Assignment

Management and Organizational

Development
Q1 :- Define organizational development (OD). What are the characteristics of OD?
A :- OD is the act, process or result of furthering, advancing or promoting the
growth of an organization. OD is anything done to better an organization. But this
definition is too broad and all-inclusive.
OD is an effort
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Planned
Organization wide
Managed from top
Increase organization effectiveness and health through
Planned intervention in the organization Processes using behavioral
science knowledge.

Characteristics of OD
Organizational development, (OD) is process of bringing about a change in the
system, culture and behavior of an organization. It lays emphasis on individual
dimensions like norms, values, attitudes, relationship and organization culture etc.
to increase organizational effectiveness. As a modern approach to management of
change, it consists of following approaches of improving organizational functioning.
1. OD is a planned strategy to bring about organizational change : OD
programmes are planned, not accidental they represent a deliberate entry
of either an OD consultant or OD activities into the client system.
2. OD always involves a collaborative approach to change: In OD the
consultant seeks and maintains a collaborative relationship of relative
equality with the organization members. Collaboration means to labor
together-essentially it implies that consultant does not do all the work while
the client system passively waits for solution to its problem.
3. OD programs include an emphasis on ways to improve and enhance
performance: OD programs and efforts are designed to produce
organizational effectiveness and health, better system functioning, greater
ability to achieve objectives and so forth. The basic aims of OD are
a. Enhancing congruence between organizational structure, processes,
strategy, people and culture;
b. Developing new & creative organizations solutions: and
c. Developing the organizations self renewing capacity. (Beer M.,1976)

4. OD relies on a set of humanistic values about people and

organizations: OD is normative process grounded in value laden
assumption of heat constitutes ideal individual or organizational growth.
Development for the OD practitioner means the movement of individuals
and organizations in certain directions consistent with democratic and
humanistic values and ideals. These ideals include autonomy, self
actualization and democracy .
5. OD represents a system approach: Although OD practitioners may focus
on one of the other aspects or unit of an organization, there is an implicit
recognition of the systematic nature of the organization. As a social system,
an organization consists of different subsystems such as task, structural,
technological and human, inter linked by various processes.
6. OD is based upon scientific approaches to increase organizational
effectiveness: OD is an applied field in which theories, concepts and
practices from sociology, psychology, social psychology, education,
economics, psychiatry & management education are brought to deal with
real organizational problems.
Q2 :- As an HR, you find the OD professional in your organization is not competent
enough. What are the competencies you will consider in a good OD professional?
A:- competencies required for OD professionals
To be effective, all OD practitioners must possess the following basic knowledge,
skill and attitude which are listed below:
1. Intrapersonal skill: As OD is a highly, uncertain process which requires
constant adjustment and innovation, OD practitioner must possess good
learning skill and must have values, feelings, purposes and integrity that
helps in building the relationship in a smooth and cordial way.
2. Interpersonal skill: An OD practitioner helps to gain the competence which
is required to solve problem. So, in order to build and maintain the
relationship the OD practitioner must consider the concept of group
dynamics, cultural perspectives, and business function. These constitute the
core foundation of their knowledge and help in developing managing,
facilitation and consulting as their core skills.
3. General consultation skill: To diagnose and understand the current
functioning of the organization, an OD practitioner needs to know how to
engage people in the diagnosis, how to help them in asking the appropriate
queries and how to collect, analyze evaluate the information and finally
make modifications, if necessary. It also helps in designing the interventions.
4. Participation skills: An effective and efficient OD practitioner helps the
organization in redesigning and implementing the plan which must be clear,
concrete, simple, rooted with data, result oriented, measurable and
rewarded.

