OD ASSIGNMENT

Q1.Discuss the Values , beliefs & assumptions of OD? Ans: A belief is a proposition about how the world works that the individual accepts as true; it is a cognitive fact for the person. Values are also beliefs and are defined as : "beliefs about what is a desirable or a 'good' (e.g., free speech) and what is an undesirable or a ' bad'(e.g., dishonesty). Assumptions are beliefs that are regarded as so valuable and obviously correct that they are taken for granted and rarely examined or questioned. OD values tend to be humanistic, optimistic , and democratic .Humanistic values proclaim the importance of the individual ; respect and dignity, assume that everyone has intrinsic worth, view all people as having the potential for growth and development. Optimistic values posit that people are basically good, that progress is possible and desirable in human affairs, and that rationality, reason , and goodwill are the tools for making progress. Values have always been an integral part of OD. Richard Beckhard, in 1969 in his book he described " several assumptions about the nature and functioning of organizations" held by OD practitioners. Here is his list. 1. The basic building blocks of an organization are groups (teams) . Therefore, the basic units of change are groups , not individuals. 2. An always - relevant change goal is the reduction of inappropriate competition between parts of the organization and the development of a more collaborative condition. 3. Decision making in a healthy organization is located where the information sources are, rather than in a particular role or level of hierarchy. 4.Organizations, subunits of organizations, and individuals continuously manage their affairs against goals. 5. One goals of a healthy organization is to develop generally open communication, mutual trust, and confidence between and across levels. 6."People support what they help create ." People affected by a change must be allowed active participation and a sense of ownership in the planning and conduct of the change." Robert Tannenbaum , professor at UCLA, and Sheldon Davis , director of organization development at TRW Systems, presented their view of OD values in a 1969 article. They

asserted that an important shift in values was occurring and that this shift signaled a more appropriate and accurate view of people in organizations. They listed these "values in transition " as follows: -away from a view of people as essentially bad towards a view of people as basically good. - away from avoidance of negative evaluation of individual toward confirming them as human beings. - away from a view of individuals as fixed, towards seeing them as being in process. - away from resisting and fearing individual differences towards accepting and utilizing them. -away from one maskmanship and game playing towards authentic behavior. -away from distrusting people towards trusting them . - away from avoiding facing others with relevant data towards making appropriate confrontation. - away from avoidance of risk taking towards willingness to risk. IMPLICATIONS OF OD VALUES AND ASSUMPTIONS

- Implications for dealing with individual Two basic assumptions about individuals in organizations pervade organization development. The first assumption is that most individuals have drives towards personal growth and development if provided an environment that is both supportive and challenging .The second assumption is that most people desire to make , and are capable of making, a greater contribution to attaining organization goals than most organizational permit. The implication of these two assumptions are straightforward: Ask, listen, support, challenge , encourage risk taking , remove obstacles and barriers , set high standards, give autonomy, and reward success. - Implications for dealing with Groups Several assumptions relate to the importance of work teams and the collaborative management of team culture. First, one of the most psychological relevant reference groups for most people is the work group, including peers and boss. second, most people wish to be accepted and to interact cooperatively with at least one small reference group, and usually with more than one group, such as work group , the family, a church, and so on .Third, most people are capable of making greater contributions to a group's effectiveness and development. - Implications for designing and running organizations A key assumption in organization development is that the needs and aspirations of human beings are the reasons for organized effort in society .By implication , an optimistic , developmental set

of assumptions about people is likely to reap rewards beneficial to both the organization and its members. Q2. Discuss three models and theories of planned change? Ans: Theories of Planned change: The three major theories of organization change that have received considerable attention in the field are: Lewin's change model, the action research model, and contemporary adaptations of action research. I Lewins Change Model: Change is a common thread that runs through all businesses regardless of size, industry and age. Our world is changing fast and, as such, organizations must change quickly too. Organizations that handle change well thrive, whilst those that do not may struggle to survive. The concept of "change management" is a familiar one in most businesses today. But, how businesses manage change (and how successful they are at it) varies enormously depending on the nature of the business, the change and the people involved. And a key part of this depends on how far people within it understand the change process. One of the cornerstone models for understanding organizational change was developed by Kurt Lewin back in the 1950s, and still holds true today. His model is known as Unfreeze Change Refreeze, refers to the three-stage process of change he describes.

Unfreeze 1. Determine what needs to change.

Survey the organization to understand the current state. Understand why change has to take place. 2. Ensure there is strong support from upper management.

Use Stakeholder Analysis and Stakeholder Management to identify and win the support of key people within the organization. Frame the issue as one of organization-wide importance. 3. Create the need for change.

Create a compelling message as to why change has to occur. Use your vision and strategy as supporting evidence. Communicate the vision in terms of the change required.

Emphasize the "why". 4. Manage and understand the doubts and concerns. Remain open to employee concerns and address in terms of the need to change. Change 1. Communicate often.

Do so throughout the planning and implementation of the changes. Describe the benefits. Explain exactly the how the changes will effect everyone. Prepare everyone for what is coming. 2. Dispel rumors.

Answer questions openly and honestly. Deal with problems immediately. Relate the need for change back to operational necessities. 3. Empower action.

Provide lots of opportunity for employee involvement. Have line managers provide day-to-day direction. 4. Involve people in the process.

