PROJECT REPORT

ON
A STUDY OF ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
ON ORGANIZATION EFFECTIVNESS


SUBMITTED BY

T.Y.BMS SEMESTER V:
2012-2013

PROJECT GUIDE


UNIVERSITY OF MUMBAI

COLLEGE



CERTIFICATE

I, ______ do hereby certify that ______ is a student of
_____ College for T.Y.BMS-Semester-5 (2012-2013), he
has completed the project work as a part of his academic
fulfillment under my guidance.

The information contained in the project work is original to
the best of my knowledge and belief.


Signature of Project guide


DECLARATION

I, ______, the student of _____ College for T.Y.BMS -
Semester-5 (2012-2013) do hereby declare that I have completed
the project work titled A STUDY OF ORGANIZATION
DEVELOPMENT ON ORGANI ZATI ON EFFECTI VENESS as a
part of my academic program.

The information contained in this project is true and original to
the best of my knowledge and belief.



Date Signature of student


ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I, _______ student of _______ College would like to express
my sincere gratitude towards the B.M.S department

I would like to thank my project guide Mr _____ for his
constant support during the project and his insights about the
subject matter. Last but not the least I thank all my colleagues
for being with me throughout the project, which leads to the
successful completion of my project.

Nevertheless, it is a good gesture of the University of Mumbai in
providing the students an opportunity to undergo such practical
studies while preparing the project report.






INTRODUCTION TO ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT
Organization Development is a systematic process for applying behavioural science principles
and practices in organizations to increase individual and organizational effectiveness. The focus
is organizations and making them function better, that is, total system change. The orientation is
action-achieving results as a consequence of planned activities. The target is human and social
processes, the human side of organizations.
Organization Development is an improvement strategy. Today the field of organization
development offers an integrated framework capable of solving most of the important problems
confronting the human side of organizations. Organization Development is about how people
and organizations function and how to get them to function better. The field of organization
development is based on knowledge from behavioural science disciplines such as psychology,
social psychology, sociology, anthropology, systems theory, organizational behaviour,
organization theory and management. Organization Development (OD) practitioners are HR
consultants trained in the theory and practice of organization development, with the knowledge
from the underlying behavioural sciences.
When a leader in the organization identifies an undesirable situation, it seeks to change it. The
leader then contacts an OD professional and together they explore whether organization
development suits the task at hand. When they come to know that there is a need to conduct the
OD program, they enlist others in the organization to help design and implement the change
program. The participants develop an overall game plan or strategy that includes a series of
activities, each intended to achieve an outcome that moves the organization towards its goals.
The two major goals of OD programs are:
1. To improve the functioning of individuals, teams and the total organization.
2. To teach organizations members how to continuously improve their own functioning.




Organization development deals with the gamut of peoples problems and work systems
problems in organizations; poor morale, low productivity, poor quality, interpersonal conflict,
intergroup conflict, unclear or inappropriate goals, inappropriate leadership styles, poor team
performance, inappropriate organization structure, poorly designed tasks, inadequate response to
environmental demands, poor customer relations, inadequate alignment among the
organizations strategy, structure, culture and processes.

DEFINITION OF ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT
OD is a systematic application of behavioural science knowledge to the planned development
and reinforcement of organizational strategies, structures, and processes for improving an
organizations effectiveness. (Cummings and Worley, 1993)
Organization Development is a long term effort, led and supported by top management to
improve an organizations visioning, empowerment, learning and problem-solving processes,
through an ongoing, collaborative management of organization culture- with special emphasis on
the culture of intact work teams and other team configurations- using the consultant-facilitator
role and the theory and technology of applied behavioural science, including action research.
By long-term effort, we mean that organization change and development take time- several
years. There is no quick fix when it comes to lasting organizational improvement. It is more
accurate to describe improvement as a never-ending journey of continuous change. One
program or initiative moves the organization to a higher plateau; then another moves to yet a
higher plateau of effectiveness.





The phrase led and supported by top management states, an imperative top management must
lead and actively encourage the change effort. Organizational change is hard, serious business; it
includes pain and setbacks as well as successes. Top management must initiate the improvement
journey and be committed to seeing it through. Most OD programs that fail to do so because
top management was ambivalent, and, lost its commitment, or became distracted with other
duties.
By visioning processes, we mean those processes through which organization members develop
a viable, coherent, and shared picture of the nature of the products and services the organization
offers, the ways those goods will be produced and delivered to customers, and what the
organization and its members can expect from each other. Visioning means creating a picture of
the desired future that includes salient features of the human side of the organization and then
working together to make that picture a reality.
By empowerment processes, we mean those leadership behaviours and human resource practices
that enable organization members to develop and use their talents as fully as possible toward
individual growth and organizational success. By empowerment, we mean involving large
numbers of people in building the vision of tomorrow, developing the strategy for getting there,
and making it happen. For empowerment to become a fact of life, it must be built into the very
fabric of the organization- its strategy, structure, processes and culture.
By learning processes, we mean those interacting, listening, and self-examining processes that
facilitate individual, team and organizational learning. A Learning Organization can be described
as, organizations where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly
desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspirations is
set free, and where people are continually learning how to learn together.



Problem-solving processes refer to the ways organization members diagnose situations solve
problems, make decisions and take actions on problems, opportunities and challenges in the
organizations environment and its internal functioning. There is a belief that solutions to
problems are enhanced by tapping deeply into the creativity, commitment, vitality and common
purposes of all members of the organization, in contrast to having only a select few involved.
Empowerment means involving people in problems and decisions and letting them be
responsible for results.
By ongoing collaborative management of the organizations culture we mean, first, that one of
the most important things to manage in the organization is the culture: the prevailing patterns of
values, attitudes, beliefs, assumptions, expectations, activities, interactions, norms, sentiments
and artifacts. And second, managing the culture should be a collaborative business, one of
widespread participation in creating and managing the culture that satisfies the wants and needs
of individuals at the same time that it fosters the one, not just a small group, has a stake in
making the organization work. Just as visioning, empowerment, learning, and problem-solving
processes are opportunities for collaboration in organization development, so is managing the
culture.
By intact work teams and other configurations we recognize the teams are central to
accomplishing work in organizations. We think teams are the basic building blocks of
organizations. When teams function well, individuals and the total organization function well.
Further, team culture can be collaboratively managed to ensure effectiveness.
The most prevalent form of teams in organization is intact work teams consisting of superior and
subordinates with a specific job to perform. Team building and role and goal clarification
interventions are standard activities in OD programs directed toward intact work teams. But in
many organizations today, intact work teams do not have a boss in the traditional sense- the
teams manage themselves. These self-directed teams assume complete responsibility for
planning and executing work assignments. In addition to team building and role and goal
clarification, members are trained in competencies such as planning, maintaining quality control,
and using management information.

Over time, self-directed teams control performance appraisals, hiring, firing and training. The
results are usually gratifying both for the team members and for the organization.
By the theory and technology of applied behavioural science, we mean insights from the sciences
dedicated to understanding people in organizations, how they function, and how they can
function better, OD applies knowledge and theory. Therefore, the behavioural sciences such as
psychology, sociology, etc. similarly, applied disciplines such as adult education, psychotherapy,
social work, economics, and political science make contributions to the practice of OD.
The primary distinguishing characteristics of organization development are as follows:
1. OD focuses on culture and processes.
2. Specifically, OD encourages collaboration between organization leaders and members in
managing culture and processes.
3. Teams of all kinds are particularly important for accomplishing tasks and are targets for
OD activities.
4. OD focuses on the human and social side of the organization and in so doing also
intervenes in the technological and structural sides.
5. Participation and involvement in problem solving and decision-making by all levels of
the organization are hallmarks of OD.
6. OD focuses on total system change and views organizations as complex social systems.
7. OD practitioners are facilitators, collaborators and co-learners with the client system.
8. An overarching goal is to make the client system able to solve it problems on its own by
teaching the skills and knowledge of continuous learning through self-analytical methods.
OD views organization improvement as an ongoing process in the context of a constantly
changing environment.
9. OD relies on an action research model with expensive participation by client system
members.
10. OD takes a developmental view that seeks the betterment of both individual and the
organization. Attempting to create win-win solutions is standard practice in OD
programs.