5. Contracting skills: An effective and efficient OD practitioner helps the

organization to confirm the resource commitment and clarify the role of
client and consultant. This helps them to identify the change needed in the
system and critical success factors for intervention. This way, realistic
expatiations are built.
6. Organizational development theory skills: One of the most important
tools for OD practitioner is knowledge of organizational development and for
this the practitioner must know the planned change model. They need t
know what, where and how the interventions are
applicable. They must also be clear about their position, role and
responsibilities they are about to perform.
7. Impact: Creating a good first impression, commanding attention and
respect, showing an air of confidence.
8. Emotional Intelligence: When we talk about applying behavioral science
knowledge Emotional intelligence is the core competency OD professional
must possess. EI will help an OD professional to sense the challenging in an
organization perceiving rightly the concerns and challenge of its employees.
So EI gives an effortless insight into psyche of people and hence the teams
and groups within an organization. As said Humans are not the creature of
logic but emotions.
9. Building positive working relationships and trust: Developing and
using collaborative relationships to facilitate the accomplishment of work
goals. Interactive with other in a way that gives them confidence in ones
intentions and those of the organization.
10.Mentoring & Coaching: providing timely guidance and feedback to help
others strengthen specific knowledge/skill areas needed to accomplish a task
or solve a problem.
Q3 :- What are the characteristics of OD intervention? Explain the Six Box Model in
OD.
A:- silent features of OD interventions categorized as under:

Humanistic approach: OD intervention hold a positive belief about the

capabilities and potentials of the employees in undertaking the task of
organization and staff improvement.
Planned and structured approach: you can simply define it to be based
on a set of well-planned and structured strategy for managing change by
recognizing the importance of dynamic environment in which an organization
exists.
Problem solving tool: OD intervention works as a tool to identify the
problem the organization faces, and involves data gathering, taking
corrective actions, assessment of progress, etc.

System-oriented approach: OD intervention works for organization as a

whole involving an extensive participation of structures, technologies and
individuals. All together, this forms a part of the organization.
Practical approach: Though based on the concept of behavioral science,
OD interventions should be both realistic and practical. It should not be purly
based on theories and lectures, rather must aim at providing members a
learning experience to find solution of real-life problems faced at work front.

The six box model is a framework developed by the American analyst Marvin
weisdord to assess the functioning of organizations. It is a generic framework and is
intended for use across a wide variety of organizations. It is based mainly on the
techniques and assumptions of the field of organizational development.
The six-box model is comprised of the following components(boxes):
1. Purposes: What businesses are we in?
2. Structure: How do we divide up the work?
3. Relationships: How do we manage conflict (coordinate) among people? Or
with technologies?
4. Rewards: Is there an incentive for doing all that needs doing?
5. Leadership: Is some one keeping the boxes in balance?
6. Helpful mechanisms: Have we adequate coordinating technologies?
Q4 :- what is a learning organization? Discuss the attributes of a learning
organization. Explain the various learning disciplines in learning organization.
A:- Learning organization refer to an organization which aims at transferring,
creating and aquaring knowledge for modifying the behavior in order to reflect new
insight and knowledge. Thus, it is a place where an individual is having a chance to
expand and enhance his/her skills and knowledge to their capacity for creating the
desirable outcome which they desire, where the collective aspirations are set free,
where the people continuously have the choice to learn and where their expensive
and new patterns of thinking are nurtured.
Characteristics of learning organization
The characteristics of the learning organization are as follows:

Strategic orientation: Before taking any decisions, learning organizations

has to take care of both its customers and employees.
Openness: There should be openness in the learning organization for both
the tolerant of debate and criticism as well as enquiry also.
Innovation: There must be organic culture and structure in the learning
organization which allows it to evolve rapidly. Also, it must have the deep
skill and the capacity to deal with internal uncertainty and complexity.

