Premium
Using system differences to orchestrate change: a systems‐guides intervention model
Author(s) -
O'Connor Patricia A.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
american journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.113
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1573-2770
pISSN - 0091-0562
DOI - 10.1007/s10464-007-9105-4
Subject(s) - documentation , health psychology , psychological intervention , intervention (counseling) , computer science , information system , complex system , behavior change , psychology , process management , knowledge management , medicine , public health , social psychology , engineering , artificial intelligence , nursing , psychiatry , electrical engineering , programming language
Successful community‐based interventions require that change agents give attention to the complexities of interwoven systems, described in the literature as complicated or complex, purposeful or purposive. The author further notes the separate standards, norms, principles and/or goals (here‐named systems‐guides ) of systems. This paper describes the author's experience as a consultant to a multi‐system collaboration where observed tensions among participants resulted in the author's implementation of a three‐step systems‐guides model, which can increase change agents' effectiveness with systems. The steps comprise: detection (of systems, systems‐guides , and discrepancies between them; here through observation); documentation (of discrepancies; here through small group discussions); dissemination (to systems participants; here to the collaboration). Two small but fundamental systems changes emerged from systems participants, not from the change agent/author who facilitated systems members' recognition of discrepancies. A major limitation in the implementation of this systems‐guides model centers on the critical necessity of the close relationship change agents must have with the involved systems.