Organizational Change Intervention Design for Private Prisons

Introduction

An intervention of change and development within an organization is a sequence of practices, activities, and events purposed to help the entity enhance its performance and efficacy. The design of such an intervention emerges from careful analysis and is directed toward resolving specific issues and augmenting certain operational areas within the organization identified during that analysis. The purpose of this paper is to provide a synopsis of the intervention design process for a private prison company. The paper delineates criteria that characterize effective organizational change and development interventions, identifies prospective bottlenecks in executing change, and outlines the key considerations that serve as guiding principles for effective intervention design.

Initial Steps in the Change Process

Step 1 – Build Awareness

The initial phase in the organizational change process begins with creating awareness. Personnel within the private prison company need to be cognizant of the ongoing pressure and necessity to undertake a transformation or improvement. Taking into consideration the prevailing conditions of the two prisons, there is an apparent need for organizational change. This step is imperative because it sets the entire process in motion, and when conducted properly, it generates positive outcomes. A number of employees may already be aware of forthcoming changes, and this existing insight can become a core driver of the need for change. Awareness among the workforce is a key advantage for the organization because it offers a motivational foundation. When this awareness is followed by purposeful action, the organization is better positioned to become a leader in its field. Given the constant evolution of stakeholder needs and intense competition, awareness also facilitates the ability to anticipate what is likely to occur in future periods.

Step 2 – Recognize an Area of Need

The second step involves identifying the area within the prison company that requires the greatest level of attention. While appreciating the importance of organizational change and improvement is essential, it is not sufficient on its own — it is also necessary to identify specifically where within the company to focus efforts. To pinpoint this area, an organizational health check may be conducted. This could involve examining the existing gaps between the organization's present position and where it ought to be, comparing the attributes of a high-performing organization to those currently in place, or analyzing the company's performance against industry benchmarks. The significance of this step lies in its ability to concentrate effort in the right areas, ensuring that available resources are utilized precisely and that a return on investment is assured.

Applicable Theory and Model

The Complexity Theory of Change and the Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, and Reinforcement (ADKAR) model appear to be the most appropriate frameworks for facilitating and implementing change within the two prisons, respectively (Styhre, 2002; Hiatt, 2006). The Complexity Theory of Change provides a framework through which practitioners can examine and understand an organization's operations, making it possible to determine how an intervention ought to be designed to bring about the desired change (Styhre, 2002). The ADKAR model, by contrast, emphasizes change principles structured for application to large numbers of people or an entire organization. It represents a sequential phase in the change process that must be followed to accomplish the desired outcome (Hiatt, 2006). In practice, the Complexity Theory is most suitable during unstable circumstances, while the ADKAR model is best applied during the change implementation phase.