Inside the Black Box of Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Change: Using a Cognitive-Processing Model to Assess Attitude Structure

One of the key aspects of organizational and societal interventions is different kinds of attitude change. These different kinds of change have been operationalized in terms of the well-known Alpha, Beta and Gamma change typology. Researchers who use this typology have considered changes at state A...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Academy of Management review 1996-07, Vol.21 (3), p.655-690
Main Authors: Thompson, Richard C, Hunt, James G
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accountability
Attitudes
Cognition
Cognition & reasoning
Corporate culture
Intervention
Job satisfaction
Management
Organization theory
Organizational behavior
Studies
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Summary:One of the key aspects of organizational and societal interventions is different kinds of attitude change. These different kinds of change have been operationalized in terms of the well-known Alpha, Beta and Gamma change typology. Researchers who use this typology have considered changes at state A (time 1) and state B (time 2), but have not examined the process involved for Alpha, Beta and Gamma change in moving from state A to state B. To move inside this black box, a model is developed of attitude and structure, and the cognitive processes hypothesized to yield attitude structure changes corresponding to the Alpha, Beta and Gamma typology are examined. Testable research propositions are developed, and it is shown how the model can help to guide future research and practical applications across a wide range of interventions.
ISSN:0363-7425
1930-3807
DOI:10.2307/258998