This paper removes one of the major drawbacks to understanding change by offering a definition of organizational change which specifies the system levels that are subject to change and explains the nature of the relationship between these various levels and the overall goals of the organization. Two strategies for studying organizational change processes are presented and compared: the author discusses the popular human relations strategy, pointing out its strengths and weaknesses, and then proposes a new strategy, which uses political systems analysis. A chart sets forth the distinctive features of the two strategies. A 21-item bibliography is included. (Author)