OD Interventions

OD Interventions
What is an OD intervention?
A sequence of planned activities,
actions, and events intended to help
an organization improve its
performance and effectiveness
How does OD intervention fit into the OD
process?
Interventions purposely
disrupt the status quo.
Institutionalizing interventions
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Organization characteristics
Intervention characteristics
Institutionalization processes
Indicators of Institutionalization
Organization characteristics
• Congruence
• Stability of environment and technology
• Unionization
Intervention Characteristics
• Need/Goal specificity
• Scope/Level of change target
• Focus/Purpose
• Internal support
• Requirements, Specifications, Constraints
• Programmability
• Costs/Benefits
Institutionalization processes
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Socialization: transmit info.
Commitment
Reward allocation: link rewards to new behaviors.
Diffusion: transfer interventions from one system
to another (behaviors become normative)
• Sensing and calibration: detect deviations from
desired intervention behaviors and take corrective
action
Indicators of institutionalization
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Knowledge
Performance
Preferences
Normative consensus
Value consensus
Effective interventions can be determined
by 3 criteria
① The extent to which it fits the needs of the
organization
a. Valid information
b. Free and informed choice
c. Internal commitment
② The degree to which it is based on causal
knowledge of intended outcomes
③ The extent to which it transfers changemanagement competence to organization
members
Designing Effective Interventions is
contingent upon
1. Individual differences among organizational
members, organizational factors, and
dimensions of the change process itself
2. Situational factors
 Readiness for Change
 Capability to Change
 Cultural Context
 Capabilities of Change Agent
Contingencies Related to
Target of Change
• Strategic Issues – transforming company
Strategic Interventions
• Technology and Structure Issues – divide work into
depts & coordinate
Techno-structural Interventions
• Human Resources Issues – A-S-R organizational
members
Human Resources Management Interventions
• Human Process Issues – socializing organizational
members
Human Process Interventions
Strategic Interventions
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Integrated Strategic Change
Transorganization Development
Mergers & Acquisitions
Culture Change
Self-designing Organizations
Organization Learning & Knowledge
Management
Techno-Structural Interventions
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Structural Design
Downsizing
Reengineering
Employee Involvement
Work Design
HRM Interventions
• Goal Setting
• Performance Appraisal
• Reward Systems
• Career Planning & Development
• Coaching and Counseling Activities
• Managing Work Force Diversity
• Employee Wellness
Human Process Interventions
• T-Groups
• Process Consultation
• Intergroup activities/Relationships
• Team Building
• Third-party Peacemaking Interventions (Conflict
Resolution)
• Organization Confrontation Meeting
• Large-group Interventions
• Grid Organization Development
Advice for Structuring Interventions
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Relevant
Problem oriented or opportunity oriented
Clear goals
Realistic expectations
Experience-based learning and
conceptual/cognitive/theoretical-based learning
Easy-going climate
Learn how to learn
Task and process
Total situation should come into play
Advice for sequencing intervention
activities
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Maximize diagnostic data
Maximize effectiveness
Maximize efficiency
Maximize speed
Maximize relevance
Minimize psychological & organizational
strains
Interventions based on causal
mechanisms
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Discrepancy intervention
Theory intervention
Procedural intervention
Relationship intervention
Experimentation intervention
Dilemma intervention
Perspective intervention
Organizational structure intervention
Cultural intervention
Results expected from Intervention
1. Feedback
2. Awareness of norms
3. Increased interaction
4. Increased communication
5. Confrontation
6. Education
7. Participation
8. Increased accountability
9. Increased energy
10.Optimism
Evaluation
• Feedback to practitioners and
organization members about progress
and impact of interventions
Research Design
Quasi-experimental research designs
• Longitudinal measurement
• Comparison unit
• Statistical analysis
Quasi-Experimental Designs
• 3 Un-interpretable Designs
A.One Group Post-Test (X O1)
WHY?
B.One Group Pretest-Posttest design (O1X O2)
WHY?
C.Post-test only with nonequivalent groups
(X O)
( O)
WHY?
Untreated Ctrl Group Designs w/Pretests
With dependent pretest & posttest samples (most
common)
O1 X O2
O1
O2
5 ways data can turn out (and their problems)
1. No change in control group
2. Both groups grow apart in same direction
3. Pretest differences diminished
4. Compensatory treatment case without a crossover
effect
5. Outcomes that cross-over: these are great results,
Other Designs
• Untreated Control Group Design with
Independent pretest and samples
• Untreated control group design with a
double pretest
• Cohort Designs: O1
X
O2
Other Designs
• Switching replications design
• Reversed-treatment control group
design with pretest & posttest
• Untreated Control group with double
pretest and both independent and
dependent samples
• Designs without pretests
Human Process Interventions
Intergroup Interventions
Process Consultation (Review)
• A set of activities on the part of the
consultant that helps the client to
perceive, understand, and act upon
the process events which occur in the
client’s environment.
Group Processes
• Communications among group
members
• Functional roles of group members
• Problem-solving and decision-making
• Group norms and growth
• Leadership & Authority
Work roles
• Intergroup relationships require
understanding of roles, responsibilities,
boundaries.
• Who is in one’s role set?
• Role stressors
Role Stressors
• Role Overload
• Role Ambiguity
• Role Conflict
Strategies for Conflict Resolution
• Prevent conflict through mandate or
separation of the parties
• Set limits on the timing and extent of the
conflict
• Help the parties to cope differently with
the conflict
• Attempt to eliminate or resolve the basic
issues in the conflict
Resolving Intergroup Conflict
• Groups and consultant convene to address issues
• Groups are asked to address 3 questions
1. What qualities/attributes best describe our group?
2. What qualities/attributes best describe their group?
3. How do we think the other group will describe us?
• Groups exchange and clarify answers
• Groups analyze the discrepancies and work to understand
their contribution to the perceptions
• Groups discuss discrepancies and contributions
• Groups work to develop action plans on key areas
Microcosm Groups
• Small groups that solve problems in
the larger system
• Small group member characteristics
must reflect the issue being addressed
(e.g., if addressing diversity, group
must be diverse)
• Primary mechanism for change is
“parallel processes”
Microcosm Group Process
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Identify an issue
Convene the microcosm group
Provide group training
Address the issue in the group
Dissolve the group
Quality Circles
• 12-20 members
• Formed to resolve a particular problem
• Disband when resolution is
institutionalized
Organizational mirroring
• Representatives from different groups
• Observed by hosts
• Resembles a Fishbowl