Abstract
Barbara Benedict Bunker’s pioneering work has influenced organizational practitioners for more than 50 years. One of the first women in the field, she paved the way for others. Her legacy is documented in the nine books she coauthored; the 36 articles and 27 book chapters she authored or coauthored; and the more than 85 presentations she has made throughout her career. Her legacy is also alive in the thousands of people to whom she has taught, mentored, and consulted. She is not only a great thinker, she is a wonderful teacher and an excellent practitioner. What is remarkable about Bunker’s contributions is that they are not limited to one topic or one aspect of the field. Her contributions include work on gender issues, trust, conflict management, practitioner development, and large group interventions. Her university teaching grounds students in theory and her work in the field has improved organizations and institutions. In this chapter, I will trace early influences on Bunker’s career and how her curiosity, use of self, and desire to contribute to the field has made a difference for the people with whom she has interacted around the world.
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Notes
- 1.
For this chapter, the author had spoken with many colleagues of Barbara Benedict Bunker, including Billie Alban, Susan Coleman, Mort Deutsch, Harvey Horenstein, and Judith Katz, for their thoughts and information.
References
Axelrod, R. H., Axelrod, E. M., Beedon, J., & Jacobs, R. W. (2004). You don’t have to do it alone: How to involve others to get things done. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.
Bunker, B. B. (2014). Reflecting on the OD value of always working on yourself. In Organization development network. Philadelphia: Lecture conducted from Loews Philadelphia Hotel.
Bunker, B. B. Alban B. T. (Eds.). (1992). Large group interventions. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 28(Special Issue).
Bunker, B. B., & Alban, B. T. (1997). Large group interventions: Engaging the whole system for rapid change. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Bunker, B. B., & Alban, B. T. (2006). The handbook of large group interventions: Creating systemic change in organizations and communities. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Holman, P., Devane, T., & Cady, S. (2007). The change handbook: The definitive resource on today’s best methods for engaging whole systems. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.
Lewicki, R. J. (1995). Developing and maintaining trust in working relationships. In R. M. Kramer (Ed.), Trust in organizations (pp. 114–139). Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Lewicki, R. J., & Bunker, B. B. (1995). Trust in relationships: A model of trust development and decline. In B. B. Bunker (Ed.), Conflict cooperation and justice: Essays inspired by the work of Morton Deutsch (pp. 133–174). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Further Reading
Bunker, B. B., & Alban, B. T. (Eds.). (1992). Large group interventions. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 28(Special Issue).
Bunker, B. B., & Alban, B. T. (2006). The handbook of large group interventions: Creating systemic change in organizations and communities. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Bunker, B. B., & Eddy, J. (2009). Innovations in inclusion: The Purdue faculty and staff diversity story, 1997–2008. West Lafayette: Purdue University Press.
Lewicki, R. J., & Bunker, B. B. (1995). Trust in relationships: A model of trust development and decline. In B. B. Bunker & J. Z. Rubin (Eds.), Conflict cooperation and justice: Essays inspired by the work of Morton Deutsch (pp. 133–174). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
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Axelrod, D. (2017). Barbara Benedict Bunker’s Pioneering Work in the Field of Organizational Change. In: Szabla, D., Pasmore, W., Barnes, M., Gipson, A. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Organizational Change Thinkers. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49820-1_33-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49820-1_33-1
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Bunker, Barbara Benedict: Her Pioneering Work in the Field of Organizational Change- Published:
- 16 October 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49820-1_33-2
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Barbara Benedict Bunker’s Pioneering Work in the Field of Organizational Change- Published:
- 03 April 2017
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49820-1_33-1