Third-order Organizational Change and the Western Mystical Tradition

Third-order change in organizations refers to attempts to help organizational members to transcend their shared schemata. It has not previously been explored in depth. Uses mystical experience as a model of how the third-order change process may occur. Discusses several characteristics of mystical e...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of organizational change management 1994, Vol.7 (1), p.24-41
Main Authors: Bartunek, Jean M, Moch, Michael K
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Behavior
Communication
Decision making
Employee involvement
Employees
Methods
Organizational change
Participation
Security management
Strategy
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Third-order change in organizations refers to attempts to help organizational members to transcend their shared schemata. It has not previously been explored in depth. Uses mystical experience as a model of how the third-order change process may occur. Discusses several characteristics of mystical experience, focusing in particular on the central characteristic of transconceptual understanding. Presents an example of Teresa of Avila, a Spanish woman from the sixteenth century whose mystical life was reflected in her organizing activities. Suggests how mystical experience can inform understanding of the third-order organizational change process and presents a preliminary model of ways in which the third-order change capacity might be developed.
ISSN:0953-4814
1758-7816
DOI:10.1108/09534819410050795