VALUES, ASSUMPTIONS AND BELIEFS IN OD
A set of values, assumptions and beliefs constitutes an integral part of organization development,
shaping the goals and methods of the field and distinguishing OD from other improvement
strategies. Most of the beliefs were formulated early in the development of the field, and they
continue to evolve as the field itself evolve. These values and assumptions developed from
research and theory by behavioural scientists and from the experiences and observations of
practicing managers. OD vales 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. Democratic
values assert the sanctity of the individual, the right of people to be free from arbitrary misuse of
power, the importance of fair and equitable treatment for all, and the need for justice through the
rule of law and due process.
EARLY STATEMENTS OF OD VALUES AND ASSUMPTIONS
Values have always been an integral part of OD. We will see some of the early statements
regarding OD values that had a significant impact on the field
In 1969, Warren Bennis proposed that OD practitioners must share a set of normative goals
based on their humanistic/democratic philosophy. He listed these normative goals as follows:
1. Improvement in interpersonal competence
2. A shift in values so that human factors and feelings come to be considered legitimate.
3. Development of increased understanding between and within working groups in order to
reduce tensions.



4. Development of more effective team management, that is, the capacity of functional
groups to work more competently.
5. Development of better methods of conflict resolution. Rather than the usual bureaucratic
methods which rely mainly on suppression, compromise and unprincipled power, more
rational and open methods of conflict resolution are sought.
6. Development of organic rather than mechanical systems. This is a strong reaction against
the idea of organizations as mechanisms which managers work on.

Also in 1969, Richard Beckhard described several assumptions about the nature and functioning
of organization held by OD practitioners.
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 of level of hierarchy.
4. Organizations, subunits of organizations, and individuals continuously manage their
affairs against goals. Controls are interim measurements, not the basis of managerial
strategy.
5. One goal 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.




These values and assumptions may not seem profound today, but in the 1950s and 1960s they
represented a radical departure from accepted beliefs and assumptions. Beliefs such as trust
and respect for the individual, the legitimacy of feelings, open communication, decentralized
decision making, participation and contribution by all organization members, collaboration
and cooperation , appropriate uses of power, authentic interpersonal relations, and so forth
were seldom espoused and rarely implemented in the vast majority of organizations at the
time.

IMPLICATIONS OF OD VALUES AND ASSUMPTIONS
Let us understand these values and assumptions and their implications for organization
leaders and members.
Implications for Dealing with Individuals
The first assumption is that most individuals have drivestowards personal growth and
development if provided with an environment that is both supportive and challenging. Most
people want to develop their potential. The second assumption is that most people desire to
make, and are capable of making, a greater contribution to attaining organization goals that
most organizational environments permit. A tremendous amount of constructive energy can
be tapped if organizations realize and act on these assumptions.
Implications for Dealing with Groups
First, one of the most psychologically relevant reference groups for most people is the work
group, including peers and boss. What occurs in the work group, at both the formal and
informal levels, greatly influences feelings of satisfaction and competence. Second, most
people wish to be accepted and to interact cooperatively with atleast one small reference
group, and usually with more than one group, such as a work group, the family, a church or
club group, and so on.


Third, most people are capable of making greater contributions to a groups effectiveness and
development. Implications of these assumptions are several. Let teams flourish because they
are often the best way to get the work done, and, in addition, are the best way to satisfy social
and emotional needs at work. It is important that leaders adopt a team leadership style, not a
one-on-one leadership style. To do this, leaders need to give important work to teams and not
individuals.
Another assumption is that the formal leader cannot perform all the leadership and
maintenance functions required for a group to optimize its effectiveness. Hence, group
members should assist the leader with the multiple roles required for group effectiveness
skills such as group problem solving and decision-making, conflict management, facilitation
and interpersonal communication. And because suppressed feelings and attitudes adversely
affect problem solving, personal growth and job satisfaction, group members should be
encouraged to learn to deal effectively with positive and negative feelings. This skill is a
trainable one. Dealing appropriately with feelings and attitudes increases the level of
interpersonal trust, support, and cooperation within the group.
Implications for Designing and Running Organizations
Traditional hierarchical forms of organization- fairly steep pyramid, emphasis on top-down
directives, grouping by specialized function, adherence to the chain of command, formalized
cross-functional communications, and so on are obsolete. They cannot meet the needs of the
marketplace. Therefore, experimenting with new organization structures and new forms of
authority is imperative. In addition, a growing awareness that win-lose organizational
situations in which one side wins and the other side loses, are dysfunctional over the long run
and highlight the need for a win-win attitude. Creating cooperative by rather than
competitive dynamics is a primary task of the organizations leaders.




A key assumption in organization development is that the needs and aspirations of human
beings are the reasons for organized effort in society. This notion suggests it is good to have
a developmental outlook and seek opportunities in which people can experience personal and
professional growth. Such an orientation creates a self-fulfilling prophecy. The belief that
people are important tends to result in their being important. The belief that people can grow
and develop in terms of personal and organizational competency tends to produce that result.
By implication, an optimistic, developmental set of assumptions about people is likely to
reap rewards beneficial to both the organizations and its members.
Finally, it is possible to create organizations that on the one hand are humane, developmental
and empowering and on the other hand are high performing in terms of productivity, quality
of output and profitability. Evidence for this assumption comes from numerous examples
where Putting people first paid off handsomely in profits and performance. The implication
is that people are an organizations most important resource; they are the source of
productivity and profits and should be treated with care.

A Values Study
Values are never static; they change over time. The rapid technological, societal and
organizational changes taking place assure that tomorrow will bring new definitions of what
is true and new beliefs about what is good as behavioural scientists and managers
continue to develop better understand of authority structures, organizing structures and ways
to optimize human potential.





FOUNDATIONS OF ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS
MODELS AND THEORIES OF PLANNED CHANGE
Organizational development is planned change in an organization context. The development
of models of planned change facilitated the development of OD. Models and theories depict,
in words or pictures, the important features of some phenomenon, describe those features as
variables, and specify the relationships among the variables. Planned change theories are
rudimentary as far as explaining relationships among variables, but pretty good for
identifying the important variables involved. Several recent theories show great promise for
increasing our understanding of what happens and how it happens in planned change.
Kurt Lewin and Friends
Kurt Lewin introduced a idea about change that have been influential since the 1940s. The
first idea states that what is occurring at any point in time is a resultant in the field of
opposing forces. That is, the status quo- whatever is happening right now- is the result of the
forces pushing in the opposing direction. For example, we can think of the production level
of a manufacturing plant as a resultant equilibrium point in a field of forces, with some forces
pushing towards higher levels of production and some forces pushing towards lower levels of
production. The production level tends to remain fairly constant because the field of forces
remains fairly constant. Likewise, we can think of the level of morale in that plant as a
resultant equilibrium point. Although morale may get a little better or a little worse on
occasion, it generally powers around some equilibrium point that is the resultant in the field
of forces, some forces pushing towards higher morale and some pushing towards lower
morale. With a technique called the force-field analysis, we can identify the major forces that
make up the field of forces and then develop action plans for moving equilibrium point in
one direction or the other. This concept is useful for thinking about the dynamics of change
situations.


