54–58, 64.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fullan, M., & Stiegelbauer, S. M. (1991). The new meaning of educational change. New York, NY: Ontario Institute for Studies in Education: Teachers College Press Teachers College Columbia University.

    Google Scholar 

  • *Goddard, J. T., & Bohac-Clarke, V. (2007). The cycles of school change: Toward an intergrated developmental model. The Journal of Educational Thought, 41(2), 105–123.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall, G. E. (1974). The concerns-based adoption model: A developmental conceptualization of the adoption process within educational institutions. Chicago: Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamel, G. (2009). Natural Leaders. Leadership Excellence, 26(9), 3–4.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hammer, M., & Champy, J. (2001). Reengineering the corporation. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hargreaves, A., & Fullan, M. (2000). Mentoring in the new millennium. Theory Into Practice, 39(1), 50–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Havelock, R. G., & Zlotolow, S. (1995). The change agent’s guide. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hutchins, C. L. (1996). Systemic thinking: Solving complex problems. St. Louis, MO: Professional Development Systems.

    Google Scholar 

  • Irgens, E. J. (2009). Institutional bridging: Change projects as creators and carriers of knowledge. Knowledge Management Research and Practice, 7, 162–171.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Jabri, M. (2010). Utterance as a tool for change agents. Journal of Management Development, 29(6), 535–544.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jenlink, P. M., Reigeluth, C. M., Carr, A. A., & Nelson, L. M. (1998). Guidelines for facilitating systemic change in school districts. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 15, 217–233.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Kearney, W. S., & Smith, P. A. (2010). Principal influence and school change orientation in elementary schools: The importance of campus leadership. Ben Sheppard Journal of Leadership, 5(1), 1–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Killon, J. & Harrison, C. (2006). Taking the Lead: New Roles for Teachers and School–based Coaches. Oxford, OH: National Staff Development Council.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirkpatrick, D. L. (1998). Evaluating training programs: The four levels. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading change. Boston: Harvard Business School.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lane, S., Lacefield-Parachini, N., & Isken, J. (2003). Developing novice teachers as change agents: Student teacher palcements “against the grain”. Teacher Education Quarterly, 30(2), 55–68.

    Google Scholar 

  • LeTourneau, B. (2004). Communicate for change. Journal of Healthcare Management, 49(6), 354–357.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewis, L. K., & Seibold, D. R. (1998). Reconceptualizing organizational change implementation as a communication problem: A review of literature and research agenda. In M. E. Roloff (Ed.), Communication yearbook 21, 93–151. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lukacs, K. (2009). Quantifying “the ripple in the pond”: The develoment and initial validation of the teacher change agent scale. The International Journal of Educational and Psychological Assessment, 3(12), 25–37.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lukacs, K., Horak, A., & Galluzzo, G. (2011). Does teaching how to make a different make a different? A pre/post study of an “educational change” course. Focus on Teacher Education, 10(3).

    Google Scholar 

  • McLaughlin, L., & Hyle, A. E. (2001). The School Principal as Change Agent: An Explanatory Case Study. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association. (pp10–14) Seattle: WA. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 456 516).

    Google Scholar 

  • Monge, P., & Poole, M. S. (2008). The evolution of organizational communication. Journal of Communication, 58, 679–692.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mosby. (2009). Mosby’s Medical Dictionary (8th ed.). Elsevier, Maryland Heights, MO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mueller, J. (2009). Maxims of maximizing organizational change effectiveness. The Business Review, Cambridge, 14(1), 70–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nelson, M. & Brice Jr., J. (2008). Emotional and informational social support: Exploring contrasting influences on human resource management innovation. Journal of Organizational Culture, Communications and Conflict, 12, 71–82.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nelson, M., Brice, J., & Gunby, N. W. (2010). Innovation adoption decisions: The effect of problem solving styles and social support. Journal of Organizational Culture, Communications and Conflict, 14(1), 73–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nelson, L. M., & Reigeluth, C. M. (1995). Professional development in systemic educational change. In P. Jenlink (Ed.), Systemic change: Touchstones for the future school (pp. 105–116). Arlington Heights, IL: Skylight Professional Development.

