Solution Manual for Organization Development and Change, 11th Edition, Thomas G.

Cummings Ch

Solution Manual for Organization Development and

Change, 11th Edition, Thomas G. Cummings
Christopher G. Worley

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-change-11th-edition-thomas-g-cummings-christopher-g-worley/

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 Chapter 6
Collecting, Analyzing, and Feeding Back
Diagnostic Information

Learning Objectives

• Understand the importance of the diagnostic relationship in the organization development

(OD) process.
• Describe the methods for collecting diagnostic data.
• Understand the primary techniques used to analyze diagnostic data.
• Outline the process issues associated with data feedback.
• Describe and evaluate the survey feedback intervention.

Chapter Outline and Lecture Notes

Figure 6.1 illustrates the overall process of data collection, analysis, and feedback.

6-1 The Diagnostic Relationship

In most cases of planned change, OD practitioners play an active role in gathering data
from organization members for diagnostic purposes. Organizations are increasingly using
big data analytics to guide changes and improvements, and OD practitioners will need to
add that capability to their diagnostic expertise. Similar to entering and contracting, the
OD practitioner needs to develop an agreement with organizational members from the
client system about collecting and using data gathered from them. The answers to the
following questions provide the substance of the diagnostic contract:
• Who am I?
• Why am I here, and what am I doing?
• Who do I work for?
• What do I want from you, and why?
• How will I protect your confidentiality?
• Who will have access to the data?
• What is in it for you?
• Can I be trusted?

6-2 Collecting Data

Four different methods are described here including questionnaires, interviews,

observations, and unobtrusive measures. Emphasis should be placed on the need to use
several methods of collecting data to avoid potential biases. Table 6.1 describes the
strengths and weaknesses of each method.

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 6-2a Questionnaires

Questionnaires can be an efficient data collection method and may include

standardized questions as well as customized questions. Computer statistical
packages can analyze data from questionnaires quickly. Questionnaires can
produce unreliable data if respondents are not honest or if the questions asked
elicit response biases.

6-2b Interviews

Interviews may be conducted of individuals and/or groups. They may be highly-

structured or flexible. Two types of group interviews are focus groups or sensing
meetings. A major drawback of interviews is the amount of time required to
conduct and analyze them.

6-2c Observations

The OD practitioner may simply observe and record organizational behaviors in

their functional settings. When used correctly, observations provide insightful
data about organization and group functioning, intervention success, and
performance.

6-2d Unobtrusive Measures

Unobtrusive data are not collected directly from respondents but from secondary
data sources such as company records and archives. For instance records of
absenteeism, tardiness, grievances, meeting minutes, and so on are all examples
of unobtrusive data.

6-3 Sampling

Application of different data collection techniques raises questions about which data
should be collected and how it should be collected. In some cases, sampling is not an
issue because the OD practitioner collects data from all sources. In other words, instead
of choosing a sample of the population of interest, the practitioner considers a census, or
the entire population. But in cases in which the practitioner chooses not to consider the
entire data population, the sampling methods are relevant for ensuring data quality.
Sampling involves deciding upon the sample size and the sample selection method.
Samples can be chosen using probability methods and non-probability methods. Though
non-probability methods such as convenience are most common for qualitative data,
probability methods are the only ones that can ensure the population of interest is reliably
represented. Simple random sampling and stratified sampling (probability methods) are
explained in the text.

6-4 Analyzing Data

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 Data analysis techniques fall into two broad classes: qualitative and quantitative.
Qualitative techniques are generally easier to use, understand, and interpret, but they are
also more open to subjective biases. Quantitative techniques can provide more accurate
readings of the organizational problem.

6-4a Qualitative Tools

There are several methods for analyzing qualitative data but two important in OD
are content analysis and force-field analysis.

1. Content Analysis
Content analysis attempts to summarize comments into meaningful categories.
It can reduce hundreds of interview comments into a few meaningful themes.
The process involves three major steps: (1) read responses, (2) generate
themes that represent the comments, and (3) categorize comments into the
theme categories.

2. Force-Field Analysis
Force-field analysis organizes information pertaining to organizational change
into two major categories: forces for change and forces for maintaining status
quot. The first step is to develop a list of all the forces promoting change and
all the forces resisting change. One can rank or rate the strength of the
different forces. Figure 6.2 illustrates a force-field analysis.

