EX/FO/051

Chartered Institute of Personnel Management Sri Lanka (Inc.)

Professional Qualification in Human Resource Management

NAME OF THE PROGRAMME : - ……………………………………………..…………….

SL 1 – SL 13 Organizational Development & Change

Management
TOPIC OF THE CASE STUDY : - ……………………..…………………………………….

Strategic Level 01
Level : - ……………………..…………………………………….

Pillar 08 - Organizational Development & Behavior

Pillar (No.) :- ……………………..…………………………………….

Index Number PQ/19/CL/303/21

Contact Number 0778285101

E-mail Sarikasenali@gmail.com

NIC No. 967963372V

Date of Submission 31st of August 2021

For Office Use Only:

1. Final Marks : ……………………….. LATE SUBMISSION

2. Remarks : ………………………… NO OF DAYS
(To be filled by the Examiner)

Date of Issue :01st January 2012 Revision No: 01 Date of Revision: 01st May 2019
Table of Contents
Acknowledgement ...........................................................................................................2
Executive Summary.........................................................................................................3
Introduction .....................................................................................................................4
Case Study Questions ......................................................................................................5
Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 14
References ..................................................................................................................... 16
Acknowledgement
First, I would like to thank CIPM organization for giving me this valuable opportunity to
prepare this case study. I would like to thank my lecturers who gave me the golden
opportunity to do this case study which also helped me doing a lot of research and from
which I came to know about so many new things. This case study is very important as it
helped me to understand the classroom learning in a practical environment and enhance
my practical knowledge. I also thank my parents and friends who gave their full, by
providing me valuable feedback and guidance to do this case study successfully and to
finalize the assignment within the limited time frame.
Executive Summary
The idea of this research is to look into and assess the function of organizational
development and change management, as well as their influence on the company. We
examine how internal change and growth may be used to help businesses react to the
environment.

This project conducts empirical research on Organization Development, which is an

accumulation of research and practice that aims to improve organizational performance
and personal growth by viewing the organization as a complex system of systems that exist
within a larger system, each with its own set of characteristics and degrees of
synchronization. In these systems, inclusive methods and technologies to strategy
planning, organization design, leadership development, change management, performance
management, coaching, diversity, and work/life balance are used.

This project also discusses the need of organizational development and change
management when two companies join. There are some systemic changes that must be
made and supported, and Organizational Development provides that viewpoint and set of
tools. However, when the merger takes place, there will be certain modifications that will
affect how employees must do their duties. And change management aids in those
particular transitions, ensuring that the efforts succeed, and the merger achieves its goals.
As a result, they're both achieving merger success on a systematic and individual level.
Introduction
Change is a continuous in our personal and working development, a thread intertwined.
National and worldwide events, the physical environment, the way businesses are formed
and run their businesses, political and economic challenges and solutions, and cultural
norms and values are all examples of change in our world and beyond. Changes that appear
to be far away influence us as the world grows more complicated and interconnected. As a
result, change may appear to occur often and at random periods. We are gradually
becoming conscious of how intertwined we are with one another and with the rest of the
planet. Organizations must also be aware of their holistic character and the manner in which
their members interact. Individuals and organizations have been compelled to view "the
broad picture" and be aware of how events influence them and vice versa as a result of the
tremendous quantity of change.

Organizational development (OD) is an area of study that examines how change impacts
organizations and the people who work in them. Organizational development that is
effective may help companies and individuals cope with change. To enhance
organizational functioning, strategies can be created to introduce deliberate change, such
as team-building initiatives. While change is unavoidable, there are a variety of approaches
to dealing with it, some of which are beneficial and others which are not. Organizational
development helps firms cope with the dynamic environment, both within and outside, by
implementing planned change initiatives.

For businesses and professions, organizational development is a relatively recent topic of

interest. While many companies have long supported and encouraged individual
professional growth, the phrase "organizational development" remains ambiguous.
Professional and organizational development share the same underlying principle, yet there
is a significant variation in focus. Professional development aims to boost an individual's
performance in the workplace, whereas organizational development focuses on measures
to boost a company's overall productivity, employee satisfaction, and environmental
responsiveness (Cummings & Huse, 1988). These objectives are met by a combination of
one-time interventions and continuing procedures focused at addressing specific
challenges.
Case Study Questions
Analyze the current situation at XYZ Solutions (Pvt) Ltd presented in the case study above
and prepare a report to be presented to the CEO to recommend appropriate solutions to the
issues stated.

Q. 01) According to your learnings on Organizational Behavior, XYZ Solutions

(Pvt) Ltd being a technology company, how can they effectively manage diversity?
This report identifies and discusses the most frequent issues that obstruct effective
outsourcing operations and, in particular, the modifications that are necessary to achieve
desired results.

The most common issue seen with XYZ solutions & ABC Software (AU Team) is a lack
of understanding. Simply put, neither team is operationally prepared to collaborate. As a
result, services aren't delivered, implementation efforts stop, client stakeholders and
service provider employees become upset, and the whole timeline for attaining promised
business advantages is pushed back.

The second key issue is that the XYZ Solution Team is too small. The local team is
insufficiently staffed to deal with the volume and complexity. Disagreements, competing
personalities, and ambiguous priorities are among the issues they confront. Because there
are fewer individuals to neutralize the impression of someone loud or abrupt, differences
are more noticeable. When someone insists on performing a task in a certain manner, even
if it is not the best method for the team, it can create an unpleasant atmosphere at work.

Another major challenge that the local team is dealing with is "Too Much to Do, Too Little
Time!" Small groups have a hard time getting things done. It's something the XYZ solution
team has seen several times. It's difficult to fit everything in with limited resources. Small
teams are also frequently made up of highly driven, devoted individuals who all want to
provide the finest service and goods to their consumers.