SYSTEMS THEORY
A second foundation of organization development is systems theory, which views
organizations as open systems in active exchange with their environments. This explains
systems theory, describes the characteristics OD systems, and shows how systems theory
enhances the practice of OD. Systems theory is one of the powerful conceptual tools
available for understanding the dynamics of organizations and organizational change. Fagen
defines system as a a set of objects together with relationships between the objects and
between their attributes. When taking a systems approach, one begins by identifying the
individual parts and then seeks to understand the nature of their collective interaction. To
summarize, systems denotes interdependency, interdependency, interconnectedness among
elements in a set that constitutes an identifiable whole or gestalt.
The Nature of Systems
The nature, dynamics, and characteristics of open systems are well known. Organizations are
open systems. Therefore, studying open systems leads to a good understanding of
organizations.
All open systems are input-throughput-output mechanisms. Systems take inputs from the
environment in the form of energy, information, money, people, raw materials, and so on.
They do something to the inputs via throughput, conversion or transformation processes that
change the inputs and they export products to the environment in the form of outputs. Open
systems have purposes and goals, the reasons for their existence. These purposes must align
with purposes or needs in the environment. For example, the organizations purposes will be
reflected in its outputs, and if the environment does not want these outputs, the organization
will cease to exist.




Another characteristic of open systems is steady state or dynamic homeostasis. Systems
achieve a steady state or equilibrium point and to seek to maintain this equilibrium against
disruptive forces, either internal or external. Another characteristic of systems is equifinality,
the principle that there are multiple ways to arrive at a particular outcome or state-systems
have multiple ways to arrive at a particular outcome or state-systems have multiple paths to
goals. Subsystems exist within larger systems. These subsystems can be arranged into a
hierarchy of systems moving from less important to more important.
Sociotechnical Systems Theory and Open Systems Planning
Two major variations open systems theory- Sociotechnical systems theory (STS) and open
systems planning (OSP)- play an especially important role in organization development.
Sociotechnical systems theory was developed by Eric Trist, Fred Emery and others in the
1950s. The thesis of STS is that all the organizations comprise two interdependent systems, a
social system and a technical system, and that changes in one system affect the other system.


To achieve high productivity and employee satisfaction, organizations must optimize both
systems. STS is the principal conceptual foundation for efforts in work redesign and
organization restructuring, two active segments of OD today.
A number of design principles have been developed to implement sociotechnical systems
theory. Principles such as optimizing the social and technical systems, forming autonomous
work groups, training group members in multiple skills, giving information and feedback to
the people doing the work and identifying core tasks help STS consultants structure
organizations and tasks for maximum effectiveness and efficiency. High performance
organizations almost always use principles from sociotechnical systems theory, especially
autonomous work groups, multiskilled teams, controlling variance at the source and
information to the point of action, that is, to the workers during the job.

Open systems planning entails scanning the environment to determine the expectations and
stakeholders, developing scenarios of possible futures, both realistic and ideal and
developing action plans to ensure that a desirable future occurs. Most OD practitioners
engaged in redesign projects use a combination of sociotechnical systems theory and open
systems planning.
Open Systems Thinking
Open systems thinking is required for creating learning organizations. Learning organizations
can cope effectively with rapidly changing environmental demands. To create a learning
organization, there are five disciplines which need to be mastered, which include personal
mastery, mental models, building shared vision, team learning and systems. Off all these
disciplines, systems thinking is the most important.

PARTICIPATION AND EMPOWERMENT
One of the most important foundations of organization development is a participation and
empowerment model. Participation in OD programs is not restricted to elites or the top
people; it is extended throughout the organization. Increased participation and empowerment
have always been central goals and fundamental values of the field. These pillars of OD
practice are validated by both research and practice.
To empower is to give someone power, which is done by giving individuals the authority to
make decisions, to contribute their ideas, to exert influence, and to be responsible.
Participation is an especially effective form of empowerment. Participation enhances
empowerment and empowerment in turn enhances performance and individual well-being.




OD interventions are deliberately designed to increase involvement and participation by
organization leaders and members. For example autonomous work groups, quality circles,
team building, survey feedback, quality of work life programs, search conferences, and the
culture audit are all predicated on the belief that increased participation will lead to better
solutions. OD interventions are basically methods for increasing participation. The entire
field of OD is about empowerment.

TEAMS AND TEAMWORK
A fundamental belief in organization development is that work teams are the building blocks
of organizations. A second fundamental belief is that teams must manage their culture,
processes, systems and relationships if they are to be effective. Theory, research and practice
attest to the central role teams play in organizational success. Teams and teamwork are part
of the foundation of organization development.
Teams are important for a number of reasons. First, much individual behaviour is rooted in
the sociocultural norms and values of the teamwork. If the team, as a team changes those
values and norms, the effects on individual behaviour are immediate and lasting. Second,
many tasks are so complex they cannot be performed by individuals; people must work
together to accomplish them. Third, teams create synergy, that is, sum of the efforts of team
members is far greater than the sum of the individual efforts of people wowing alone.
Synergy is a principal reason teams are so important. Fourth, teams satisfy peoples need for
social interaction, status, recognition and respect-nurture human nature.
A number of OD interventions are specifically designed to improve team performance.
Examples are team building, intergroup teambuilding, process consultation, quality circles,
parallel learning structures, sociotechnical systems programs, Grid OD and techniques such
as role analysis technique, role negotiation, and responsibility charting. These interventions
apply to formal work teams as well as startup teams, cross-functional teams, temporary teams
and the like.

Team-building activities are now a way of life for many organizations. Teams periodically
hold team-building meetings, people are trained are group leaders and group facilitators.
Organizations using autonomous or self-directed teams devote considerable time and effort
to ensure that team members possess the skills to be effective in groups. The net effect is that
teams perform at increasingly higher levels, that they achieve synergy, and that teamwork
becomes more satisfying for team members.
An emerging development is the application of technology to improve team performance.
Groupware is the generic term for electronic and nonelectric tools designed to help teams,
especially business teams, function better. The use of groupware and find it highly effective;
it speeds up decision making, allows anonymous contributions, focuses attention on one issue
at a time, facilitates setting priorities, enhances consensus building and provides quick
feedback regarding the groups progress. Groups can improve a groups performance on both
simple and complex tasks.
Teams have always been an important foundation of OD, but there is a growing awareness of
the teams unique ability to create synergy, respond quickly and flexibly to problems, find
new ways to get the job done, and satisfy social needs in the workplace.

PARALLEL LEARNING STRUCTURES
Parallel Learning Structures, specially created organizational structures for planning and
guiding change programs, constitute another important foundation of organizations
development. This concept was introduced in 1974 under the label collateral organization
and defined it as a supplemental organization coexisting with the usual, formal
organization. The purpose of the collateral organization is to deal with ill-structured
problems the formal organization is unable to resolve. Considerable experimentation with
collateral organizations occurred in the 1970s and 1980s.


Parallel Learning Structures are a mechanism to facilitate innovation in large bureaucratic
organizations where the forces of inertia, hierarchical communication patterns and standard
ways of addressing problems inhibit learning, innovation and change. In essence, parallel
structures are a vehicle for learning how to change the system, and then leading the change
process.
In its most basic form, a parallel learning structure consists of steering committee and a
number of working groups that study what changes are needed, make recommendations for
improvement and monitoring the change efforts. Additional refinements include having a
steering committee plus idea groups, action groups or implementation groups, with the
groups serving specific functions designated by the steering committee. The parallel structure
should be a microcosm of the larger organization, that is, it should have representatives from
all parts of the organization. One or more top executives should be members of the steering
committee to give the parallel structure authority, legitimacy and clout.
Parallel structures help people break free of the normal constraints imposed by the
organization, engage in genuine inquiry and experimentation, and initiate needed changes.
Parallel learning structures are a foundation of OD because they are prevalent in so many
different OD programs. The quality of work life of the 1970s and the 1980s used parallel
structures composed of union leaders, managers and employees. Most sociotechnical systems
redesign efforts and open systems planning programs use parallel structures. High
performance organizations often use parallel structures to coordinate self-directed teams.
Parallel learning structures are often the best way to initiate change in large bureaucratic
organizations, especially when the change involves a fundamental shift in the organizations
methods of work and/or culture.





