This research is a case study of planned organizational change in a federal government agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). Using theories of organizational change (e.g., rational adaptive, institutional, life cycle, ecology and evolutionary, dialectical and conflict, and policy diffusion and innovation theories) as a framework for my research, I investigated the internal and external factors affecting implementation of Strategic Habitat Conservation (SHC) in the FWS. SHC is generally defined as an adaptive framework that focuses on planning, designing, implementing, and evaluating habitat conservation at landscape scales. I examined the following three research questions: 1) How have the budget, organizational structure, mission, legislation and policy, and conservation priorities of the FWS changed over the last 25 years, and what factors may have influenced those changes? 2) Among existing ecosystem teams (FWS employees from multiple offices and programs working collaboratively in a specific ecosystem), what factors inhibit or facilitate implementation of SHC? and 3) Among existing ecosystem teams, what are employees' experiences with and attitudes about implementation of SHC? To answer the first question, I conducted an archival analysis of FWS annual reports and budget reports from 1985-2010. To answer the second and third questions, I interviewed FWS employees from existing ecosystem teams in the Southeast Region of the FWS in 2008 and 2009. The archival analysis showed that most metrics have changed only minimally over the last 25 years. For instance, the mission and conservation priorities of the agency have remained relatively consistent since 1985. However, a few priorities <—>wetlands, endangered species, and wildlife refuges <—>received increasing attention and emphasis at different times. The organizational structure has expanded horizontally several times and once vertically, but there has been no major restructuring of the hierarchy. The requested budget has increased 2.5 times the rate of inflation, growing from $529,791,000 in 1985 to $2,639,798,000 in 2010, while the enacted budget has increased from $588,233,000 in 1985 to $2,764,338,000 in 2010, 2.3 times the rate of inflation. Finally, the annual reports identified 14 new pieces of legislation and 12 new policies from this time period. Although no dramatic changes were observed in the metrics examined, internal and external factors have an influence on even minimal changes in metrics. External factors influencing change in the FWS include the U.S. Congress, the judicial system, the President and the Secretary of Interior, public attitudes and opinions about conservation, and organizations with interests in the FWS's mission and activities. Internal factors also influence change in the FWS, including actions and attitudes of leaders and employees. During interviews, FWS employees identified several factors influencing implementation of SHC. These factors include employee cynicism and distrust, resistance to change, agency culture, leadership, and partnerships. In particular, employee cynicism and distrust, resistance to change, agency culture, and lack of leadership inhibit SHC implementation. Lack of leadership was similarly cited as a factor inhibiting successful implementation of the FWS's ecosystem management approach (EA) in the 1990s. The FWS should be cautious about repeating similar mistakes in attempting to successfully implement SHC. Transformational leadership behavior (TLB), which includes developing, communicating and modeling a vision, providing intellectual stimulation, and empowering employees to achieve a vision, is recommended as a key to addressing a culture of cynicism and resistance to change.
Read
