O D P R A C T I T I O N E R
SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT
T HREE AR T I C L E S Building Organization Development
FROM THE SUMMIT as an Academic Discipline
“While diagnostic models are important tools, diagnosis is about more than just good use
of tools. It is about establishing a fundamental commitment to deeply understanding
­organizational issues and practicing rigorous organizational inquiry.”
The Importance of
Organizational Diagnosis
By Deborah A. O’Neil The concept of organizational diagnosis
may seem to a seasoned practitioner of
organization development to be a no-
brainer. Of course we need to diagnose
organizational issues before we can
address them! But taking a step back from
the obvious to ask an essential question
may be prudent here: What exactly is
organizational diagnosis, and to what
extent is the process of organizational
diagnosis understood and practiced in
organizations?
A group of academics and
practitioners attending the 3rd Annual
Summit on Building Organization
Development and Change as an Academic
Discipline, held in the spring of 2007,
at Benedictine University, were asked to
respond to questions about organizational
diagnosis. Their answers present an
interesting picture of the disconnection
between belief and practice. Attendees were
asked the following four questions:
1) To what extent is the process of
organizational diagnosis understood?
The Importance of Organizational Diagnosis
2) How important is organizational
diagnosis to effective change?
3) How widely is organizational diagnosis
applied in organizations?
4) What actions need to be taken to
encourage organizations to formalize
organizational diagnosis as part of
change efforts?
1) To what extent is the process of
organizational diagnosis understood?
Diagnosis is defined as a critical analysis
of the nature of something. Organizational
diagnoses are “. . . investigations that draw
on concepts, models, and methods from
the behavioral sciences in order to examine
an organization’s current state and help
clients find ways to solve problems or
enhance organizational effectiveness”
(Harrison & Shirom, 1999, p. 7). Burke
(1994, p. 96) suggests that “without a
framework for understanding, the data
an OD practitioner collects about a client
51
 OD PRACTITIONER SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

organization may remain nothing more without first running diagnostic tests conducting organizational interventions
than an array of personal comments of the to understand completely the working without proper diagnosis is a recipe for
who-said-what-about-whom variety. For the condition of your heart. What then is disaster.
information to be useful, it must be treated different about a manager or organization Competent diagnosticians have
in organizational terms.” development practitioner recommending ‘inquiring minds,’ ask insightful questions
Creating diagnostic models or an organizational course of action without designed to separate symptoms from root
frameworks allows us to approach first understanding the working condition causes, are intent on getting to a level of
specificity of data, and treat diagnosis as an
A focus on the organizational bottom line can mean that iterative process. People in organizations
with the above competencies are in
organizational changes need to occur quickly in order to realize demand. As academics in the Organization
immediate gains. This often results in a mindset of ‘ready, Development and Change (ODC)
disciplines it is our responsibility to teach
fire, aim’ when it comes to addressing complex organizational our students, the ODC practitioners and
issues. This means that underlying organization issues go academics of the future, the fundamentals
of organizational diagnosis grounded in
unaddressed and people who work in organizations are prone behavioral science theories and practice.
to skepticism regarding organizational change efforts. Phrases As is evident from Table 2, the
overwhelming majority of respondents felt
such as ‘fad of the month’ or ‘been there, haven’t done that’ can that organizational diagnosis was critical to
circulate and lead to weariness with change. effective organizational change efforts.

organizational issues purposefully and
systematically. Drawing on behavioral
science theories, these diagnostic models
assist in organizing and systematizing
vast amounts of information to help OD
practitioners and managers make sense
of their organizational realities. While
diagnostic models are important tools,
diagnosis is about more than just good
use of tools. It is about establishing a
fundamental commitment to deeply
understanding organizational issues
and practicing rigorous organizational
inquiry. In order to follow through on that
fundamental commitment, diagnosis must
be firmly based in empiricism.
As Table 1 demonstrates, the majority
of respondents felt that the process of
organizational diagnosis is not well
understood in organizations.
2) How important is organizational
diagnosis to effective change?
To use an analogy from the world of health
care, would you go to a physician who
hadn’t been properly trained in diagnostic
methods? Would a competent physician
recommend a course of treatment
without first assessing your condition? It
is ridiculous to assume that a physician
would recommend open heart surgery
of the organization? And yet, we have 3) How widely is organizational diagnosis
many examples of organizations rushing to applied in organizations?
action without first conducting a thorough
assessment of their current situation. Organizational diagnosis and
This behavior often results in solving the organizational change is an essential
symptoms, not the underlying problems. relationship and should be closely linked.
Diagnosis in organizations like in the Unfortunately, this relationship is all too
health care example above is a critical first often over-looked. There is a tendency
step in any organizational change process. in organizations to jump to a diagnosis
It should also be an ongoing process; it without the benefit of data gathering and
is not something that is done once but, analysis. There are a couple of primary
as data is collected, analyzed, fed back reasons for this. One of the most prevalent
and acted upon, the iterative process of is the need to respond quickly to a
diagnosis continues. Recommending or rapidly changing global organizational
Table 1
To what extent is the “process” of organizational diagnosis
understood? (n = 33)
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Very Little (1) (2) Some (3) (4) Full Extent (5)
Average = 1.81

