Bunker, Barbara Benedict: Her Pioneering Work in the Field of Organizational Change

Barbara Benedict Bunker’s pioneering work has influenced organizational practitioners for more than 50 years. One of the first women in the field, she paved the way for others. Her legacy is documented in the 9 books she coauthored; the 36 articles and 27 book chapters she authored or coauthored; and the more than 85 presentations she has made throughout her career. Her legacy is also alive in the thousands of people to whom she has taught, mentored, and consulted. She is not only a great thinker, she is a wonderful teacher and an excellent practitioner. What is remarkable about Bunker’s contributions is that they are not limited to one topic or one aspect of the field. Her contributions include work on gender issues, trust, conflict management, practitioner development, and large group interventions. Her university teaching grounds students in theory and her work in the field has improved organizations and institutions. In this chapter, I will trace early influences on Bunker’s career and how her curiosity, use of self, and desire to contribute to the field has made a difference for the people with whom she has interacted around the world. Some people are great thinkers, others are great practitioners, and others are great teachers. Rarely do these qualities all appear in one person. Barbara Benedict Bunker represents all three and exemplifies what is best in the organizational change field. She has brought intense curiosity, humility, academic rigor, and deep caring to her work. Bunker has modeled what it means to be an outstanding organizational change practitioner. For more than 50 years, she has provided lessons from which we can all learn. Organizational change would take a giant leap forward if the field were to follow half of those lessons.