Module 5 – Background
IMPLEMENTATION OF CHANGE
Video material
Required Reading
Leonard-Barton, D. & Kraus, W.A. (1985) Implementing new technology. Harvard Business Review. November. Retrieved October 24, 2017, from https://hbr.org/1985/11/implementing-new-technology
http://www.ecoman.ktu.lt/index.php/Ekv/article/download/4732/2739
May, C. (2013) Towards a general theory of implementation. Implementation Science. 8:18 Retrieved October 21, 2017, from https://implementationscience.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1748-5908-8-18
Mujtaba, B. and Cavico, F. (2013) Corporate Wellness Programs: Implementation Challenges in the Modern American Workplace. Int J Health Policy Manag. Sep; 1(3):193–199. Retrieved November 15, 2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3937880/
Society for Human Resource Management (2015) Wellness Programs: What are the general steps for implementing a wellness program, and how can a wellness program benefit employers? Retrieved November 15, 2017, from https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/hr-qa/pages/wellnessprogramscontributingtotheemployer%E2%80%99sbottomline.aspx
Pellissier, R. (2014) Towards strategy formulation in a complex environment. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure. 3 (1). Retrieved November 15, 2017, from http://www.ajhtl.com/uploads/7/1/6/3/7163688/article_25_vol__3_1.pdf
Optional Reading
Parnell, J. (2016) A Business Strategy Typology for the New Economy: Reconceptualization and Synthesis. Journal of Applied and behavioral Management. Retrieved November 15, 2o17, from https://jbam.scholasticahq.com/article/1052.pdf
Ozminkowski, R. (2002) Long-Term Impact of Johnson & Johnson’s Health & Wellness Program on Health Care Utilization and Expenditures. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 44(1):21-30. Retrieved November 15, 2017, from http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20101201230423/healthco/images/3/31/Johnsonjohnson.pdf
Bromiley, P and Rau, D., (2014) Towards a practice-based view of strategy. Strategic Management Journal. Retrieved November 15, 2017, from https://escholarship.org/content/qt1z04d5mw/qt1z04d5mw.pdf
Module 5 – Case
IMPLEMENTATION OF CHANGE
Assignment Overview
As our focal technology for this module, we will consider the evolution of corporate wellness programs. The technologies associated with promotion of “corporate wellness” (in itself a concept that has many different definitions and varieties) are generally fairly broad in range and capable of being introduced into practice in many different ways. It is certainly desirable to have technologies that can be adapted effectively to particular organizational situations during their implementation; but if there are certain elements of the technology that will only be effective if they are implemented in a particular kind of way, then a flexible orientation can easily introduce enough error into the process that the positive effects of the technology are not realized.
It is extremely difficult to separate failures in implementation from failures in the technology itself. Moreover, since implementation problems tend to become fairly contentious issues in organizational politics, there are likely to be wider repercussions felt throughout the system. Organizational life is further complicated when one attempts to separate bad decisions from those made about negative things, or separate bad decisions from the good in a complex situation where a number of people in several places are making decisions simultaneously.
Our case here involves looking at corporate wellness interventions as examples of technologies where implementation is absolutely critical, and how you get to a new equilibrium is as important, if not more important, than the content of the equilibrium itself. We will consider these issues both from an implementation (bottom-up) perspective as well as from a strategic (top-down) perspective, and try to see how these two perspectives hopefully complement each, other but can easily wind up in conflict.
Case Assignment
Prepare a 5- to 7-page paper in accordance with the following Assignment Expectations on the topic:
“Strategy and implementation of corporate wellness programs”
You should begin your paper by reviewing the general idea of corporate wellness and the knowledge base underlying its popularity and value. You should then assess how companies make strategic decisions about putting such programs in the place, and how that strategy is then translated into an effective or ineffective implementation process. Discuss how, during implementation, programs are shaped in different kinds of ways, some better than others. You should include your paper with a couple of paragraphs outlining your own recommendations on how companies can more effectively integrate overall innovative strategies with local change management, under conditions of uncertainty and risk.
Module 5 – SLP
IMPLEMENTATION OF CHANGE
Module 5 marks the completion of the first draft of a literature review for your project. The assignment for this module is to complete the first draft, based on the annotated outline for it that you submitted in Module 4. By now, you should have all your sources lined up; have some practice at writing paragraphs for a literature review; and received feedback. If your annotated outline is well developed, turning it into your draft should not be too hard. It just requires putting together all the skills that you have been developing throughout the program to date.
Back in Module 1, you had a chance to look at literature reviews from a number of DBA projects. You should try to emulate the academic style of these reviews to the degree possible.
SLP Assignment Expectations
Length: The draft that you submit should be 15-20 pages long (double-spaced) without counting the cover page and reference page.
Organization: Subheadings should be used to organize your paper according to the questions.
Grammar and Spelling: While no points are deducted for minor errors, assignments are expected to adhere to standard guidelines of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence syntax. Points may be deducted if grammar and spelling impact clarity. We encourage you to use tools such as grammarly.com and proofread your paper before submission.
As you complete your assignment, make sure you do the following:
Answer the assignment questions directly.
Stay focused on the precise assignment questions. Do not go off on tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background materials.
Use evidence from your readings to justify your conclusions.
Cite at least five credible resources.
Discussion 5:
Continue analysis of problems and/or questions arising in the course thus far
We will continue to identify any general issues about the content of the course – specifically, the cases – that you are unclear about or would like further discussion of. Identify at least two major issues arising from the cases that you think deserve further discussion, and say why you believe this is so.
Have a crack at answering questions posed by your colleagues, or at least suggesting places they might go to get further information about resolving their questions. Help one another out as you study the course materials.
300 Words
