Dr. Pendleton is schooled in the Social Ecology and Open Systems theory of organizational development. This approach recognizes the "living" nature of organizations which are dependent upon the nature and health of the social/political environment in which they reside as well as the internal structure and culture of the organization. As a living system, movement in one part of the organization will predictably result in movement in other parts of the system.

          While organizations have common structural features much like people (policy/procedure, job descriptions, hierarchy/s etc.), Dr. Pendleton considers each organization as a unique professional culture with special "personalities" that are defined by the values and norms that determine the "way to be". It is the blend of the formal organizational structure with the informal organizational culture that defines the organization. Using this framework, Dr. Pendleton's professional goal is to facilitate the health and well being of organizations.

          Dr. Pendleton views organizational change as a given feature of professional life and central to creating healthy organizations. While "living organizations" are always changing, Dr. Pendleton believes that proactive strategic change is the preferred method to shape the nature of organizations. The key to strategic change is the manipulation of organizational structure and incentives, which feature peer group involvement and organizational resources. While these features of the organization can be readily manipulated, the power and influence of organizational culture (values, and norms) is the final determinant of the nature of organizations. Healthy organizations are measured, in part, by their commitment to professional ethics, degree of respect for organizational actors and high quality outcomes.

          Dr. Pendleton utilizes qualitative and quantitative assessment methods to determine the exact health and well being of an organization at any given point in time. Dr. Pendleton is a specialist in qualitative assessment methods, which feature direct observation, organizational participant interviews, organizational documents and other ethnographic ways to know. This approach relies upon methods of triangulation to establish the validity and reliability of data. Dr. Pendleton favors base lining and subsequent benchmarking assessments as ways to track and evaluate organizational change. In this role assessment serves to hold strategic organizational change projects accountable. Confidentiality is a central feature of Dr. Pendleton's approach to organizational assessment.

          Dr. Pendleton believes strongly in a professional code of ethics that features integrity, respect, positive methods of participant involvement and high quality methods of organizational change.