APPLIED BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCE
This foundation of OD relates to the primary knowledge base field, behavioural science
knowledge. OD is the application of behavioural science knowledge, practices and skills on
ongoing systems in collaboration with system members. Although human behaviour in
organizations is far from an exact science, lawful patterns of events produce effectiveness
and ineffectiveness. OD practitioners know about these patterns through research and theory.
Organizational development is both a result of applied behavioural science and a form of
applied behavioural science; perhaps more accurately, it is a program of applying
behavioural science to organization.
The following are some contributions from the sources that are relevant for organization
development.
Contributions from Behavioural Science Theory
The importance of social norms in determining perceptions, motivations and
behaviours.
The role of an exchange theory of behaviour that postulates that people tend to
exchange approximately equivalent units to maintain a balance between what is given
and received.
The importance of the existing total field of forces in determining and predicting
behaviour.
The relevance of role theory in accounting for stability and change in behaviour.
The possibilities inherent in views of motivation different from those provided by
older theories
The importance of individual goal setting for increasing productivity and improving
performance.
The place of social cognitive theory, general theories of learning, effects of reward
and punishment, attitude change theories and so on in understanding organizational
behaviour.

Contributions from Behavioural Science Research
Studies on the causes, conditions and consequences of induced competition on
behavioural within and between groups.
Results on the effects of cooperative and competitive group goal structures on
behaviour within groups.
Studies on the effects of organizational and managerial climate on leadership style.
Studies on the variables relevant for organizational health.
Studies showing the importance of the social system in relation to the technical
system.
Studies on different communication networks, causes and consequences of
conformity group problem solving and groups dynamics.

Contributions from Practice Theory
Implications from the theory and practice of the laboratory training methods.
Implications from theories of group development.
New dimensions in the helping relationship and specifically the client-consultant
relationship.
Codification of the practice of management
New ideas about the education process.
The concept of Management by Objectives
Implications of social learning theory and behaviour modeling supervisor training.
Explorations in intervention advance and method.
Developments in consultation typologies and theory.
Implications and applications from theories of planned change.



Contributions from Package Research
Studies showing that feeding back survey research data can bring organization
change.
Results indicating the importance of the informal work group on individual and
performance
Results showing the efficacy of grid of organization development in large
Results documenting improved organizational performance and improved
organization climate stemming from
Results show the ability of behavioural modeling training to improve supervisory
human reactions
Results from the action research studies.
This list of contributions is not meant to be exhaustive, but only to show some of the
sources of and kinds of information/knowledge OD practitioners, as applied behavioural
scientists, bring to the organizational setting.

ACTION RESEARCH MODEL
The action research model- a data based, problem solving method that replicates the steps
involved in the scientific method of inquiry underlies most OD activities. Action
Research involves three process data collection, feedback of the data to the client system
system members and action planning based on the data. Action research is especially
collection. Action research is especially well suited for planning chane programs.
Action Research is a method that combines learning and doing- learning about the
dynamics of organizational change, and doing or implementing the change efforts.



MANAGING THE OD PROCESS
All OD programs have three basic components: diagnosis, action and program
management. The diagnostic component represents a continuous collection of data about
the total system, its subunits, its processes and its culture. The action component consist
of all the activities and interventions designed to improve the organizations functioning.
The program management component encompasses all activities designed to ensure
success of the program.
The first step is to diagnose the state of the system, focusing on the clients major
concerns. The diagnosis identifies strengths, opportunities and problem areas. Actions
plans are developed to correct problems, seize opportunities and maintain areas of
strength. These action plans are OD interventions specifically tailored to address the issue
at individual group, intergroup or organizational levels, as well as issues related to
selected processes. During the entire sequence, managing the OD process itself requires
attention. Energy and effort are directed to ensuring that the program is supported by the
organization members, that the program is relevant to the organizations priorities, and
that the program is making discernible progress. Managing the OD program is a
continuous activity.

Organization development is at heart an action program based on valid information about
the status quo, current problems and opportunities and effects of actions as they relate to
achieve goals. An OD program thus starts with diagnosis and employs data collecting and
data analyzing throughout. Diagnostic activities- activities designed to provide an
accurate account of things as they are for two reasons: the first is to know the state of
things and the second is to know the effects or consequences of actions.



For each of the major targets in an organization, the typical information desired and
common methods of obtaining the information are given. The OD practitioner maybe
interested in all these target groups or in only one or two of them, he or she may work
with one subsystem during one phase of the program and other subsystems during
subsequent phases. Frequently, the improvement strategy calls for concentrating on
different organizational targets in a planned sequence.
An alternative way to conceptualize the diagnostic component emphasizes the
organizations principal processes rather than its primary target groups. Continual
diagnosis is necessary in any planned change effort. Action plans are then developed to
close the gap and the effects of these actions are continuously monitored to measure
progress toward the goal. Diagnosis is therefore basic to all goal-seeking activities.
Organization development continuously generates system data. In this, the consultant has
three primary intervention tasks: to help the client system generate valid data; to enable
the client system to have free, informed choice; and to help the client system generate
internal commitment to the choices made. Without valid information, it would be difficult
for the client to learn and for the interventionist for help, valid information is that which
describes the factors, plus their interrelationships, that create the problem for the client
system.

In an OD program, although the results of diagnostic activities are important, how the
information is collected and what is done with the information is also important. The OD
practitioner and the organization members actively collaborate about such issues as what
target groups to diagnose, how the diagnosis is best accomplished, which processes to
analyze, what to do with the information and how to use the information to aid action
planning. Usually information is collected through a variety of methods- interviews,
observations, questionnaires and organization records.


Information is treated as the property of those persons who generated it, and the data
serve as the foundation for planning actions. This is basically an action research model.
Therefore, the diagnostic and action components are intimately related in organization
development.

THE ACTION COMPONENT: OD INTERVENTIONS
OD interventions are sets of structured activities in which selected organizational units
engage in a sequence of tasks that will lead to organizational improvement. Interventions
are actions taken to produce desired changes.
Typically, one of the four conditions gives rise to the need for OD interventions. First-
the organization has a problem; something is wrong, Corrective actions- Interventions-
are implemented to fix the problem. Second, the organization sees unrealized
opportunity; something it wants is beyond its reach. Enabling actions- Interventions- are
developed to seize the opportunity. Third, features of the organization are out of
alignment; parts of the organization are working at cross-purposes. Alignment activities-
Interventions- are developed to get things back in sync. Fourth, the vision guiding the
organizations changes; yesterdays vision is no longer good enough. Actions to build the
necessary structures, processes and culture to support the new vision- Intervention- are
developed to make the new vision a reality. In summary, the interventions are planned
sets of actions to change situations the organization members want to change.
The range of OD interventions is quite extensive. Interventions have been developed to
solve most problems related to the human side of organizations.




