"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has" Margaret Mead once stated. Her statement exactly expresses why the peaceful revolution of 1989 in former East Germany was successful in not only changing the political system from totalitarian socialism into a real democracy but also re-uniting West- and East Germany: the people overcame the government. Beyond this, it also explains why Winston Smith, the main character and rebel in George Orwell’s novel 1984 failed in the battle against the totalitarian regime under which he lived: he was not the “people” and only part of a group of two. Consequently, the goal of this term paper is to develop implications for leading change based on my readings. First of all, I will give a summary of the novel 1984 written by George Orwell. In the second part of this paper, I will draw a comparison between the scenario of 1984 and the real world example of former East Germany in 1989 to underline the applicability of the leadership implications given later. After this distinction, I will analyze the different leadership styles of the key characters Winston Smith (rebel) and O’Brien (the system) in 1984 as well as of Reverent Christian Führer (the rebel) in 1989 who initiated indirectly over a time frame of six to nine years the peaceful revolution in the former German Democratic Republic
(GDR). As for the counterrevolution in the GDR, I will point out briefly how the system as a whole tried to prevent the collapse of the nation. This paper ends with a conclusion.
Table of Contents
(I) Introduction
(II) Summary of 1984
(III) Comparing the general situation of 1984 with 1989
(IV) Analysis of the change initiatives in 1984 vs. 1989
(a) Understanding and recognizing change: the appreciation stage
(b) Preparing change: the influence stage
(c) Implementing change: the control stage
(V) Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This paper aims to derive practical implications for leading organizational change by comparing the failed rebellion of Winston Smith in George Orwell's novel "1984" with the successful peaceful revolution in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR) in 1989, utilizing the AIC-model (Appreciation, Influence, Control).
- The theoretical application of the AIC-model in different systemic contexts.
- A comparative analysis of totalitarian control versus open societal movements.
- The critical necessity of strategic planning and coalition-building in revolutionary leadership.
- Lessons on system awareness and the "opening of windows" for change opportunities.
Excerpt from the Book
(a) Understanding and recognizing change: the appreciation stage
Leading organizational change is a concept which is closely connected to strategy development (Todnem 2005: 379) as change includes altering the direction of the organization [system] (Weick and Quinn 1999: 366). Therefore, when consulting strategy literature such as by Thomas Wheelen and J. Davis Hunger (“Strategic Management and Business Policy”: 2006), one advice to approach change is to establish a solid understanding and responsiveness to the shifting patterns of the external and internal (organizational) environment (Wheelen/Hunger 2006: 4-14). This abstract thinking becomes more concrete when looking at ancient oriental texts on warfare especially in the context of leading a revolution (Labat/Faraminan 1997: 10). According to Labat and Faraminan, creating an environmental understanding means “looking for the most favorable terrain” (where to hide), “waiting for the right moment” (decision-making), “knowing how to wait” (overview and patience) and “being able to adapt like water” (flexibility) (Labat/Faraminan 1997: 12-16). As for leading change, this addresses the ability to anticipate change, to recognize the emergence of change from a certain set of dynamics and finally to identify an “open window” (opportunity) to take action on the change mission (Grady [2006] on Orlikowski/Hoffmann 1997).
Considering the situation of Winston Smith in 1984, he recognizes how Big Brother is implementing a slowly and horrible change upon society (continuous) as he has still a memory from the past before Big Brother was in power which most others in the society do not have (Grady [2006] on Orlikowski/Hoffman 1997, Orwell 1949: 48, 103-104). For this reason, he is able to compare the situations. As for children for instance, they have become more loyal to Big Brother than to their parents. Big Brother’s goal in this matter is to be able to control the society from within to attain stability of power.
Summary of Chapters
(I) Introduction: The author introduces the scope of the project, which aims to develop leadership implications for organizational change by contrasting the fictional regime in 1984 with the historical reality of the 1989 GDR revolution.
(II) Summary of 1984: This chapter provides a thematic overview of George Orwell's novel, highlighting the totalitarian nature of Oceania and Winston Smith's ultimately futile attempt to rebel against Big Brother.
(III) Comparing the general situation of 1984 with 1989: The chapter presents a comparative table across three categories—economy, society, and politics—to establish the similarities between the fictional world of 1984 and the real-world GDR in 1989.
(IV) Analysis of the change initiatives in 1984 vs. 1989: Using the three-stage AIC-model, this chapter evaluates the success and failure of leadership initiatives through the phases of appreciation, influence, and control.
(V) Conclusion: The author summarizes that leading change successfully requires succeeding at all three levels of the AIC-model and suggests that the nature of the system—closed versus semi-open—drastically impacts the viability of change efforts.
Key Keywords
Organizational Change, AIC-model, Totalitarianism, Leadership, 1984, George Orwell, Peaceful Revolution, GDR, Winston Smith, Christian Führer, Big Brother, Strategic Management, Systems Perspective, Power, Rebellion.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core purpose of this term project?
The project seeks to derive leadership implications for organizational change by comparing the failure of rebellion in George Orwell's 1984 with the successful peaceful revolution in the former GDR in 1989.
What is the AIC-model used for in this study?
The AIC-model (Appreciation, Influence, Control) is used as a framework to segment and analyze the change initiatives in both the fictional and historical scenarios, identifying why certain actions succeed or fail.
What are the primary thematic areas of comparison?
The study compares the two systems across three key domains: the economy (the system), society (the people), and politics/government (the leading group).
Which scientific methods or theories support the analysis?
The paper incorporates strategic management theories (Wheelen/Hunger), ancient oriental warfare tactics for environmental understanding, and Lewin’s field theory regarding re-education and belief-system change.
How is the main body of the paper structured?
The body is structured sequentially following the AIC-model: recognizing change (Appreciation), preparing change via coalition-building (Influence), and implementing change through planning and action (Control).
What characterises the key concepts of the work?
Key concepts include the assessment of open versus closed systems, the identification of "open windows" for change, and the necessity of moving beyond naïve idealism toward concrete action plans.
How did Winston Smith's situation in 1984 differ from the protesters in 1989?
Winston Smith operated in a closed system with no actionable plan and trusted an enemy (O'Brien), whereas the GDR protesters operated in a semi-open system and built a critical mass of support that could not be easily suppressed.
What role does "power" play in the author's final argument?
The author argues, citing J. William Fulbright and George Orwell, that those in power often justify surveillance and control by projecting fear onto the public, emphasizing that true change requires thoughtful, organized citizens to challenge that power.
- Quote paper
- Thomas Lagner (Author), 2006, Leading, Influencing and Managing Change based on the novel 1984 by George Orwell, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/62148
