Benedictine University
Ph.D. Program in Organization Development

The Theory and Practice of Large Group Interventions

COURSE DESCRIPTION AND SYLLABUS

Instructor:
James D. Ludema, Benedictine University

Visiting Distinguished Scholar:
Marvin Weisbord, Future Search Network

Large group interventions, designed to engage whole organizational systems in accelerated learning and change, have grown in number and popularity in recent years and prove to be one of the most promising and exciting developments in the field of OD. This course is designed to explore the very best thinking around large group interventions. We will read and discuss the works of leading large group theorists and practitioners, we will explore some of the foundational writings from systems and organizational learning theory that support large group interventions, we will learn from one another’s experiences, and as a team we will plan, design, and facilitate a live, whole system, large group intervention with Benedictine University (and its broad community of constituents). This project will serve as a "living learning laboratory" in which we can blend theory, practice, reflection, personal experience, and relationship into a dynamic whole that serves to illustrate and reinforce the wholeness of the very topic we are trying to study. Should be fun.

Bunker, B. B. & Alban, B. T. 1997. Large group interventions: Engaging the whole system for rapid change. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Chase, T. (Ed.). 1998. Large group interventions for organizational change: Concepts, methods, and cases. Readings from OD Network Conference: Leadership from Start to Finish, Dallas.

Emery, M. & Purser, R. E. 1996. The search conference: A powerful method for planning organizational change and community action. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Jacobs, R. W. 1994. Real time strategic change: How to involve an entire organization in fast and far-reaching change. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.

Weisbord, M. R. & Janoff, S. 1995. Future search: An action guide to finding common ground in organizations and communities. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.

Bohm, D. 1996. On dialogue. New York: Routledge.

Holman, P. & Devane, T. 1999. The change handbook: Group methods for shaping the future. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.

Owen, H. 1997. Open space technology: A user’s guide (second edition). San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.

Katz, D. & Kahn, R. L. 1978. The social psychology of organizations, 2nd Edition, New York: Wiley.

Senge, P. M. 1990. The fifth discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization, New York: Doubleday.

Weisbord, M. R. 1991. Productive workplaces: Organizing and managing for dignity, meaning, and community. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Weick, K. E. 1979. The social psychology of organizing. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

Manning, M. R. & Binzagr, G. F. 1996. Methods, values, and assumptions underlying large group interventions intended to change whole systems, International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 4, 3, 268-284.

Whitney D. & Cooperrider, D. L. 1998. The appreciative inquiry summit: Overview and applications, Employment Relations Today, summer, 17-28. (Yet to be distributed)

Fuller, C., Griffin, T., Ludema, J. D. 2000. Appreciative future search: Involving the whole system in positive organizational change, OD Journal. (Yet to be written).

Pasmore, W. 1992. Biography of Fred Emery, Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 28, 4, 471-472.

Bunker, B. B. & Alban, B. T. 1992. Editor’s introduction: The large group intervention - a new social innovation?, Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 28, 4, 473-479.

Dannemiller, K. D. & Jacobs, R. W. 1992. Changing the way organizations change: A revolution of common sense, Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 28, 4, 480-498.

Axelrod, D. 1992. Getting everyone involved: How one organization involved its employees, supervisors, and managers in redesigning the organization, Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 28, 4, 499-509.

Emery, M. 1992. Workplace Australia: Lessons for the planning and design of multisearches, Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 28, 4, 520-533.

Klein, D. C. 1992. Simu-Real: A simulation approach to organizational change, Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 28, 4, 566-578.

Bunker, B. B. & Alban, B. T. 1992. Conclusion: What makes large group interventions effective?, Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 28, 4, 579-591.

Ledford, G. E. & Mohrman, S. A. 1993. Self-design for high involvement: A large-scale organizational change, Human Relations, 46, 2, 143-173.

Levine, L. & Mohr, B. J. 1998. Whole system design (WSD): The shifting focus of attention and the threshold of challenge, Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 34, 3, 305-326.

Internet. 1999. Critical mass: Putting whole-systems thinking into practice, www.pdesigns.com/critmass.htm.

Sullivan, R. & Quade, K. 1999. Practitioner skills for large group interventions. Internet, www.tmn.com/quantum/lgiskill.htm.

During the first weekend, we have the distinct privileged of having Marv Weisbord with us. You are all very familiar already with his pioneering thinking and writing. I have asked Marv to do two things with us: first, on Friday night to explore the history and theory behind future search and other large group interventions, and second, on Saturday, to share stories with us from his many years of advancing exemplar OD and future search theory and practice. To prepare for this, please do the following:

1. Go back and review Marv’s Productive Workplaces. This book provides perhaps the best easy-to-read summary of OD thought I’ve ever seen. It powerfully sets the stage for future search and other large group interventions.
2. Read Marv’s Future Search cover to cover.
3. Read Bunker and Alban’s Large Group Interventions. Focus particularly on part I: An Introduction to Large Group Interventions, and part V: Group Dynamics, New Directions, and How to Move Ahead. Browse the rest of the book, it provides an excellent overview.
4. Read Emery and Purser’s Search Conference, with special emphasis on part II: Understanding Search Conference Principles. This section contains must-read stuff on the power of human ideals, democratic learning, and creative collaboration.
5. Read Jacob’s Real Time Strategic Change, focusing on part I: Redesigning the Way Organizations Change, and part IV: Pushing the Boundaries of RTSC. Browse the rest.
6. Read Whitney and Cooperrider’s "The Appreciative Inquiry Summit."
7. Read the Manning and Binzagr article "Methods, Values, and Assumptions...."
8. Browse the other books and articles at your leisure.
9. Based on every thing you read on large group interventions, write a "conversation starter," no longer than one page, on "Why, from the perspective of OD theory and practice, are large group interventions so powerful?" Bring 10 copies of your conversation starter to class on Friday night. We’ll launch our conversation with Marv on Friday night by sharing these conversation in small groups.

On Sunday, we will use the knowledge we gained from the readings and from our conversations with Marv to conceptualize, design, and begin to implement a live, whole-system, large group, appreciative intervention with Benedictine University. Please come fully awake to this session since Peter, Ram, Therese, and my jobs and future careers will all depend on your highest level of alertness and collective performance!

On February 18, as part of the large group interventions course, we will probably participate in a full-day conference/appreciative inquiry on Benedictine identity with Benedictine faculty, staff, administration, and student leaders.

The second full weekend of Large Group Interventions will consist of us as a team facilitating and 2 ½-day Organizational Summit on Benedictine identity with perhaps 300 people representing Benedictine’s various constituencies (Abbey, Board of Trustees, students, prospective students, parents, faculty, staff, administration, members of surrounding community, Benedictine high schools, etc.). This will probably take place in the fall of 2000 but maybe yet in the spring.

Good luck with the readings. I think you’ll really enjoy them.... and I look forward to our discussions and work together in the New Millennium! Have a wonderful holiday.

Jim