Organization Development

Diagnosing Groups and Jobs

Chapter No.06
By:- Israr K. Raja
Preston University, Islamabad, Pakistan

Learning Objectives

To clarify the concepts of group and job

level diagnosis

To define diagnosis and to explain how the

diagnostic process discovers the
underlying causes of problems at the
group and job level of analysis

To present an open systems diagnostic

model for group and job levels

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Diagnosing Groups and Jobs

After the organization level, the next two levels

of diagnosis are the group and job.

Many large organizations have groups or

departments that are themselves relatively large

Large groups or departments operate much like

organizations, and their functioning can be
assessed by diagnosing hem as organizations.

Small departments and groups, however, can

behave differently from large organizations; they
need their own diagnostic models to reflect those
differences.

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Groups

groups generally consist of a relatively

small number of people working face-toface on a shared task. Work groups are
prevalent in all sizes of organizations.
They can be relatively permanent and
perform an ongoing function, or they can
be temporary and exist only to perform a
certain task or to make a specific
decision.

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Jobs

Finally, we describe and apply a

diagnostic model of an individual jobthe
smallest unit of analysis in organizations.

An individual job is constructed to

perform a specific task or set of tasks.

How jobs are designed can affect

individual and organizational
effectiveness.

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Group-Level Diagnosis
the

comprehensive model
shows:-

the

inputs,

design

components,

outputs,

and

relational

fits for group-level

diagnosis.
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Group-Level Diagnostic Model

Inputs

Design Components

Outputs

Goal Clarity
Organization
Design

Task
Structure
Group
Composition

Organization Development

Group
Functioning

Group
Effectiveness
Quality of work
life ,
Performance

Performance
Norms

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Group-Level Input

Organization design is clearly the major input to

group design.

It consists of the design components

characterizing the larger organization within
which the group is embedded:

technology,

structure,

measurement systems,

human resources systems

organization culture.

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Group-Level Design Components

Goal Clarity
extent to which group understands its
objectives
Task Structure
the way the groups work is designed
Group Composition
the characteristics of group members
Team Functioning
the quality of group dynamics among members
Performance Norms
the unwritten rules that govern behavior

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Group-Level Outputs

Group effectiveness has two dimensions:

Performance in terms of the groups

ability to control or reduce costs, increase
productivity, or improve quality. This is a
hard measure of effectiveness

Quality of work life work satisfaction,

team cohesion, and organizational
commitment.

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Individual-Level Diagnostic Model

Inputs
Organization
Design
Group
Design
Personal

Design Components

Outputs

Skill Variety
Task
Identity
Task
Significance

Individual
Effectiveness

Autonomy
Feedback
about Results

Characteristics

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Inputs-Individual Level
Diagnosis
Three

major inputs affect

job design:
organization design
group design
personal characteristics of
jobholders
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Inputs- Organization Design

Organization design is concerned with
the larger organization within which
the individual job is the smallest unit.
Organization design is a key part of
the larger context surrounding jobs.
Technology, structure, measurement
systems, human resources systems,
and culture can have a powerful
impact on the way jobs are designed
and on peoples experiences in jobs.

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Inputs- Group Design

Group design concerns the larger group or

department containing the individual job.

Like organization design, group design is an

essential part of the job context.

Task structure, goal clarity, group

composition, performance norms, and team
functioning serve as inputs to job design.

They typically have a more immediate impact

on jobs than do the larger, organization
design components.

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Input-Personal
Characteristics

Personal characteristics of individuals occupying jobs

include their age, education, experience, and skills and
abilities.

All of these can affect job performance as well as how

people react to job designs.

Individual needs and expectations can also affect employee

job responses.

For example, individual differences in growth needthe

need for self-direction, learning, and personal
accomplishmentcan determine how much people are
motivated and satisfied by jobs with high levels of skill
variety, autonomy, and feedback about results.

Similarly, work motivation can be influenced by peoples

expectations that they can perform a job well and that
good job performance will result in valued outcomes

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Individual-Level Design Components

Skill Variety
The range of activities and abilities required for
task completion
Task Identity
The ability to see a whole piece of work
Task Significance
The impact of work on others
Autonomy
The amount of freedom and discretion
Feedback about Results
Knowledge of task performance outcomes

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Individual-Level OutputsEffectiveness

Performance

e.g., cost/unit, service/product quality

Absenteeism

Job Satisfaction

e.g., internal motivation

Personal Development

e.g., growth in skills, knowledge, and self

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