This research addresses the question of "why changing a public school so hard?" by bridging multiple theories of change with the cognitive and social structure of interaction. A leading edge sociocognitive network model is developed to provide a parsimonious and powerful explanation for the cognitive and social dynamics that generate change in organizations. Specifically, three interlinked studies are designed to test the sociocognitive network model within a context notorious for its resistance to change - public elementary and secondary schools.
Study I utilizes an experimental design that manipulates network interactions and characteristics of change to determine their impact on individual and group assessments. The impact of group assessments on the likelihood of change is also investigated. Study II is a computer simulation study designed to determine the impact of various network conditions on the sociocognitive process and answer questions such as, "do limited interactions due to network size, structures, or information sharing patterns effect shared understandings?" Study III is a field study in New York City Schools Under Registration Review (SURR). It is argued that differences in outcomes are driven by differences in organizational members' shared understanding about the feasibility, urgency, effectiveness and legitimacy of change. This triangulation of research methods has been demonstrated to provide both contextually rich and reliable results when testing new theory.
The research team is very multidisciplinary, with scholars from organizational change, education, social networks and social cognition from two universities. The study will also significantly involve graduate and undergraduate students.
INTELLECTUAL MERIT. This research advances existing knowledge by integrating sociocognitive and social network theory to model the type of real-world exchanges and interactions that take place in organizations. Evidence resulting from the research team's experience and research in organizational contexts faced with change corroborates theoretical assertions about the strength of the sociocognitive model. A particular innovation of the model establishes boundary conditions for the effects of cognition on change, arguing that the effects of cognition on change depend on stable and widely shared social assessments of a particular form. The proposed research addresses the call of the Human and Social Dynamics program by 1) demonstrating how cognition is a product of social structure and can be represented as a collective process; 2) integrating work from network and sociocognitive theory as well as studies of strategic and institutional change to demonstrate how collective cognition becomes the impetus for change and 3) offering practitioners theoretically justifiable and contextually valid knowledge with which to manage profound change in their organizations. BROADER IMPACTS. Findings that illustrate the complex social and cognitive dynamics responsible for change impact all organizations; yet, the research is conducted with the needs of public elementary and secondary schools in mind. Results of the research will be disseminated via workshops and conferences to public school teachers and administrators to use as a new tool for understanding and facilitation change in under performing schools where students are mostly poor, are mostly people of color and are among the most underserved groups in the nation. The positive research results can provide knowledge that empowers practitioners to change schools in a way that realizes the full potential of students and the organizations that serve them.
This project is supported by an award resulting from the FY 2004 NSF-wide competition on Human and Social Dynamics (HSD). Coordinated management of the HSD competition and the portfolio of HSD awards involves all NSF directorates and offices.
