The document describes the Porras & Robertson model of organizational change. The model outlines four types of change based on whether the change is planned or unplanned, and whether it is first-order or second-order. Planned change is initiated by the organization itself to improve functioning, while unplanned change comes from outside factors. First-order change is linear and continuous, while second-order change involves a paradigmatic shift.

1. Porras & Robertson Model
Approaches to Managing Organizational Change

2. Prepared By
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Manu Melwin Joy
Assistant Professor
Ilahia School of Management Studies
Kerala, India.
Phone – 9744551114
Mail – manu_melwinjoy@yahoo.com

3. Porras & Robertson Model
• Porras & Robertson outline four types of
organizational change based on the category
of change (planned or unplanned) and its
order (first or second).

4. Porras & Robertson Model
• Planned change originates with a
decision made by the organization
itself with the deliberate purpose of
improving its functioning.
• It is also common to engage an
outside resource to help in the
processes of making these
improvements.
• Planned change is typically initiated
to respond to new external
demands imposed upon the
organization.
• Planned change will often affect
many unforeseen segments of the
organization.

5. Porras & Robertson Model
• Unplanned change is change
that originates outside of the
organizational system and to
which the organization must
respond.
• This adaptive response is often
focused on the alteration of
relatively clearly defined and
narrow segments of the
organization.
• It is spontaneous, evolutionary,
fortuitous, or accidental.

6. Porras & Robertson Model
• First-order change, linear and
continuous in nature, involves
alterations in system
characteristics without any
shift in either fundamental
assumptions about key
organizational cause-and-
effect relationships or in the
basic paradigm used by the
system to guide its
functioning.

7. Porras & Robertson Model
• Second-order change is a
multi-dimensional, multi-
level, qualitative,
discontinuous, radical
organizational change
involving a paradigmatic
shift.