Orientation to Change

Studying Change

The present task is to determine the components and principles of deliberate change as a unique ever-present psycho-social phenomenon.

Sources

While academic disciplines and theme-based studies are pre-occupied with change in regard to their subject matter—environmental change, organizational change, political change, job change. There is much less attention given to changing situations in general.

Two study areas that focus on change more generally have emerged in the last century: complexity theory which is too specific, and process philosophy which is too general.
Details

The Taxonomy does appear to be underpinned by a process philosophy. All its entities are functions or dependent on combinations of functions i.e. processes. So insights and assumptions from process philosophy will be implicit in taxonomic analyses: e.g. process philosophy, like the Taxonomy, views free will as natural.

However, to the best of my knowledge, nothing has been published that is comparable to this taxonomic investigation with its focus on practical realities associated with willed endeavour of all varieties.

Assumptions

In investigating change, it is necessary to assume the following:

1. Will : this provides the primordial energy or psychosocial pressures that make change-RL3 possible. See more here.

2. Entity: this is the substrate for the operation of the will, and it possesses an identity that specifies for itself and/or others what it is. The entity in this inquiry is typically a person, an organisation, a social group, or a society in a particular situation.

3. Components are internal structures of entities which can be potentially viewed as entities. Again, the significant components are persons or sub-groups.

4. State: this is the condition of the entity that undergoes change, which may or may not be construed as affecting its underlying identity.

5. Frame of Reference: An entity/situation is its own frame of reference for change. For example: if a component of an entity is itself an entity (e.g. a person in a situation) then its identity change or even complete removal will not necessarily mean the higher level entity experiences an identity alteration.

Name & Function

Change was initially identified as the 3^rd Level in the Endeavour Hierarchy with RL3 (or RHL3) as the formula, which meant it was the 3^rd Primary Domain, whose Primary Hierarchy has the formula PH3.

It was conjectured to have the function of fitting yourself and your endeavour to the environment or more precisely:

To identify, adjust or adapt a state (in whatever aspect is relevant) so as to handle environmental pressures and ensure that endeavours can and will proceed.

Change is a dynamic name and no alternative has been identified to date. As just noted, change is essentially about an entity with a given identity moving from one state of affairs to another.
More

Looking at the various Primary Hierarchies it seems that the name for the Domain fits, more or less well, all the levels:

all levels in the levels of Action-PH1 are actions,
all levels in the levels of Experience-PH4 are experiences,
all levels in the levels of Communication-PH5 are communications,
all levels in the levels of Purpose-PH6 are purposes,
all levels in the levels of Willingness-PH7 are being willing,
and less confidently:
all levels in the levels of Inquiry-PH2 seem to involve inquiring.

Looking at Change-PH3 in the matrix below, it is not obvious that all levels are forms of changing: even if Levels 4, 5, 6 seem to be about change.

Another features is that the automatic sense of the Domain name is usually L1 or L2.

the automatic reference for Action-PH1 is Movements-L1
the automatic reference for Inquiry-PH2 is Data-collection-L1
the automatic reference for Experience-PH4 is Emotion-L3
the automatic reference for Communication-PH5 is a Signal-L2
the automatic reference for Purpose-PH6 is an Outcome-L2
the automatic reference for Willingness-PH7 is Trying-L1.

Looking at Change-PH3, the automatic reference is Alteration-L2 or perhaps Improvement-L3.

	PH1 Action	PH2 Inquiry	PH3 Change	PH4 Experience	PH5 Commun'n	PH6 Purpose	PH7 Willingness
L7	Allow Spontaneity	Channel Wonder	Envisage Transformation	Use Imagination	Sustain Openness	Activate Ultimate Values	Extend Trust
L6	Determine Choices	Justify Judgements	Generate Representations	Integrate Identifications	Assign Meanings	Adhere to Value Systems	Value Learning
L5	Devise Interventions	Construct Relations	Organize Adaptation	Develop Intuitions	Agree Names	Share Social Values	Tolerate Risks
L4	Deploy Responses	Agree Measurements	Ensure Sustenance	Embrace Ideas	Appreciate Symbols	Own Principal Objects	Welcome Participation
L3	Use Techniques	Arrange Comparisons	Develop Improvements	Contain Emotions	Interpret Significances	Install Internal Priorities	Enable Seeing
L2	Follow Procedures	Define Concepts	Specify Alterations	Focus Images	Establish Signals	Set Strategic Objectives	Question Beliefs
L1	Make Movements	Collect Data	Introduce Variations	Enable Sensations	Produce Stimuli	Pursue Tactical Objectives	Keep Trying

Start your journey by:

checking difficulties that have been encountered studying change.
scoping the investigation to follow in this satellite.
reviewing the taxonomic location.

Originally posted: 16-Jun-2024