Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine what effects the leadership team had on the implementation of the structural change in the human resources department of a large suburban school district. An additional purpose of this study was to research, recommend, implement, and evaluate strategies to determine which strategies were most effective in implementing change within the human resources department utilizing the Kolb and Frohman, Nadler Seven-Phase Consulting Model. Methodology. The design chosen for this study was action research, and organizational development was selected as the method. The human resources department studied was comprised of one leadership team and four subgroups; each led by one member of the leadership team. Three action research cycles were completed in this study. Following an initial entry and contracting phase with the client, each cycle included five phases; data collection, data analysis, data feedback, intervention, and evaluation. Effective meeting design was the focus of the first cycle, a 360-degree feedback survey of the leadership was completed to facilitate development of an action plan for improvement of leadership skills in the second cycle and a Group Development Assessment Questionnaire was used to determine identified areas to improve group functioning in the third cycle. Findings. One finding of the study represented in all three action research cycles is that leadership impacts the attitudes and functioning of a team. Another significant finding was that buy-in and commitment to the process are not always linked to improvement or change. A third finding was that in order for a change effort to move forward without fragmentation, a well-articulated vision must be in place, for departments as well as the larger organization. Conclusions and recommendations. The implications of the study are that in order for a change effort to be implemented successfully, a vision must be instituted, readiness for change must be established and leadership must be trained in the change process. A further implication is that action research and organizational development are effective tools for planning and implementing change.