DuPont Organizational Change: OD, AI, and Sense-Making
This paper examines organizational change at DuPont through three distinct theoretical lenses: organizational development (OD), appreciative inquiry (AI), and sense-making. Drawing on a DuPont case study, the paper explores how each approach manifests in practice — from the NASCAR metaphor used in OD-driven restructuring, to Gib Akin's observational learning as an expression of appreciative inquiry, to collaborative context-building as sense-making. The paper argues that these three methods, while conceptually distinct, are compatible and can be deployed simultaneously. It then applies action research principles to the closure of the Orlon manufacturing operation and evaluates both problem-solving and appreciative inquiry responses to a hypothetical foreign buyout of DuPont.
- Approaches to Change: OD, appreciative inquiry, and sense-making in DuPont
- Compatibility of the Three Methods: How the three change approaches can coexist
- Action Research and the Orlon Closure: OD-based action research applied to plant shutdown
- Managing a Foreign Buyout: Comparing change responses to a hypothetical buyout
- Conclusion: Authoritative vs. empowering change leadership trade-offs
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper systematically applies three distinct theoretical frameworks to one real-world case, showing analytical range without losing focus.
- Transitions between abstract theory and concrete case evidence are smooth — each method is illustrated with a specific example from the DuPont study before moving to the next.
- The hypothetical buyout scenario is handled rigorously, comparing two approaches side-by-side on dimensions of control, empowerment, and leadership cost.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates comparative framework analysis: it defines each theoretical approach, locates it in the case, then evaluates all three together for compatibility. This structure allows the author to argue for a synthetic, multi-method approach to change management without overstating any single framework's superiority.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with three parallel descriptions of OD, appreciative inquiry, and sense-making as seen in the DuPont case. A compatibility section then synthesizes the three, arguing they can coexist. An action research section applies OD principles to the Orlon closure step by step. A final section introduces a buyout scenario and contrasts top-down problem-solving with a more collaborative appreciative inquiry response, ending with a generalizable conclusion about authoritative versus empowering change leadership.
Approaches to Change
The organizational development (OD) method of change is most visible in this case study in the NASCAR metaphor that was used to reorganize and re-theorize each individual's role within the organization. This type of explicit and purposeful change — with clear goals from the outset ultimately achieved through direct and specific action — is the hallmark of the OD approach. Specific issues in the company were addressed with equally specific actions and redefinitions, with change occurring in a planned and projected manner.
Appreciative inquiry, on the other hand, does not seek to identify and rectify problems. Instead, it examines situations and individuals with an eye toward the benefits and assets they offer to the organization, then works to maximize those benefits. In the case study at hand, this can be seen in Gib Akin's attempts to learn more about the organization through interviews and observation. This type of change is characterized by learning and enhancement rather than planned changes applied top-down, as in organizational development.
The sharing of information and the interpretation of events by organizational members described in the study is the clearest example of sense-making provided. In this method of change, experiences and concepts are framed from a certain perspective through collaborative definition, and change occurs as the newly developed context suggests what information and values are important. This is an ongoing process, with the organization's context shifting as new situations are considered.
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