Five learning disciplines in the learning organization shown in figure 14.3 are
explained as follows:
a) Personal mastery: it creates the organizational climate that encourages
and motivates the organizational members to develop themselves towards
purpose and objective which they choose.
b) Mental Models: it is an enquiry and reflection skills which is focused in
developing awareness of perceptions and attitudes. It, this, helps in defining
the current reality more clearly and honestly and shapes the managers
views of market strategies and conditions.
c) Shared vision: it emphasizes on the focus of mutual purpose. Thus, by
guiding practice and principles and developing shared images build a sense
of commitment with in a group.
d) Team learning: It is related with the interactions among the group. Thus, it
is a collective thinking which put focus on achieving the common goals and
involves exposing new ideas through constructive disagreement and being
comfortable not knowing answer to every question as well as listening to
other without confirmation bias.
e) Systems thinking: it is about the behavior of the feedback and is able to
deal more efficiently with the force that shapes the consequence of their
actions. Thus, it is a language for understanding and describing
interrelationship which helps in shaping the behavior of the systems.
Q5 :- Describe the impact of technology in organizational development
(OD). What are the benefits of using technology in the field of OD?
A:- Impact of technology in organization, though business strategies and
organization culture shape the application of technology in the organization, you
can say that the influence is rather stronger the other way round. Technology critical
affects strategic option and result in creation of issue and opportunities that
managers have to take care of in running their organization effectively.
Present environment technology is casting an ever increasing influence in your work
place and possesses a current challenge for the managers. Whether small or larger,
more and more organizations are trying to incorporate the newest technology in
their operations.
A rapid and efficient business expansion can be called for technology implication on
organization. Both the revolutionary economic and financial models and concepts
used in business are result technological innovation. Technology provides a more
efficient and faster way of handling and monitoring business transactions and
details providing a new perspective and approach of modern business dealing.

Example: technology has enabled huge corporate houses like Microsoft to attend to
their customer needs trough use of certain technological tools like emails and chat
sessions. Its internal and external networking has helped it to improve its business.
The impact of technology on business firms are as follows:
1. Business strategy and policy: New opportunities for innovation in
products and services have been created by technology.
2. Organization culture: Newer types of technology like intranets, groupware
and electronic mails are considerably changing the manner in which
information flows between the groups, departments or between them and
their suppliers and customers.
3. Organization Structure: Technology has enabled organizations to have a
large span of control and a flattering group ware which is purely result of
initiative like Business Process Reengineering (BPR) aimed at costs cuts.
4. Management Process: technology at present is supporting highly routine
business processes as well as supports unstructured management processes.
The benefits of technology in the field of OD can be underlined as:
1. Whole system participation is enabled: Technology lessens the hurdles
of travel costs and time zones there by bringing the employees, customers,
partners and whole organization under one roof.
2. Speed up organizational readiness: In contrast to traditional
communications plans, a level of change readiness is achieved.
Communication is enhanced and buy-in is fostered by inviting participation of
the whole system in change process.
3. Higher qualities of plans and strategies are produced: More robust
ideas and work by obtaining a direct input from stakeholders, partners and
customers as well as from both vertical and horizontal components of
organization.
4. Promote sharing of knowledge and collaborative learning: It become
possible to harness the knowledge and leanings in the best available manner
by liking the stakeholders who would have not otherwise connected and
communicated to result in generation of a greater capacity for innovation
and organization alertness.
5. Align stakeholders spread geographically: Making alignment among
stakeholders who are situated throughout the country or the world can take
months or a long time.
Q6 :- write short notes:
a) Senges Approach
b) Nonaka And Takeuchis Approach
A:- Senges Approach

The intellectual and spiritual champion Peter Senge believes that the organization
should focus on the condition and circumstances that motivate people to do great
things for their organization as well as for them. He also stated that by bringing
changes in the organization, the deeply embedded practices and policies can be
changed.
Nonaka And Takeuchis Approach
The socialization, externalization, combination and internalization (SECI) model was
developed by IKUJIRO NONAKA and HIROTAKA TAKEUCHI. This model helps to create
a process of understanding and managing the dynamic nature of the creation of
knowledge. This model represents the spiral of knowledge where the tacit and
explicit knowledge interact with each other in a continuous process and thus, leads
to the new knowledge.
The main aim of this model is held by the individuals in order to get interconnected
to a new knowledge. In a model, when more rounds are done then the amount or
spiral of knowledge grows and develops all the time.