The Nature of OD Interventions
To intervene in the client system is to interpose activities so that the intervention
activities are done in addition to the normal activities or are done instead of the normal
activities.
A well designed OD program unfolds according to a game plan, called the overall OD
strategy. This strategy may be planned in advance or may emerge as events dictate.
Planning actions, executing actions, and evaluating the consequences of actions are
integral to organization development. This emphasis on action planning and action taking
is a powerful feature of OD, and in some respects, is a distinguishing one. In many
traditional, educational and training activities, learning and action taking are taken back
to the organization with the learner being admonished to practice what he or she has
learned, that is, to take actions. most OD interventions minimize this artificial separation
in many ways. First, many interventions activities have two goals: an educational goal
and an accomplishing-a-task goal. Second, OD problem-solving interventions tend to
focus on real problems central to the organizations needs. Third, OD interventions use
several learning models, not just one.
Organization development interventions tend to focus on real problems rather than
hypothetical problems. Developing the skills and knowledge to solve real problems as
they arise in their natural state minimizes the educational problem of transfer of
learning from one situation to another.
An additional feature of working on real problems, in OD interventions is that the real set
of individuals involved in the problem is the group -the problem solvers work with.
Organization development programs rely on several learning models. Actions programs
in OD are closely linked with explicit goals and objectives. Careful attention is given to
translating goals into observable, explicit and measurable actions and equal care is given
to ensuring that actions are relevant to and instrumental for attaining goals.


Diagnosis, action taking and goal setting are all linked in OD programs. Diagnostic
activities precede action programs, that is, face-finding provides a foundation for action.
Actions are continuously evaluated for whether they are attainable and whether they can
be translated into action programs. Organization development is a continuous process of
setting goals, collecting data about the status quo, planning and taking actions based on
hypothesis and on the data, and evaluating the effects of action through additional data
collection.

THE PROGRAM MANAGEMENT COMPONENT
Just as OD practitioners apply behavioural science principles and practices to improve
organizational functioning and individual development, then apply these same principles
and practices as they manage OD programs. They attend equally to task and process.
They consider system ramifications of the program, involve organization members in
planning and execution, use an action research model, create feedback loops to ensure
relevance and timeliness and so forth. Managing the OD program effectively means the
difference between success and failure. The aim is to provide guidelines to ensure success
in managing OD programs.
Phases of OD Management
OD programs follow a logical progression of events- a series of phases the unfolds over
time. An important part of managing an OD program well is to execute each phase well.
Entry
Contracting
Diagnosis
Feedback
Planning change
Intervention

Entry represents the initial contact between the consultant and the client; exploring the
situation that led the client to seek a consultant and determining whether the problem or
opportunity, the client and the consultant constitute a good match. Contracting involves
establishing mutual expectations reaching agreement on expenditures of time, money,
resources and energy: and generally clarifying what each party expects to get from the
other and give to the another. Diagnosis is the fact finding phase, which produces a
picture of the situation through interviews, observations, questionnaires, examination of
organization documents and information and the like. Feedback represents returning the
analyzed information to the client system; the clients exploring the information for
understanding, clarification and accuracy; and the clients owning the data, their picture of
their situation, and their problems and opportunities. Planning change involves the clients
deciding what action steps to take based on the information they have just learned.
Alternative possibilities are explored and critiqued; plans for action are selected and
developed. Interventions implements sets of actions to correct the problems or seize the
opportunities. Evaluation represents assessing the effects of the program.
These phases are straightforward and logical in descriptions, but in practice they often
overlap a great deal and look more like an evolving process than a linear progression. The
most important point is that each phase builds the foundation for subsequent phases;
therefore each phase must be executed with care and precision.
The ideas about managing OD programs describe some of the important factors OD
practitioners take into account as they implement change efforts. Program management is
a complex, dynamic, difficult and great fun. The challenges are many, but the sense of
accomplishment is great for practitioners, leaders, and organizational members alike as
successes build upon successes and the organization realizes its goals.




ACTION RESEARCH AND ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT
ACTION RESEARCH: A PROCESS AND AN APPROACH
Action research may be described as a process, that is, as an ongoing series of events and
actions. It may be defined as: Action research is the process of systematically collecting
research data about an ongoing system relative to some objective, goal, need of that
system; feeding these data back into the system; tacking actions by altering selected
variables within the system based both on the data and on hypothesis; and evaluating the
results of actions by collecting more data.
This definition characterizes action research in terms of the activities comprising the
process. First, the researcher takes a static picture of an organization. On the basis of
what exists, hunches and hypotheses suggest actions; these actions typically entail
manipulating variables in the system that are under action researchers control, which
often means doing something differently from the way it has always been.
Action research is a process in two different ways. It is a sequence of events and
activities within each iteration and it is a cycle of iterations of these activities, sometimes
treating the same problem several times and the moving to different problems.
In viewing action research as an approach to problem solving we note the following
features: the normative nature of this model, the centrality of the objectives, and the
different role requirements of the consultant/change agent vis--vis the clients. Three
additional features deserve discussion: first, the elements of the action research model
that link it to practitioners, and laypersons that often is a component of action research;
and third; the increased richness of knowledge derived from action research programs.




Another distinguishing feature of action research is collaboration between individuals
inside the system- clients and individuals outside the system- change agents or
researchers. A widely used belief states that people support what they have helped to
create. Such a belief, congruent with the collaborative aspect of action research, impels
practitioners and researchers to cooperate extensively with client system members. This
point of view implies that the client system members and the researcher should jointly
define the methods used for data collection, identify the hypotheses relevant to the
situations, and to evaluate the consequences of actions. This collaborative ingredient is
found in both action research and organizational development.

AN OVERVIEW OF OD INTERVENTIONS
"Interventions" are principal learning processes in the "action" stage
of organization development. Interventions are structured activities used individually or
in combination by the members of a client system to improve their social or
task performance. They may be introduced by a change agent as part of an improvement
program, or they may be used by the client following a program to check on the state of
the organization's health, or to effect necessary changes in its own behavior. "Structured
activities" mean such diverse procedures as experiential exercises, questionnaires,
attitude surveys, interviews, relevant group discussions, and even lunchtime meetings
between the change agent and a member of the client organization. Every action that
influences an organization's improvement program in a change agent-client system
relationship can be said to be an intervention.
OD interventions are sets of structured activities in which selected organizational units
engage in a task or a sequence of tasks with the goals of organizational improvement and
individual development. Work gets done in OD when organization leaders and members
systematically address problems and opportunities; usually guided by an OD practitioner



Practitioners have created an array of interventions to help organization members address
specific problems effectively. Interventions range from those designed to improve
the effectiveness of individuals through those designed to deal with teams and groups,
intergroup relations, and the total organization. There are interventions that focus on task
issues (what people do), and those that focus on process issues (how people go about
doing it). Finally, interventions may be roughly classified according to which change
mechanism they tend to emphasize: for example, feedback, awareness of changing
cultural norms, interaction and communication, conflict, and education through either
new knowledge or skill practice.
There are many possible intervention strategies from which to choose. Several
assumptions about the nature and functioning of organizations are made in the choice of a
particular strategy. Beckhard lists six such assumptions:
The basic building blocks of an organization are groups (teams). Therefore, the basic
units of change are groups, not individuals.
An always relevant change goal is the reduction of inappropriate competition between
parts of the organization and the development of a more collaborative condition.
Decision making in a healthy organization is located where the information sources are,
rather than in a particular role or level of hierarchy.
Organizations, subunits of organizations, and individuals continuously manage their
affairs against goals. Controls are interim measurements, not the basis of managerial
strategy.
One goal of a healthy organization is to develop generally open communication, mutual
trust, and confidence between and across levels.
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.



