L3Harris Change Management: Positive Organizational Diagnosis
This paper presents a Positive Organizational Diagnosis of L3Harris Technologies, a leader in aerospace and defense technology. Drawing on an interview with a senior engineer of more than a decade's tenure, the paper identifies the company's core strengths — including its innovative spirit, collaborative culture, and supportive leadership. Using these insights, the paper develops a five-step positive change agenda grounded in Appreciative Inquiry: creating a positive climate, generating readiness for change, communicating a vision of abundance, building commitment to that vision, and institutionalizing positive change. The paper also outlines personal commitments to modeling these changes at the individual level.
- Introduction: Overview of L3Harris and paper purpose
- Positive Organizational Diagnosis of L3Harris: Interview findings on culture and strengths
- A Positive Change Agenda for L3Harris: Five-step framework for leading positive change
- Personal Actions to Exemplify Positive Change: Individual commitments to modeling change
- Conclusion: Appreciative Inquiry synthesis and future outlook
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper anchors its change recommendations directly in qualitative employee interview data, giving the agenda practical grounding rather than purely theoretical abstraction.
- Each step of the five-part change agenda is paired with concrete, actionable tactics (e.g., recognition programs, open forums, performance metrics), making the framework operationally useful.
- Citations span multiple established change management scholars — Armenakis, Dvir, Herold, Fullan — demonstrating appropriate engagement with the academic literature.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates applied framework use: it takes the Appreciative Inquiry model and maps it explicitly onto a real organizational context, showing how theoretical steps translate into specific institutional actions. This "framework-to-practice" technique is common in organizational behavior and management courses and requires the writer to justify each recommendation with both evidence and theory.
Structure breakdown
The paper follows a five-section structure: an introduction establishing context, a diagnostic section reporting interview findings, a central agenda section organized numerically around five change dimensions, a brief first-person reflection on personal commitments, and a conclusion synthesizing the Appreciative Inquiry framework's role. The numbered agenda section forms the analytical core and accounts for the majority of the paper's content.
Introduction
L3Harris is a leader in aerospace and defense technology, focusing on innovative solutions and design excellence. To further develop its organizational effectiveness and foster a positive work culture, a Positive Organizational Diagnosis Exercise was conducted based on an interview with a long-standing employee. This paper examines the strengths, unique qualities, and aspirations of L3Harris, outlines a positive change agenda, and recommends specific actions to exemplify and model positive change.
Positive Organizational Diagnosis of L3Harris
The Positive Organizational Diagnosis Exercise at L3Harris involved a detailed interview with a senior engineer who has been with the company for over a decade. The employee spoke highly of the company's innovative spirit, collaborative culture, and the leadership's openness to new ideas, identifying these as the organization's core strengths. He recounted instances of extraordinary cooperation and teamwork, particularly during challenging projects, highlighting the employees' dedication and the strong sense of camaraderie that pervades the teams.
The organization's culture was described as energizing and revitalizing, with a clear vision that motivates the team toward excellence. The employee expressed admiration for leaders who lead by example, communicate effectively, and create a supportive environment. This high level of engagement and satisfaction among employees is indicative of the positive work environment at L3Harris.
A Positive Change Agenda for L3Harris
Building on the insights gained from the interview, a plan for leading positive change at L3Harris was developed. The plan focuses on creating a positive climate, generating readiness for change, communicating a vision of abundance, generating commitment to the vision, and institutionalizing positive change.
1. Creating a Positive Climate: L3Harris will initiate recognition programs to celebrate individual and team achievements and organize team-building activities to strengthen bonds and enhance collaboration (Adler, 2008; Fullan, 2007).
2. Creating Readiness for Positive Change: Training programs will be introduced to equip employees with necessary skills and knowledge, and open forums will be established to encourage employees to voice their opinions and contribute ideas (Armenakis & Harris, 2002; Gärtner, 2013).
3. Communicating a Vision of Abundance: The vision of L3Harris as a global leader in aerospace and defense technology will be communicated clearly to every employee, ensuring alignment and connection with organizational goals (Muthusamy, 2019; Pearce, 2003).
4. Generating Commitment to the Vision: Leaders at L3Harris will demonstrate their dedication to the company's goals, and employees will be involved in decision-making processes to ensure they feel valued and invested in the company's success (Dvir et al., 2004; Herold et al., 2008).
5. Institutionalizing Positive Change: Performance metrics will be established to monitor progress, and feedback mechanisms will be put in place to continuously gather input from employees and make necessary adjustments (Armenakis et al., 2000; Dambrin et al., 2007).
Conclusion
The Positive Organizational Diagnosis Exercise at L3Harris, based on the insights from a single yet insightful interview, has laid the groundwork for positive change. The Appreciative Inquiry Model serves as a guiding framework, encouraging a focus on the organization's strengths and potential. Through the implementation of the positive change agenda and a personal commitment to exemplifying positive change, L3Harris is well-positioned to enhance its organizational effectiveness, foster a positive work environment, and continue its legacy of innovation and excellence.
References
Adler, N. J. (2008). Global business as an agent of world benefit: New international business perspectives leading positive change. Handbook of Research on Global Corporate Citizenship, 374–401.
Armenakis, A. A., Harris, S. G., & Feild, H. S. (2000). Making change permanent: A model for institutionalizing change interventions. In Research in Organizational Change and Development (pp. 97–128). Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
Armenakis, A. A., & Harris, S. G. (2002). Crafting a change message to create transformational readiness. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 15(2), 169–183.
Dambrin, C., Lambert, C., & Sponem, S. (2007). Control and change — Analysing the process of institutionalisation. Management Accounting Research, 18(2), 172–208.
Dvir, T., Kass, N., & Shamir, B. (2004). The emotional bond: Vision and organizational commitment among high-tech employees. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 17(2), 126–143.
Fullan, M. (2007). Leading in a culture of change. John Wiley & Sons.
Gärtner, C. (2013). Enhancing readiness for change by enhancing mindfulness. Journal of Change Management, 13(1), 52–68.
Herold, D. M., Fedor, D. B., Caldwell, S., & Liu, Y. (2008). The effects of transformational and change leadership on employees' commitment to a change: A multilevel study. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(2), 346.
Muthusamy, S. K. (2019). Power of positive words: Communication, cognition, and organizational transformation. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 32(1), 103–122.
Pearce, T. (2003). Leading out loud: Inspiring change through authentic communications. John Wiley & Sons.
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