    Google Scholar 

  • Palmer, I., & Dunford, R. (2008). Organizational change and the importance of embedded assumptions. British Journal of Management, 19(1), 20–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Poole, M. S., & Van de Ven, A. H. (2004). Introduction. In M. S. Poole & A. H. Van de Ven (Eds.), Handbook of organizational change and innovation (pp. xi–xvi). Oxford: Oxford University Press, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Process Excellence Network. (2010). Process Excellence Network. July 12, 2010, from http://www.processexcellencenetwork.com/glossary/change-agent/#VRC

  • Reigeluth, C. M., & Garfinkle, R. J. (Eds.). (1994). Systemic change in education. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reigeluth, C. M., & Squire, K. (2000). The many faces of systemic change. Educational Horizons, 78(3), 143–152.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, E. M. (1995). Diffusion of innovations. New York, Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations. New York, NY: Free.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, B. (1996). Managing Change in the Public Sector. Journal for Quality and Participation, Vol. 19, p 42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, B., & Gross, N. C. (1943). The diffusion of hybrid seed corn in two Iowa communities. Rural Sociology, 8, 15–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Salvo, M. J. (2001). Ethics of engagement: User-centered design and rhetorical methodology. Technical Communication Quarterly, 10(3), 273–290.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sande, T. (2009). Taking charge of change with confidence. Strategic Communication Management, 13(1), 28–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sarason, S. (1995). Parental involvement and the political principle. San Francisco, CA: Josseey Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schlechty, P. C. (2001). Shaking up the schoolhouse. San Francisco: Jossey- Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Senge, P. (1990). The fifth discipline: The art & practice of the learning organization. New York, NY: DoubleDay.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spector, B. (1989). From bogged down to fired up: Inspiring organizational change. Sloan Management Review, 30(4), 32–46.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spiering & Erickson. (2006). Study abroad as innovation: Applying the diffusion model to international education. International Education Journal, 7(3), 314–322.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stensaker, I., & Langley, A. (2010). Change management choices and trajectories in a multidivisional firm. British Journal of Managment, 21, 7–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ulrich, D. (1997). Human resource champions. Harvard Business School Press, Boston.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Valente, T. W., & Davis, R. L. (1999). Accelerating the diffusion of innovations using opinion leaders. Annuals of the American Academy of the Political and Social Sciences, 566, 55–67.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Wagner, T., Kegan, R., Lahey, L., Lemons, R. W., Garnier, J., Helsing, D., et al. (2006). Change leadership: A practical guide to transforming our schools. San Francisco, CA: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whittle, A., Suhomlinova, O., & Mueller, F. (2010). Funnel of interests: The discursive translation of organizational change. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 46(1), 16–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, B. R. (1997). Twelve roles of facilitators of school change. Arlington Heights, IL: IRI/Skylight Training and Publishing.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yapa, L. (1996). Innovation diffusion and paradigms of development. In C. Earle, K. Mathewson, & M. Kenzer (Eds.), Concepts in human geography (pp. 231–270). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zaltman, G., & Duncan, R. (1977). Strategies for planned change. New York, NY: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zorn, T. E., Page, D. J., & Cheney, G. (2000). Nuts about change. Multiple perspectives on change-oriented communication in a public sector organization. Management Communication Quarterly, 13(4), 515–566.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pearson/School Achievement Services, 1919 M Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20036, USA

    Michael Ramon Savoy Ph.D.

  2. Learning and Performance Systems, College of Education, The Pennsylvania State University, 411D Keller Bldg, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Alison A. Carr-Chellman

Authors
  1. Michael Ramon Savoy Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Alison A. Carr-Chellman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael Ramon Savoy Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of Learning Technologies, C, University of North Texas, North Elm 3940, Denton, 76207-7102, Texas, USA

    J. Michael Spector

  2. W. Sunset Blvd. 1812, St. George, 84770, Utah, USA

    M. David Merrill

  3. , Centr. Instructiepsychol.&-technologie, K.U. Leuven, Andreas Vesaliusstraat 2, Leuven, 3000, Belgium

    Jan Elen

  4. Research Drive, Iacocca A109 111, Bethlehem, 18015, Pennsylvania, USA

    M. J. Bishop

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Savoy, M.R., Carr-Chellman, A.A. (2014). Change Agency in Learning, Instruction, and Performance. In: Spector, J., Merrill, M., Elen, J., Bishop, M. (eds) Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3185-5_49

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation