Designing and evaluating transformation processes: Impact models as an approach to integrate strategic personnel development with organizational development

Abstract

Given the urgency of ecological, economic, and social transformation processes in German companies, effective human resource (HR) and organizational development are becoming increasingly important. This article in the journal Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation. (GIO) introduces impact models as a tool for clarifying the effects of transformative HR and organizational development. Through such theory-based evaluation approaches, effects can be systematically developed and evaluated to derive their contribution to shaping transformation processes at employee, organization, and societal levels. Following the process steps of a contribution analysis, an impact model for an integrated personnel and organizational development measure was initially constructed based on a case example (“VeränderungsMacher”) and tested using a pilot group of 16 professionals. In a subsequent implementation, inductive and deductive interview analyses with managers (N = 13) were used to evaluate the VeränderungsMacher program, to identify desired and actual states of learning and competency gains of professionals, and to test the developed impact model structure. Descriptive data from participating professionals (N = 24) confirm the assumed impact of this transformative training development. The results on the usefulness of impact models and contribution analysis for designing and evaluating transformation processes are discussed. Practical implications for the application of program-theoretical methods in companies are presented.