A matter of life or death: Organizational change in the real world

There are times when even academics have a chance to get their feet wet in the real world-to use their expertise in a collaborative effort to help make a difference on a matter of deep public concern. This article describes the efforts of a handful of academic researchers from varying disciplinary backgrounds who pooled their respective expertise in an attempt to influence a real life-or-death situation (the impending execution of a potentially innocent person). The challenges to personal and organizational change are described and discussed.