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Abstract
The authors present five fundamentally different ways of thinking about change, each representing different beliefs systems and convictions about how change works, the kind of interventions that are effective, how to change people, etc. They are labeled by color: yellow, blue, red, green, and white print thinking. Each is based upon a family of theories about change. These five models function as communication and diagnostic tools and provide a map of possible change strategies.
Introduction
A search for the underlying values of the word change results in a whole range of meanings and different rationalities. There is often a world of difference between them. As a result, the practical applications of change strategies or approaches vary widely. Conceptual clarity is desired to better express the various meanings of the word change for several reasons:
1. It facilitates clearer communication between the people involved, for example, communication between and among managers, consultants, and academics. Misunderstandings and conflicts can and do arise, for instance, when change strategies are discussed in a management team between people who believe change is essentially a power game versus people who believe it is a rational endeavor. A new shorthand language for this complex subject matter creates the possibility for shared interpretations and meanings.
2. It can beused to characterize dominant paradigms in groups or organizations, serving as a diagnostic tool for characterizing different actors involved in a change effort. Moreover, the paradigms themselves represent different views of the organization and its problems. Such different viewpoints help paint a more complete and complex picture of organizational life.
3. It provides a map of possible strategies to deal with organizational issues. The idea is that not that "anything goes." It is relevant to know what kind of approaches are available as well as to have some sense of indicators that facilitate a choice of what approach is more fitting given one certain situation rather than others.
4. It offers change agents a tool for reflective questioning: "What are your own assumptions? What is your (key) competence for bringing about change, and what are your limitations?" It can assist change agents in delineating their area of expertise and their professional development.
In this article we touch on a meta-theoretical concept-the colors-that has...
