ORGANISATION DEVELOPMENT

About Organization Development (OD)

Relatively new field of study 50s & 60s OD is about how organizations and people function and how to get them function better Start Point when the leader identifies an undesirable situation and seeks to change it.

Focus - Making organizations function better (total system change).

Orientation - Action (achieving results through planned activities). No unifying theory just models of practice OD is an organization improvement strategy

DEFINATION OF ORGANISATION DEVELOPMENT

OD is an effort 1) planned 2) organisationwide and 3) managed from the top, to 4) increase organisation effectiveness and health through 5) planned intervention in the organisation processes using behavioural science knowledge. Beckhard R. 1969

Focus
Change new state of things, different from old state of things Can be viewed as an opportunity or as a threat Change First order change (making moderate adjustments) Second order change (reinvent, reengineer, rewrite)

What needs to be changed and how to go about it

OD consultants are experts in organizational change

CHARACTERSTICS OF OD
Planned strategy to bring about org. Change. Always involves collaborative approaches to change. Emphasis on ways to improve & enhance performance. Relies on a set of humanistic value about people & org. Represents a system approach. Based upon scientific approaches to increase org. Effectiveness.

Assumptions of OD
About people as individuals 1. Individuals have drive towards personal growth and development. 2. People are capable of making higher level of contribution to org. Goals. About people in groups and about leadership 1. The most psychologically relevant reference group for most people in the work group.

Contd.................................
2. Most people wish to be accepted with at least one small reference group. 3. Group assist each other with effective leadership & member behaviour. 4. Suppressed feeling ,attitude problem solving, personal growth , job satisfaction. 5. Level of trust, support, cooperation is must lower in most groups than is either desirable. 6. Solution to most attitudinal & motivational problem in org. are transactional.

Contd.................
About people in org. Systems. 1. Interplay of dynamics of work team has a powerful effect on the attitude and behaviours of people in both groups. 2. Win-lose conflict strategies are not optional in the long run to the solution of most organisational problems.

Three Stage Model theory

Unfreezing

Unfreezing Creating readiness Lack of confirmation Creation of guilt Psychological Safety Changing - viewing things differently Identifying a new mentor or new role. Scanning environment for data

Changing

Refreezing

Refreezing Integrating with the new scenario The new personality New Relationships

Systems Theory
Organizations are open systems in active exchange with their environment
David A. Nadler

The Congruence Model

Model of OD
Action research as a process
Problem identification Consultation with behavioural science expert Data gathering and preliminary diagnosis

Feedback to key client or group

Joint diagnosis of problem

action

Data gathering after action

Orientation
Diagnosing Taking Action Re-Diagnosing Taking New Action This process is known as

Action Research
Three ingredients: 1. Participation 2. OD consultant (as collaborator ) 3. Iterative process of diagnosis & action

Change occurs based on the actions taken New knowledge comes from examining the results of the actions.

Action Research
Data Collection
Feedback of data to client system members Action planning based on the data Taking action Evaluating results of actions Diagnostic Types Diagnostic Participant Empirical

Experimental

Researcher enters a problem situation, diagnoses it and make recommendations for remedial treatment (recommendations may not be put into effect by client group) People who are to take action are involved in the entire process from the beginning (involvement increases the likelihood of carrying out the actions once decided upon)

Participant

Empirical

Researcher keeps the systematic, extensive record of what he/ she did and what effects it had (may encounter situations too divergent from one another, which may not permit generalizations)
It is controlled research on the relative effectiveness of various techniques (is difficult to do when client wants immediate answers)

Experimental

Features of action research

Problem focus Action oriented Cyclical process Collaborative Experimental Learning & capability building to tackle future problems.

Important choice points

Extent of involvement Problem solving versus learning Action or research values

conclusion
OD thus represent a unique strategy for system change, a strategy largely based in the theory and research of behavioural science and a strategy having a substantial perspective character.

Summary

OD can make a difference

Good understanding Proper response Adaptability

OD Global Committee Current Progress and Future Plans

Appointment OD Global Comm. Advisory Boards Research KM Portal Communities of Practices

SWOT Survey

Knowledge Management Portal Design

Knowledge Management OD Body of Knowledge

Set up Boards: Business/Academic

Business Advisory Board Mtgs.

Government/Non-Profit Board Mtgs.

Knowledge Management Portal Launch

Phase II Client Survey

Business/Academics Interviews

Literature Review

Communities of Practice

Marketing & Communications

Change Management

Business/Academic Partnerships