Application 6.1: Collecting and Analyzing Diagnostic Data at Enedis

This application describes how a research team collected data at Enedis, a French power
distribution and customer service organization. The analysis uses both qualitative and
quantitative data collection techniques. Ask students to discuss the strengths and
weaknesses of the data collection at Enedis and explain what could be learned from the
data.

6-4b Quantitative Tools

Methods of analyzing quantitative data range from simple descriptive statistics of

items or scales from standard instruments to sophisticated multi-variate analysis
of the underlying instrument properties and relationships among measured
variables. The most common quantitative measures are described below:

1. Descriptive Statistics
One of the most common ways to summarize quantitative data is to compute
the mean, standard deviation, and frequency distribution. These represent
respondents’ average response/score, the spread or variability of the
responses, and the number of times a response was given.

2. Relationship Between Measures

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 The most basic way to statistically assess the relationship between two
quantitative variables is the correlation coefficient and its corresponding p-
value. The correlation coefficient in bound by −1 and 1. The sign (positive or
negative) shows the direction of the relationship (positive or negative), and the
size of the correlation coefficient provides a measure of the strength of the
relationship. The p-value is a number that ranges from 0 to 1 and measures the
statistical significance of the relationship. The lower the p-value is, the greater
the significance of the relationship.

3. Difference Tests
Difference tests can be used to compare a sample group against some standard
or norm to determine whether the group is above or below that standard. It can
also be used to determine whether two groups are significantly different from
each other.

6-5 Feeding Back Data

Figure 6.3 illustrates that the success of data feedback depends largely on its ability to
arouse organizational action and to direct energy toward problem-solving.

6-5a Content of Feedback

Effective feedback data should have these characteristics:

• Relevant
• Understandable
• Descriptive
• Verifiable
• Timely
• Limited
• Significant
• Comparative
• Unfinalized

6-5b Process of Feedback

Data are usually provided to the organization through a series of meetings. If the
feedback process is managed well, the organization will take ownership of the
information. Ownership is the opposite of resistance to change and refers to
people’s willingness to take responsibility for the data, their meaning, and the
consequences of using them to devise a change strategy. Ownership of the
feedback data is facilitated by the following five features of successful feedback
processes.
• Motivation to work with the data
• Structure for the meeting
• Appropriate attendance
• Appropriate power

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 • Process help (particularly for negative data)

6-6 Survey Feedback

Survey feedback is the process of collecting and feeding back data from an organization
or department through the use of a questionnaire or survey.

6-6a What Are the Steps?

• Members of the organization are involved in planning the survey.

• The survey instrument is administered.
• The OD practitioner analyzes the survey data and trains client members to
lead the feedback process.
• Data feedback begins at the top level of the organization and cascades down.
• Feedback meetings provide an opportunity to work with the data.

Application 6.2: Survey Feedback and Planned Change at Cambia Health Solutions
This application presents a contemporary example of how the survey feedback
methodology can be adapted to serve strategic purposes. The application describes how
Cambia Health Solutions used a survey and survey feedback process to initiate a strategy
change effort.

6-6b Survey Feedback and Organizational Dependencies

The survey feedback process must consider whether divisions and departments in
the organization are heavily interdependent in deciding how to dispense the
feedback.

6-6c Limitations of Survey Feedback

The limitations and risks of survey feedback include an ambiguity of purpose,

distrust, the possibility of discussing unacceptable topics, and creating a
disturbance in the normal functioning of the organization.

6-6d Results of Survey Feedback

Comprehensive reviews of the literature have reached different conclusions on the

effects of survey feedback. Some reviews have suggested that survey feedback
might be best viewed as a bridge between the diagnosis of organizational
problems and the implementation of problem-solving methods. Other reviews
have concluded that survey feedback can have positive effects on both outcome
and process variables.
Summary

This chapter described several different methods for collecting and analyzing diagnostic
data. Because diagnosis is an important step that occurs frequently in the planned change

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Solution Manual for Organization Development and Change, 11th Edition, Thomas G. Cummings Ch

process, a working familiarity with these techniques is essential. Methods of data

collection include questionnaires, interviews, observation, and unobtrusive measures.
Methods of analysis include qualitative techniques, such as content and force-field
analysis, and quantitative techniques, such as the determination of mean, standard
deviation, correlation coefficient, as well as difference tests. Feeding back data to a client
system was also discussed.

©2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

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