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 9 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.
Some people are great thinkers, others are great practitioners, and others are great teachers. Rarely do these qualities all appear in one person. Barbara Benedict Bunker represents all three and exemplifies what is best in the organizational change field. She has brought intense curiosity, humility, academic rigor, and deep caring to her work. Bunker has modeled what it means to be an outstanding organizational change practitioner. For more than 50 years, she has provided lessons from which we can all learn. Organizational change would take a giant leap forward if the field were to follow half of those lessons.
I am enormously grateful to many of Barbara’s colleagues for conversations that added to my thinking and the information in this chapter, including Billie Alban, Susan Coleman, Mort Deutsch, Harvey Horenstein, and Judith Katz.
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References
Axelrod, R. H. (2004). You don't have to do it alone: How to involve others to get things done. Berrett-Koehler.
Bunker, B. B. (2014, October 27). Reflecting on the OD value of always working on yourself. Organization Development Network. Lecture conducted from Loews Philadelphia Hotel, Philadelphia.
Holman, P. D. (2007). The change handbook:The definitive resource on today's best methods for engaging whole systems. Berrett-Koehler.
Further Reading
Bunker, B. B. (1992). Large group interventions. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 28(Special Issue), 4–4.
Bunker, B. B. (1997). Large group interventions: Engaging the whole system for rapid change. Jossey Bass.
Bunker, B. B. (2006). The handbook of large group interventions: Creating system change in organizations and communities. Jossey-Bass.
Bunker, B. B. (2009). Innovations in inclusion: The Purdue faculty and staff diversity story, 1997–2008. Purdue University Press.
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. Jossey-Bass.
Bunker, B. B., & Eddy, J. (2009). Innovations in inclusion: The Purdue faculty and staff diversity story, 1997–2008. Purdue University Press.
Lewicki, R. J. (1995a). Developing and maintaining trust in working relationships. In R. M. Kramer (Ed.), Trust in organizations (pp. 114–139). Sage.
Lewicki, R. J. (1995b). 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). Jossey-Bass.
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). Jossey-Bass.
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Axelrod, D. (2020). Bunker, Barbara Benedict: Her Pioneering Work in the Field of Organizational Change. In: Szabla, D.B. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Organizational Change Thinkers. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49820-1_33-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49820-1_33-2
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Bunker, Barbara Benedict: Her Pioneering Work in the Field of Organizational Change- Published:
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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:
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49820-1_33-1