Twentieth International Conference on Knowledge, Culture, and Change in Organizations

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate, through social network analysis, the strength of weak ties when moving curricular change through organizations. This study examined the network connections among two organizations undergoing large-scale curricular transformation and identified unexpected relational ties explaining the spread of change. Social capital exchange and social network theories were used to frame this study seeking to explain the phenomenon of the spread of change through a sequential explanatory mixed method design. The results of this study uncovered unexpected relational ties integral in the spread of programmatic reform, and further confirmed the impact loosely connected relational ties have on a model of change in the context of teacher education reform. The significance of this study is found at the intersection of organizational change and teacher education reform. The implication of this study for organizational change leaders is that much can be gleaned from social network analysis prior to, or at the early stages of, change implementation. Social network analysis provides a quantifiable model of relational ties that can make or break a change effort. This study produced an example of such data that can now be used to inform change decisions based on who is talking to whom and what they are talking about with regard to the reform effort.