One of the most difficult tasks confronting the change agent is to help create in
the client system a safe climate for learning and change. In a favorable climate, human
learning builds on itself and continues indefinitely during man's lifetime. Out of
new behaviour, new dilemmas and problems emerge as the spiral continues upward to
new levels. In an unfavorable climate, in contrast, learning is far less certain, and in an
atmosphere of psychological threat, it often stops altogether. Unfreezing old ways can be
inhibited in organizations because the climate makes employees feel that it is
inappropriate to reveal true feelings, even though such revelations could be constructive.
In an inhibited atmosphere, therefore, necessary feedback is not available. Also, trying
out new ways may be viewed as risky because it violates established norms. Such an
organization may also be constrained because of the law of systems: If one part changes,
other parts will become involved. Hence, it is easier to maintain the status quo.
Hierarchical authority, specialization, span of control, and other characteristics of formal
systems also discourage experimentation.
The change agent must address himself to all of these hazards and obstacles. Some of the
things which will help him are:
A real need in the client system to change
Genuine support from management
Setting a personal example: listening, supporting behavior
A sound background in the behavioral sciences
A working knowledge of systems theory
A belief in man as a rational, self-educating being fully capable of learning better ways to
do things.




Interventions such as team building, survey feedback, role analysis and intergroup
conflict resolution were developed during the early years of organization development.
Interventions such as quality of work life (QWL), work redesign using sociotechnical
systems theory (STS), collateral organization and strategic planning methods were
developed as the field continued to evolve. Today we have interventions aimed at self-
directed teams, high-performance work systems and self-designing organizations, as well
as large-scale systems change models to help organizations adapt and survive. OD
interventions address a wide range of specific problems and opportunities. But OD is
much more than just reaching into the kit bag and executing an intervention. OD is a
complete strategy for change that encompasses theory, practice method and values.
Interventions are just one component of the OD formula.
Classification of OD Interventions
1. Diagnostic Activities
2. Team-Building Activities
3. Intergroup Activities
4. Survey Feedback Activities
5. Education and Training Activities
6. Technostructural or Structural Activities
7. Process Consultation Activities
8. Grid OD Activities
9. Third-Party Peacemaking Activities
10. Coaching and Counseling Activities
11. Life and Career Planning Activities
12. Planning and Goal-Setting Activities
13. Strategic Management Activities
14. Organizational Transformation Activities



Behind every program is an overall game plan or intervention strategy. This plan integrates the
problem or opportunity to be addressed, the desired outcomes of the programs, and the
sequencing and timing of the various interventions. Intervention strategies are based on diagnosis
and the goals desired by the client system. Lets say the clients want to redesign the way work is
done at a production facility, changing from an assembly-line arrangement of individualized
simple tasks to complex tasks performed by self managed teams. This desired redesign requires
diagnosis to determine whether the work is amenable to such a system, to test the employees
willing ness to undertake such a change, to calculate the time and effort required to make the
change, and to assess the probable benefits. Sociotechnical systems theory would likely be the
guiding model for the program, which would entail dozens of significant changes and different
interventions- training, education, parallel structures, employee involvement, modified reward
systems and management philosophy and so forth. A series of activities designed to move the
system in step wise fashion from the current state to a new state would be laid out against a time
line several years. This overall strategy would be the road map for the change program.

Now, in order to understand the topic of Organization Development, I have introduced a case
study. This case study is based on TATA Consultancy Services LTD (TCS), and their journey of
OD in the early 2000s. In this case, the company has described their position before OD, and the
developmental field after the OD was taken place.






CASE STUDY ON TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES
Synopsis
In organizations worldwide today, there is a greater realization of the importance of Organization
Developmental (OD) interventions in facilitating the rapid changes brought about in the current
competitive environment. Organizations today struggle to balance the tensions between Voice of
Customer, Voice of Technology, Voice of Strategy and Voice of Employee in the context of a
globalized and dynamic market, which makes competitive advantage and sustainability the key
mantras of corporate survival and success.
Organization Development has been defined as a process by which behavioral science
knowledge and practices are used to help organizations to achieve greater effectiveness,
including improved quality of life, increased productivity, and improved product and service
quality.
Its focus is on improving the organization's ability to assess and to solve its own problems & to
move the organization to a higher level of functioning by improving the performance and
satisfaction of organization members. organizations relationship to its environment, its markets
and key
At Tata Consultancy Services Limited, (TCSL), too OD interventions have been instrumental in
facilitating change management and bringing about competitive advantage. OD has contributed
to redefining the organizations relationship to its environment, its markets and key stakeholders.
This paper briefly explores an overview of OD interventions at organizational level, and focuses
in particular on the case of a large relationship within the organization wherein OD has brought
about a paradigm shift especially in the cultural perspective. The structural alignment and
commensurate cultural changes thereof have been facilitated in a deliberate manner to improve
the total system the relationship and its parts in the context of the larger market environment.




INTRODUCTION: TCS -AN ORGANIZATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
The Pre-OD Scenario: Our Strengths and Areas of Concern
In the years 1998-99, TCS had grown into the largest Indian software company with revenues of
over Rs. 1600 crores and racing towards achieving its vision of being global top ten. As pioneers
in the industry, TCSs strengths included on time delivery, premier position in the industry in
terms of revenues, focus on training programs, quality initiatives, use of good technical tools and
procedures and encouragement of individual excellence in performance.
However, TCS was also, at that point in time, grappling with a few areas of concern with regard
to its operational paradigm.
Mounting revenue pressures: The pressure to retain its strong premier position led the
organization to tend towards short-term revenues, and relatively lesser efforts were being put into
medium and long-term markets and activities (such as products and building up knowledge).
Though TCS built relationships with individual customers, Relationship Managers largely tended
to focus on obtaining short-term projects there was lesser investment on aligning to long-term
objectives of customers. The approach, by and large, was of reactive project management and we
were yet to espouse the approach of architecting proactive solutions for the customer.
Selectivity in projects: There was a tangible tension at TCS, between generating revenues and
organizing strategically, on basis of technology and business areas, impacting selectivity in
projects accepted. Pressures from customers on schedules was resulting in faster delivery and
hence, snowballing into further pressure on future schedules.






Focus on specialization: There was diffusion of expertise and we were yet to focus on building
strategic expertise in individual centers. Employees were rotated across domains and skills in the
interest of learn ability as well as for meeting requirements. In a sense, there was heightened
focus on Voice of the Customer, in comparison to the Voice of Employee.
Efforts on Experimentation & Innovation: The management at TCS felt that by and large,
employees tended to go straight by the book. Though Dr. De Bonos techniques were introduced
and employees trained on perceived rewards for experimentation.
Rewards and Recognitions: The reward structure at TCS was, at this point in time, primarily
focused on individual performance and we were yet to explore the institutionalization of team
based rewards at the organizational level.
Inter group co-ordination & knowledge sharing: Sharing of knowledge was very centre-
oriented, and although, informally, best practices spread by interaction and word of mouth, we
were yet to evolve a formal system which would capture these for ease of replication across
projects. Multiple centers and multiple projects within the same centre ended up resolving the
same sort of issues, resulting in avoidable rework.
Branding and PR: Image building endeavors were not yet an area of focus and, in a subtle way,
this affected the sense of pride of employees. Among educational institutions, this meant greater
difficulty in terms of attracting quality talent, which further aggravated stress among the few key
performers in the organization.
By the year 2002, management felt the conscious need to bring in changes in our approach to the
aforementioned areas, in order to align more closely with the customer, business and market
requirements at an organizational level.