52 OD PRACTITIONER  Vol. 40 No. 2  2008

 B uilding O rgani z ation D e v elopment as an A cademic D iscipline

marketplace. A focusTo what extent

on the is the “process”
organizational of organizational
Organizational diagnosis
change practitioners and academics who teach
bottom line can mean that organizational understood? (n = 33)
changes To what extent is the “process” ODCofneed to present
organizational a compelling case for the critical link
diagnosis
16 need to occur quickly in order
14 immediate gains. This oftenunderstood?
to realize between
(n = 33)organizational diagnosis and effective organization
12in a mindset of ‘ready, fire, aim’
results16
when 1410
it comes to addressing complex
change. To do this, the effect of proper and improper diagnosis
12 8
organizational issues. This means on the organizational bottom line must be stressed. The
106
that underlying organization issues go
84
unaddressed and people who work in
business case must be made for proper diagnosis and it must be
62
organizations
40
are prone to skepticism framed in terms that organizations understand. Organizations
regarding organizational
Very Little (1) change
(2)efforts. Some (3) (4) Full Extent (5)
Phrases
2
such as ‘fad of the month’ or ‘been
must demand and academic institutions must supply rigorous
0
there, haven’t
Verydone that’
Little=
Average 1.81can circulate
(1) (2) and Sometraining
(3) in diagnostic
(4) Full methods.
Extent (5)
lead to weariness with change.
Another reason= that
Average 1.81organizational issues are and the best way to address it be a business unit, department, division
diagnosis isn’t widely applied in them. These beliefs may reflect the point or an entire organization. The insular
organization change efforts is that often of view of a select piece of the system, but nature of organizational life means that
individuals responsible for change efforts often don’t take into account the more each part of a system may feel confident
believe they know what the organization global view of the overall system, whether in their understanding of their particular
organizational reality, but they likely don’t
Table 2 How important is organizational diagnosis to effective change? have an understanding of the domino
(n = 33) effect of change in one part of the system
30
How important is organizational diagnosis to effective change? on the other parts. This narrow perspec-
(n = 33) tive can often lead to conflict within the
25
30 larger system and a lack of sustainable
20
25 change.
15 As Table 3 demonstrates respondents
20
10 felt there was between “some” and “no”
15 application of organizational diagnosis in
5
10 organizational change efforts.
0
5 Not Important (1) (2) Important (3) (4) Very Important (5)
0 4) What actions need to be taken to
Not Important
Average (1)
=4.79 (2) Important (3) (4) Very Important (5) encourage organizations to formalize
organizational diagnosis as part of
Average =4.79 change efforts?

Organizational change practitioners

and academics who teach ODC need to
Table 3 present a compelling case for the critical
link between organizational diagnosis and
How widely is organizational diagnosis applied in effective organization change. To do this,
organizations? (n = 32) the effect of proper and improper diagnosis
16
How widely is organizational diagnosis applied in on the organizational bottom line must be
14 organizations? (n = 32) stressed. The business case must be made
12 for proper diagnosis and it must be framed
16
10
14
8 in terms that organizations understand.
126 Organizations must demand and academic
104
82 institutions must supply rigorous training
6 in diagnostic methods.
0
4 The three most common responses
2 Not Applied (2) Some Application (4) Widely Applied
(1) (3) (5) to the open-ended question about
0
Not Applied (2) Some Application (4) Widely Applied organizational actions are reported in
Average
(1) = 2.13 (3) (5) Table 4. The number of responses is also
listed.
Average = 2.13

The Importance of Organizational Diagnosis 53

 OD PRACTITIONER SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

Conclusion ensure this is to systematize a culture

of inquiry in academia and to produce
The ODC practitioners of the future relevant scholarship that demonstrates the
must be trained to accurately assess critical nature of the relationship between
organizational issues and ground their organizational diagnosis and effective
actions in empirical data. One way to organizational change.
Working together, academics and
practitioners in ODC can ensure that
Table 4 organizations have the diagnostic skills
and tools needed to remain competitive
What actions need to be taken to in this increasingly complex, global
encourage organizations to formalize
world.
organizational diagnosis as part of
change efforts? (n = 27)
Frequency Action References:
20 Educate and develop
change competencies in Burke, W. Warner (1994). Organization
organizations Development: A Process of Learning and
Changing, 2nd Edition. Reading, MA:
10 Organizations should
build a case for showing Addison-Wesley Publishing.
the value of ODC Harrison, Michael I. & Shirom, Arie.
(1999). Organizational Diagnosis and
8 Offer quality ODC
Assessment: Bridging Theory and Practice.
knowledge and skills from
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
the academic community
Deborah A. O’Neil, PhD, is
an Assistant Professor in the
Department of Management,
College of Business
Administration, Bowling Green
State University, where she
teaches classes in organization
development and organizational
behavior. She also serves as
an organization consultant
and management educator for
private, public and non-profit
organizations. Her research on
career development, leadership,
and organization development
has appeared in Journal of
Managerial Psychology, Journal
of Management Education and
Career Development International
among others. Deborah may be
reached at oneild@bgsu.edu.

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