Dilemmas in building shared transformative agency

Abstract

For several reasons, not least because of the information and communica- tions technological revolution, there is an increasing need for deep qualita- tive transformation in business activities involving the development and implementation of entirely new concepts. Traditionally this kind of change process has involved the top-down imposition of a pre-existing new model. This approach does not stimulate the local initiative or creative experimentation needed for carrying out complex transformations, howe- ver. There is therefore a need for an intervention method that allows for practitioners not only to apply a given new concept in transforming their activity, but also to analyze the need for change and to develop and imple- ment a new concept in order to meet current challenges. This calls for the breaking away from given frames of action and the taking of initiatives to transform them collaboratively. The Change Laboratory is an intervention method specifically designed for prompting and supporting this kind of shared transformative agency. Many steps have to be taken before a work community evolves form independently acting individuals into a collective subject of sustained transformation effort. This article describes some of the major dilemmas involved in building shared transformative agency on the basis of experience in carrying out Change Laboratory interventions in various organizations. The possibility of creating cross- organizational col- laboration in developing a new concept for a certain type of activity is also discussed.