Alignment and Structure at TCS
With respect to alignment, there was a need to create an environment of dialogue between
system dynamics and human dynamics in the organization. Strategy comes from the market,
form comes from structure; capacity from technology; and synergy from culture. The
organizational design at that point needed to incorporate this holism and thereby bring in, a
coherent organizational identity. The flow of philosophy to policy to practice and further to
procedure in organizational design, needed to be re-looked at neutrally.
In the interest of alignment of strategy and culture, the need for a dynamic process of dialogue
between the Generals and the Scouts was also felt.
Alignment and Attunement:
As an answer to the above areas of concern, alignment and attunement were sought to be
achieved through integrating and balancing out the four voices:
Voice of Wealth
Voice of Employee
Voice of Customer
Voice of Technology
The Organizational Development interventions at TCS focused on balancing tensions arising
from these four voices along dimensions of balancing tensions arising from these four voices
along dimensions of strategizing, valuing, serving, energizing, investing and improving.






Scenario Building Workshops:
An internal organization workshop was conducted with top management for scenario building.
This program focused at a larger level, on the The TCS that can be . The idea was to challenge
the conventional ways of thinking and to give shape to the key drivers of change through realistic
listening and dialoguing. These workshops were followed by dissemination and communication
of the scenarios with teams in order to develop a new language in the organization, consistent
with the envisaged future scenario.
As a fallout of this workshop, several representatives of senior management worked on building
scenarios as for e.g. on TCS tools and approach to high end consulting. These looked at what we
were and what we wished to be, our competition, changes and challenges with regard to our
business models, technologies, products and support functions. Further, the factors that would
facilitate the desired change and focuses that needed to be redefined were clearly laid down.
The scenarios addressed the nature of the struggle the organization would go through and etched
out realistic possibilities based on present factors. The roles and context that would impinge on
the following were detailed:
Wealth creation
Factors which will enhance productivity and enhance the feeling of being valued.
Resource allocation and team-work
Membership criteria and norms of the group
Learning opportunities for individuals and teams








Goal Alignment & Balanced Scorecard:
In the interest of better alignment, a need was felt to re-look at a few organizational processes
and systems, as for instance, the performance management and appraisal system at TCS. A
Teach-Train-Transfer workshop on Goal alignment was conducted, with help from expert OD
consultants to build the context, to think through goal setting at TCS with a systems perspective
to goal alignment & to explore means of institutionalizing goal-oriented performance
management within the organization.

The workshop further introduced the concept of the Personal Score Card, and clearly outlined
what would define goals, outputs, performance management, Economic Value adds & the ways
and means for facilitating goal alignment.

The Balanced Scorecard approach was proposed, introducing corporate goals, which touched
upon the following:
Voice of the Shareholder - Financial Goals e.g. Wealth creation
Vector of Technology Technology Goals e.g. Quality, Cost, Delivery dimensions
Voice of the Customer Customer/ Market Goals e.g. Customer Satisfaction
Voice of the Employee Learning & Development e.g. Employee Satisfaction

Further the relevance of the corporate goal template at the relationship level was explored and
the subsequent cascading to individual level (Organizational to Relationship to Personal
Scorecard). Goal specification frameworks, derived from the key performance parameters of the
unit were chalked out. While the goal was treated as a virtual entity, the measurement was
extended to deliverables on a day-to-day basis (outputs). Further, workflow reviews were done
with the objective of deploying an on-line regular review process and system to track individual
performance against stated goals. The linkage with incentives and value add drivers, was also
thought through to determine the reward framework, based on published results as against goals.




Hereby, strategic objectives and measures agreed upon by the function/ geography/ delivery and
relationship heads would be cascaded to subsequent roles as appropriate, ensuring performance
in alignment with the larger vision of the organization.

Identification of talent for higher responsibility was also seen as a key focus area, highlighting
the need to have a focused Career Planning and Mentoring process. The process of role
alignment was further thought through, as well as the need for assessment and coaching for role
transitions. Towards employee satisfaction and towards ensuring sustained availability of
sufficient managerial and leadership talent, the need to create succession plans at all levels and to
track and reward high fliers was brought out.

This further, lead to the formulation of career paths in TCS global services, consulting and
products, supported by HR processes, tools and support staff. This structure was designed to
enable a fair degree of flexibility in rotating at appropriate levels, which would provide avenues
for individual growth.

Besides, there was an exercise to bring out new role definitions in Human Resources (HR),
focusing on alignment, energizing and task facilitation through HR. Business leaders dialogued
to evolve the mission and expectations and further, to design enablers for continuous change,
team work, and individual growth.











PROPEL The Intervention: Culture Building at TCS

PROPEL was introduced as a revolutionary intervention with the dual objectives of facilitating
the exchange of ideas and helping in immediate problem solving, while also encouraging
bonding and self-development among and within teams. As the organization and its relationships
grew, it brought its own challenges, whereas change remained a constant. PROPEL was
introduced as a platform and a tool to help bring about this change, in consonance with the TCS
belief of Let us make it a joy for all our stakeholders. Promoting continuous improvement at a
cross-functional level was one of the envisaged objectives. Change management was enabled
through alignment with growth strategy; by creating platforms for dialogue on the current and
emerging experience of the organization.

PROPEL has helped the organization build a culture of collaboration, creativity and also
networks of relationships through its two modes:
1. Confluences: Listening to the voice of the employee in a team scenario, by creating a
platform for open sharing of thoughts on a relevant theme. This is achieved through a
balance of fun, introspection and interaction, while evoking commitment to self-
development
2. Camps: Platform for problem solving, focus on the Quality, Cost and Delivery measures
of throughput resulting in transfer and adoption of best practices within and amongst
relationships in the organization.

\Further on, this paper explores the case of a large relationship which espoused PROPEL
interventions to bring about effective quantifiable results in the interest of relationship
robustness, market agility and a fine balance in the culture perspective.






THE CASE OF A LARGE RELATIONSHIP AT TCS:

Team Alignment through PROPEL framework & Spiral Dynamics

Team alignment was a PROPEL application initiated for members of this large relationship, to
reflect on its own state, to build a coherent statement of current realities and to channel potent
restlessness and dissatisfactions within the relationship, into a convergent blueprint of
responsiveness and new levels of maturity. It looked at redefining desirable role behaviors, and
hence conveyed responsibility for movement at the collective as well as individual levels, for the
team.

This was brought about through the following stages:
1. Initiation: The Spiral dynamics framework was used to map the relationship in terms of
its evolution. Tools were administered to a group of Project Managers to identify the gaps
between where the team is (current state) and where it should be (desired state) and the
steps to be taken to bridge this gap.
Spiral Dynamics posits that the evolution of human consciousness can best be
represented by a dynamic, upward spiraling structure that charts our evolving thinking
systems as they arc higher and higher through levels of increasing complexity. The spiral
in spiral dynamics contains the blueprints of patterns for sequential development of
cultures. The spiral's first tier is a set of six memes (beige, purple, red, blue, orange and
green) characterized by existence or subsistence, or the survival-level concerns. Second
tier of yellow and turquoise works to create healthy forms of all the first tier systems, in
the context of an information-rich, highly mobile global community.







2. Awareness sessions & Workshops: Overviews on Spiral Dynamics and its application
to achieve team alignment was shared with the team. In Jan 2005, a workshop was
organized with the team to discuss the findings based on the analysis of data. A few key
observations were:
a. Differential perceptions of current reality by leadership and the rest of the team
b. Need to make a few critical role shifts
c. Need to align the broad directions and future steps

This workshop allowed the team to clearly discuss their perceptions of the teams current
situation and the following observations were agreed upon:
d. Need to negotiate expectations and sufficiently understand interdependence
e. Reluctance to confront and bring issues to a head
f. Stress
g. Results and task oriented disposition

These results were then compared to the leaderships expectations from the team. Greater
the convergence and alignment between leadership and the team on the current state and
the directions for movement, greater the power of focused deployment of energies, and
empowered, autonomous decisions and actions within the team. Gaps were identified,
developmental areas were prioritized and broken down and categories identified to
pinpoint where the greatest impact from team development efforts will be achieved.










