Hi Tanya,

This writer agrees that strategic decision-making fosters adaptability in its proactive approach to changes and uncertainties. This component of strategic decision-making is critical for facilitating an organizational change, as these changes can occur at a conceptual level, shifting the mentality or the culture of the organization, as well as on a more concrete level, for example, shifting physical resources or equipment or an employee in a role or job (Graham et al., 2022). Strategic planning can be applied to changes that also occur during the organizational restructuring of strategic positions, how services are offered, or operational approaches. Some scholars suggest that there are five stages or components in the process of organizational change: development, stability, adaptation, struggle, and revolution (Graham et al., 2022). This writer agrees with researchers that it is vital for professionals working in these organizations to be aware of theories of change and how changes tie into greater socio-cultural factors. One also believes it is important to understand the difference between modern organizations and human service organizations (HSOs) and specifically what some of these changes may look like in HSOs.

While HSOs share some similarities, specifically regarding management, HSOs are different from other organizations because the entire mission and operation are fundamentally people-centered, and there is a mandate to protect and promote the welfare and well-being of the individuals the organization supports (Graham et al., 2022). Some examples of organizational changes collected from the last 20 years of research include evidence-based practice, structural changes regarding new public management, enacting and assessing private-public partnerships, and pressures and competition related to government and private resources (Graham et al., 2022). Research shows that other changes can include organizational changes internally within the organization and externally with stakeholders. Managers working within these HSOs can prepare their employees for organizational change with community, staff, and stakeholder engagement, effective approaches to internal communication, aligning internal and external systems, and conveying the vision and goals associated with the changes to the staff on the ground level, local management, and higher-level leadership (Graham et al., 2022). One also believes it benefits professionals working within HSOs to understand the internal characteristics that can influence change in an organization. Research reflects that leadership traits, overall readiness for change, specifically perceptions and attitudes, and the degree to which the internal environment supports open communication and the development of professional skills can all be key components of facilitating an organizational change (Graham et al., 2022). Other components that can impact change in HSOs are stress, satisfaction, and the degree of balance between work and home life. This writer believes it benefits human service professionals to understand and consider how change can be facilitated when working in these organizations.

please use citations in the answer and please use references at the end and make ssure the references coincide with the citations