Organisational Development

Organisational development

• Beckhard:
• OD can be defined as an organisation-wide change
effort that is (1) planned, (2) managed from top, (3)
aimed at improving organisational effectiveness and
(4) initiated through a change agent who is well
versed in the behavioural sciences.
 Features

1. Long range effort

2. Broad based
3. Dynamic process
4. Planned and proactive
5. Systems view
6. Research based
7. Goal-setting and planning
8. Educative strategy
9. Interventions
10. Change agent
 Objectives
• Deepen the sense of organisational purpose and align
individuals with that purpose
• Strengthen interpersonal trust, communication,
cooperation and support.
• Encourage problem solving
• Develop a satisfying work experience capable of
building enthusiasm.
• Supplement formal authority with authority based on
personal knowledge and skill.
• Increase personal responsibility for planning and
implementing.
• Encourage personal willingness to change.
 OD values

• Respect for people

• Trust and support
• Power equalization
• Confrontation
• Participation
 OD process

1. Problem identification
2. Collection of data
3. Diagnosis
4. Planning and implementation
5. Evaluation and feedback
 OD Interventions

• A systematic attempt to correct an organisational

deficiency uncovered through diagnosis.
 Important OD interventions
1. Sensitivity or T-group training: It is a technique for
learning about one’s self and others by observing and
participating in a group situation.
Basic purpose: to increase the participant’s insight into his
own behaviour and the behaviour of others by encouraging
an open expression of feelings.
Steps:
1. A small group of 10 -12 people assisted by a leader who acts
as a catalyst and trainer.
2. Group may meet for 2 hours or more daily for a week or
longer usually outside the job.
3. No specified agenda.
4. Leader creates an opportunity for group members to come
out openly and express their ideas freely.

Advantage: helps participants to learn about themselves

Disadvantage: creates friction among group members.
2. Team building;
Team building is an attempt to assist the work group in becoming
more adept by learning how to identify, diagnose and solve its
own problems.
Basic purpose: help group members examine their own behaviours
and develop action plans which will improve task
accomplishment.
Steps:
1. Meetings
2. Gap identifies important problems and informs the consultant
3. Discussion on specific tactics on overcoming these problems.
4. Schedule for future meetings

Adv: Contributes to goal attainment and in building and solidifying

positive interpersonal attitudes

Disadv
They overemphasise the task problems ignoring the relationship
issues completely.
3. Survey feedback: It is a method of basing change efforts on the
systematic collection and measurement of subordinates’ attitudes
through anonymous questionnaires.
Basic purpose: to assist the organisation in diagnosing problems and
developing action plans for problem-solving. It also assist the group
members to improve the relationships through discussion of common
problems.
Steps:
1. Obtain the commitment and endorsement of top management
2. Conduct the survey with or without the help of an outside consultant
3. Participants complete a standard questionnaire
4. Data is analysed and a report is prepared.
5. All respondents receive the report of data.
6. Group discussions and problem solving meetings are held
Advantage:Effective approach because it can meet both individual needs
and organisational goals.
Disadvantage: Sometimes become unproductive, if the group can only
discuss problems and perceptions without actually determining or
strongly influencing corrective actions.
4. Process consultation:
A set of activities that help others perceive, understand and react
constructively to current behavioural events around them.

Steps:
1. Initial contact
2. Define the relationship
3. Select the method of work
4. Collection of data and diagnosiis
5. Intervention
6. Reducing involvement and termination.

Advantage: It focuses attention on the interpersonal and

intergroup problems faced by the organisations in a direct
way.
Disadvantage: The success of this technique depends on the
consultant’s effectiveness.
5. Management by objectives
A process whereby superior and subordinate managers of an
organisation jointly identify its common goals, define each
individual’s major areas of responsibility in terms of results
expected of him, and use these measures as guides for
operating the unit and assessing the contribution of each of
its members.
Process:
1. Establishing goals
2. Action plan
3. Appraising performance
6. Grid training and development
Blake and Mouton developed a conceptual framework for
studying leadership.
Emphasises the importance of two basic leader behaviours –
concern for people and concern for production.
They plotted leadership style on a two-dimensional grid and
identified five basic styles of leadership
 9
(1, 9) (9, 9)
Country Team
club

(5, 5)
Concern for
people Middle road

(1, 1) (9, 1)
1 Impoverished Task

1 Concern for production 9

7. Changes in organisational structure

8. Work redesign: Altering jobs to increase both the quality of

employees’ work experience and their productivity.

9. Life and career planning

10. Participative management and Quality circles