Systems Modelling of Transformational Change

Rass, L., Treur, J., Kucharska, W., Wiewiora, A., Computer Science, & Social AI. (2023). Adaptive Dynamical Systems Modelling of Transformational Organizational Change: with Focus on Organizational Culture and Organizational Learning. Cognitive Systems Research, 79, 85–108.

1. Organizational Culture and Success/Failure:

   • Organizational culture plays a pivotal role in determining the success or failure of organizational initiatives.

   • Frameworks are needed to evaluate the significance of organizational culture for both the organization and individuals.

2. Constant Learning During COVID-19:

   • Constant learning, especially in healthcare, is crucial for innovation and human capital development.

   • Communication and cooperation patterns among employees directly affect patient care outcomes.

   • Developing a culture of constant learning and mistake acceptance is essential for improving patient care and ensuring the safety of healthcare workers.

3. Self-Modelling Network Modelling Approach:

   • Utilizes an adaptive computational causal network model to represent dynamic relationships within organizations.

   • The model incorporates nodes representing real-world concepts and their relationships, with connections characterized by weights and activation values over time.

   • Adaptive network models facilitate the representation of changing circumstances and the influence of individual and team dynamics on organizational change.

4. Systems Model of Organizational Change:

   • Organizational change is depicted as a multidimensional mechanism influenced by strategy, structure, people, and culture.

   • Cultural change efforts should involve all business units and be facilitated by leaders at all levels.

   • Organizational culture significantly shapes decision-making processes and behaviors, impacting efficiency, performance, productivity, and morale.

5. Transforming Organizational Processes and Culture:

   • Continuous training sessions, workshops, and feedback loops are essential for reshaping strategies, behaviors, and values.

   • Double-loop learning and learning from mistakes are emphasized, encouraging reflection, discussion, and adaptation at both individual and organizational levels.

6. Case Study: Learning from Mistakes in Healthcare:

   • A transformational leader implements mistake registration and disciplinary workshops to promote proactive error reporting among young doctors.

   • The process involves daily shift meetings for sharing mistakes, monthly organizational meetings for discussion and integration of lessons learned, and feedback loops for continuous improvement.

   • Learning from mistakes is highlighted as a powerful tool for individual and organizational learning, leading to a cultural shift towards constant learning.

7. Model Validation and Future Directions:

   • The self-modelling network model is validated as a formalized approach for representing organizational change.

   • The study suggests integrating observational learning and counterfactual thinking into future models to capture hidden interactions and emergent behaviors.

   • The proposed model can be applied and extended in various organizational contexts to further research in the field of adaptive computational modelling of transformational organizational change.