3. Gap analysis: This was done to enhance understanding of the different roles for each job
position, identify the ones suitable for the different job positions and come up with action
items to address the themes agreed upon. As a next step, each member had to identify the
gaps based on the role selected. For e.g.: The below roles were identified for a team
member job position:
a. Self-developer
b. Team Player
c. Craftsperson

The roles would vary depending on the location as well. Onsite members would have
roles that require higher customer interaction.

4. Implementing improvement plan: Follow-up meetings were held at 6-8 week intervals
to monitor progress made as well as to identify areas of improvement using Demings
Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle. The Team Alignment tool was created in September
2005 with an aim of cascading the team alignment concept to the team member level in a
shorter span of time.

5. Next steps: The team now has a 30, 60, 90 day implementation plan for the same.
Incorporation of the three high priority action items arising from the team alignment
exercise, as goals in the team was contemplated. Additionally a PROPEL camp was
planned, to agree upon the steps to be taken to close the action items for each of the roles.

VALUE CARDS AT THE LARGE RELATIONSHIP

Value card for the relationship was a fallout of the analysis of tensions existing in the
four dimensions as represented by Voice of Customer, Strategy, Employee and
Technology.



A tool called Value Card was used to analyze the problems faced by the relationship in
relation to these tensions and to arrive at workable solutions to the identified problems,
within designated timeframes. The Value Card helped to effectively capture and track
this through the following steps:

The situation summary was charted out
Improvement goals, action plans and owners of each plan were identified
Success measures were identified against the dimensions of Valuing, Strategizing,
Improving, for each actionable, along with timeframe for closure.
Impact was analyzed in terms of short term and long-term actions.



Value Card deployment has substantially helped the relationship to retain its Account of
Choice status.

IMPROVEMENTS THROUGH MEASUREMENTS/ INITIATIVES:
EXCELLENCE AT THE LARGE RELATIONSHIP (AEP)

The Account excellence program (AEP) at the large relationship was modeled on the lines of the
Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award/Tata Business Excellence Model , which touches
upon 7 key categories viz leadership, Strategic Planning, Customer and market focus,
Measurement, Analysis and Knowledge Management, HR Focus, Process Management and
Business Results. This was aimed to help the relationship to evolve towards meeting changing
business needs with agility.






The AEP was initiated as a change driver & umbrella for business excellence initiatives in the
relationship to facilitate creation and balancing of value to all stakeholders employee,
shareholder, customer, supplier and society.

The AEP has also engendered a value creation framework encompassing quality, service, cost
and cycle time through setting benchmarks in the following:

Meeting all customer requirements
Minimizing processes variances
Reduction in Cost Of Quality
Elimination of waste
Enhanced Customer Support
Efficient Product Service
Flexibility to meet Customer demands & Market changes
Rework Reduction
Continuous Process Improvements
On-time delivery of major programs


Darpan - Reflect and Improve

With aggressive expansion and dispersion of ever-growing associate strength in the relationship,
communication or the lack of it, had emerged as one of the biggest bottlenecks in employee
motivation and managerial decision-making. In this context, an associate satisfaction survey at
relationship level christened Darpan, was initiated, with the objective to Reflect and Improve
at the relationship level through a better understanding of the explicit and implicit expectations
of associates.





A Questionnaire was used to collect the preliminary data, as a structured mechanism to capture
associate feedback across 5 categories: Career & Job, Communication, Culture & Pride,
Leadership and Supervisor.

The Survey comprised 20 questions related to leadership, communication, culture and pride,
career, supervisor, work environment, competency building, work-life balance etc. Interestingly,
the maximum number of questions revolved around the single most important entity - the
Supervisor. This was in consonance with several studies which reveal this as the pivotal factor
to associate satisfaction and aspiration.


Analysis of Darpan Results: Details such as experience within the relationship, designation,
gender and Business Unit (BU) were taken as the basis for analysis of survey results, to arrive at
focused findings. Analysis was done for the overall relationship, as well as individual Business
Units within the relationship. The results were then shared with the entire team and actionables
evolved through a series of camps and confluences.

The Cultural Perspective: Outcomes from Darpan

There was a distinct increase in the Associate Satisfaction Index (ASI) in Darpan 06, which,
interestingly, corresponded to an increase in Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) as well.
In the recent Darpan results, the following findings have emerged:

91 % of the team felt proud of being part of the relationship.
90% of the team felt that they are now able to see the big picture and know how their
contributions add value to the customers.
90% of the team felt that their supervisors are approachable for any kind of guidance and
enable them to do their job better.



Team building activities like cricket match, bowling, team lunches/dinners have been introduced
and the team members now feel valued and satisfied. As a result, the relationship attrition is
today, far lower than TCS Average.

A transparent culture was consciously encouraged in the relationship and strategic
communication was institutionalized through initiatives such as In Touch and periodic Town
halls. In November 2005, two PROPEL camps were organized with the help of branch HR to
address some of the areas of improvement for the relationship that figured in the Darpan results.
The next steps have been identified and shared with all the stakeholders. Account wide initiatives
have been introduced and owners and co-owners identified for the same.


Increased communication & sharing between Business Units was factored in, within the
relationship through introduction of a Newsletter and an internal portal called Parimas.

There is an increased awareness in the relationship with regard to different roles and what are the
gaps with respect to desired roles.

Further, there is heightened focus on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and a culture of Fun
at Work to enhance team spirit and camaraderie. The team is now better aligned, committed and
focused on agreed objectives.

Improved teamwork has resulted in greater project efficiencies, less hassle and improvement in
cost, schedule, quality et al resulting in higher Customer Satisfaction.






CONCLUSION: TCS -THE PARADIAGM SHIFT
Post OD Scenario:

Organizational Development interventions have been instrumental in terms of enhancing value to
the customer & employee at Tata Consultancy Services.

PROPEL as an organization wide intervention, encouraged sharing of ownership and
empowerment to change, as also the sharing of success stories and best practices across the
organization. Valuing of employees was institutionalized through establishing processes that
enable and enhance individual performance, and lead to empowered project teams.

Issue based mentoring was facilitated, with camps and confluences as enabling frameworks.
While confluences invested in personal transformation for the employee, camps invested in
improving the workspace.

Through Scenario building, a collective transformation of dreams and concerns into response
capabilities was envisaged. Continuous scanning of environment for opportunities and threats
was proactively looked at, to collectively map the business domain of TCS. Goal alignment
through cascading of Balanced Score Card concept could be achieved organization wide.

There was continuous investment in learning, and an active sharing of knowledge with the aim to
convert learning into action. Further, the focus shifted to adding knowledge through delighting
every customer. The earlier tendency of self-sacrificing hard work was replaced by a shift of
focus to teamwork and valuing of the employee. The OD interventions at TCS, helped push self-
imposed boundaries and limitations through challenging organizational boundaries and
limitations constantly.





In a nutshell, the OD interventions at TCS have helped build a culture of fostering systems
thinking & creating forums for dialogue, while encouraging leadership at all levels. For the
organization at large, OD helped to reiterate the merits of valuing enquiry, expressing differences
and constantly generating new knowledge.








CONCLUSION:
To summarize with the study of Organization Development and its effectiveness, Yes there is
need a OD program in an organization atleast once, so that the company as a whole can come up
with new and great strategies and can grow & develop to accomplish greater achievements.














BIBLOGRAPHY

ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT- FRENCH & BELL
ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT- WORLEY & CUMMINGS


WEBLIOGRAPHY
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organization_development
http://www.citehr.com/