Generate short-term wins to reinforce the change. Negotiate with external stakeholders as necessary (such as employee organizations). Refreeze 1. Anchor the changes into the culture.

Identity what supports the change. Identify barriers to sustaining change. 2. Develop ways to sustain the change.

Ensure leadership support. Create a reward system. Establish feedback systems. Adapt the organizational structure as necessary. 3. Provide support and training.

Keep everyone informed and supported. 4. Celebrate success!

II ACTION RESEACH MODEL : The action research model focuses on planned change as a cyclical process in which initial

research about the organization provides information to guide subsequent action. Then the results of the action are assessed to provide further information to guide further action, and so on. This iterative (iterate means to repeat) cycle of research and action involves considerable collaboration among organization members and OD practitioners. It places heavy emphasis on data gathering and diagnosis prior to action planning and implementation, as well as careful evaluation of results after action is taken. The main steps involved are: 1. Entry (Problem identification): This stage usually begins when a key executive in the organization or someone with power and influence senses that the organization has one or more problems that might be solved with the help of an OD practitioner. Contact between the consultant and client is what initiates the entry phase. After the contact, the consultant and the client begin the process of exploring with one another the possibilities of a working relationship. During this process, the consultant assesses: a. The probability of relating with the client b. The motivation and values of the client c. The clients readiness for change d. The extent of resources available e. Potential leverage points of change 2. Contracting (Consultation with a behavioral science expert): During the initial contact, the OD practitioner and the client carefully assess each other. The practitioner has his or her own normative, developmental theory or frame of reference and must be conscious of those assumptions and values. Sharing them with the client from the beginning establishes an open and collaborative atmosphere. Unlike other types of contracts, the OD contract states three critical areas: a. What each expects to get from the relationship b. How much time each will invest, when, and at what cost c. The ground rules under which the parties will operate 3. Diagnosis (Data gathering and preliminary diagnosis): This step is usually completed by the OD practitioner, often in conjunction with organization members. It involves gathering appropriate information and analyzing it to determine the underlying causes of organizational problems. The four basic methods of gathering data are interviews, process observation, questionnaires, and organizational performance data (unfortunately, often overlooked). One approach to diagnosis begins with observation, proceeds to a semi structured interview, and concludes with a questionnaire to measure precisely the problems identified by the earlier steps. When gathering diagnostic information, OD practitioners may influence members from whom they are collecting data. In OD, "every action on the part of the consultant constitutes an intervention" that will have some effect on the organization.

4. Feedback (Feedback to a key client or group):

Because action research is a collaborative activity, the diagnostic data are fed back to the client, usually in a group or work-team meeting. The feedback step, in which members are given the information gathered by the OD practitioner, helps them determine the strengths and weaknesses of the organization or the department under study. The consultant provides the client with all relevant and useful data. Obviously, the practitioner will protect confidential sources of information and, at times, may even withhold data. Defining what is relevant and useful involves consideration of privacy and ethics as well as judgment about whether the group is ready for the information or if the information would make the client overly defensive. At this point, members discuss the feedback and explore with the OD practitioner whether they want to work on identified problems. 5. Planning Change (Joint action planning): Next, the OD practitioner and the client members jointly agree on further actions to be taken. This is the beginning of the moving process (described in Lewin's change model), as the organization decides how best to reach a different quasi-stationary equilibrium. At this stage, the specific action to be taken depends on the culture, technology, and environment of the organization; the diagnosis of the problem; and the time and expense of the intervention. Once the diagnosis is understood and deemed accurate, action steps are planned. Good diagnosis determines the intervention. The purposes of this planning phase are to generate alternative steps for responding correctively to the problems identified in the diagnosis, and to decide on the step or order of steps to take. 6. Intervention (Action): This stage involves the actual change from one organizational state to another. It may include installing new methods and procedures, reorganizing structures and work designs, and reinforcing new behaviors. Such actions typically cannot be implemented immediately but require a transition period as the organization moves from the present to a desired future state. Examples of interventions at the individual level are: job redesign and enrichment, training and management development, changes in the quality of working life, management by objectives, and career development. Examples of interventions at the group level are: team building, the installation of autonomous work groups or quality control circles. 7. Evaluation (Data gathering after action): Because action research is a cyclical process, data must also be gathered after the action has been taken to measure and determine the effects of the action and to feed the results back to the organization. This, in turn, may lead to re-diagnosis and new action.

The Positive Model The Positive Model, as it names implies, has its roots in the positive mentality that things can be better, and that things are already good. Therefore it does not need a problem to require initiation, but rather, can be initiated at any time in the expectation that things could be better.

The first step is therefore simply initiating an enquiry. Often, this enquiry will not be very specific. It could be a team wanting to improve in some area, or it could be an organization identifying that it needs to improve something, e.g. profitability or market share but it might not be sure what to change.

The services of an expert, together with research of the organization and other organizations are utilized to identify the things that the organization has done really well, in the past. It could be compared to a story telling process where organization members tell stories of the things theyd done really well.

These success stories are then analyzed to identify the organization's major strengths. Themes of strengths are then discovered. Based on these strengths, the organization designs for itself an ideal future. The organization then designs ways to achieve that future, and implements those plans.