REPLY Factors related to success of SD (SD6846)

[SDMAIL Jim Thompson]

Posted by  "Jim Thompson" <james.thompson at strath.ac.uk>

Jack Harich  wrote:
> Is this or related research available? How current and relevant
>is it?

I spent a large chunk of the past seven years trying to
understand how and under what conditions clients (as individuals,
not groups) learn in SD consulting engagements.  In the course of
that research, I found quite a bit about *what* clients learned,
too, but the focus was on *how* they learned to solve the
engagement problems.

If I can get my act together, the thesis will be available this
summer... maybe June/July... from University of Strathclyde
School of Business, Management Science Department.  

The engagements I researched (by interviewing U.S. and Canadian
consultants and clients) were pretty good-sized (spanning 3
months to 3 years in duration), and so the results represent what
many consultants encounter in day to day work.  However, it's
just a start; e.g. there are plenty of cases in different
cultural settings that should be explored.

Jim Lyneis has asked me to support the vision and strategy work
and, if the strategy team asks, I will.
JT
Posted by  "Jim Thompson" <james.thompson at strath.ac.uk>
posting date  Mon, 31 Mar 2008 10:24:23 -0400