Because of the diversification, there is a communication problem. Language problems may

cause team members to communicate ineffectively and have difficulty understanding one
another. The inability to properly grasp instructions resulted in a considerable decrease in
production and team cohesion.
Another significant difficulty with the XYZ solution is time zone since they must function
on both local and AU time. This frustrates the staff, making it harder to complete the job
properly. Because they must concentrate on both training the newcomer and
communicating with the AU team, as well as executing the project without errors.

When you consider the difficulties listed above, you can see that the major difficulty with
the XYZ solution is diversity. Communication problems and a lack of understanding
between two teams. Communication between team members can be difficult when you
have a diverse workforce. Many members of the ABC organization may not speak English
as a first language. Sri Lanka, Australia, India, China, and the Philippines are among the
company's cultural diversities. As a result, their behavior and attitudes will change.

Various employees approach the same issue and present their thoughts in different ways
due to their diverse backgrounds and experiences. Employees who do so are highly
important to the company because they will continue to drive new ideas and uncover
problems. A large number of viewpoints, on the other hand, might make it difficult to
achieve an agreement. Among the multitude of other ideas, particularly inventive answers
to issues may slip undetected. Due to this decrease in productivity, having too many
viewpoints might jeopardize the organization's ability to meet tight deadlines.

Humans make judgments based on prejudices rather than facts and reasoning, as much as
we loathe to acknowledge it. Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, the ABC team will
base its decisions and judgments on unconscious biases in the XYZ solution. Employees
who question one other's abilities to execute their tasks might cause distrust. “They're not
like me, therefore I can't trust them,” or “They have no idea what they're doing,” are
prevalent beliefs.

Even if the ABC staff speaks English, understanding a variety of accents or idioms used
by native speakers might be challenging. Furthermore, effective cross-cultural
communication entails much more than simply speaking words. Nonverbal communication
is a sensitive and subtle aspect of cultural interaction that can lead to misunderstandings or
even anger among team members from other nations. Things like physical space, initiating
or sustaining eye contact, and gesture may all differ dramatically between cultures.
Colleagues from other cultures might bring with them a variety of attitudes, beliefs,
behaviors, and etiquette to the workplace. While these might be stimulating and even useful
in a varied professional setting, they can also lead to miscommunication and unpleasant
emotions among team members.

Now let's consider how to effectively manage this diversity.

All effective transformations necessitate changes in people and culture. Employees'

mindsets change as a result of changes in people and culture. People transformation is
limited to a few employees, such as sending a small group of middle managers to a
leadership training session. Training and development programs, as well as organizational
development, are two particular instruments that can help with the culture transformation
process (OD)

One of the most common methods for altering people's mindsets is training. A firm could
provide large groups of employees with training sessions on topics like collaboration,
diversity, emotional intelligence, quality circles, communication skills, and participatory
management.

It would be preferable to arrange a training session for both the ABC and XYZ teams, for
example. This will assist them in changing their mindset, and the team's attitudes will
impact others throughout the business, resulting in a shift in culture.

Organizational Development focuses on the individual and social elements of the

organization, attempting to alter employee perceptions and interactions in order to improve
the organization's ability to adapt and reinvent itself.

Organizational Development can help mitigate at least three types of problems

The failure of executives to establish if the administrative style and corporate culture of the
two firms are compatible is to blame for the project's unsatisfactory results.

Management should focus on possible synergies in technology, goods, marketing, and

communications mechanisms, but they often overlook the fact that two companies may
have massively different values, beliefs, and behaviors. Employees experience stress and
anxiety as a result of these disparities, and these unpleasant feelings have an implication
for future efficiency. During the purchase process, cultural diversity should be assessed,
and Organizational Development professionals may help with the integration of two
companies.

Low levels of trust, a lack of creativity, high turnover, and high levels of conflict and stress
are among challenges that organizations face throughout periods of decline and revival.
The phase of change necessitates opposing behaviors, such as dealing with stress and
fostering open communication. and encouraging the emergence of high-productivity
creative innovation by resolving disputes, OD methods may substantially aid cultural
revival. cultivating commitment and communication facilitation

To assist accomplish the goals, we can utilize a number of specific Organizational

Development approaches.

Team-building exercises : Organizational groups and teams benefit from team building
because it improves their coherence and performance. A series of OD activities, for
example, may be utilized with cross-departmental teams to assist them learn to behave and
operate as a unit. An organizational development specialist may assist colleagues
understand each other better, improve their capacity to face one another, and embrace
common goals.

Survey-Feedback Activities : Employees are given a questionnaire to fill out on their

organization's principles, atmosphere, involvement, leadership, and group cohesiveness.
An OD consultant interacts with groups of workers after the questionnaire is finished to
give feedback on their replies and the concerns highlighted. Employees are working on
data-driven problem resolution.

Diversity Training : It is critical that you explain to your staff the necessity of seeking
workplace diversity. Employees will be far more eager and patient during the change
initiative if they realize the benefits that diverse employees can offer to the company.
Arrange for diversity training so that employees may learn about the advantages and how
to treat their coworkers with respect. Don't get me wrong: diversity strategies should not
be hurried. You must devote time to building them in order to guarantee that you not only
achieve your objectives, but also that you are prepared to deal with any obstacles that may
occur.

Communicate the Company Values : Communicate your corporate values; resistant

workers will ultimately realize their values do not fit with those of their employer and will
quit. If you're worried about losing key personnel, keep in mind that excellent people who
share your values will help you achieve your goal and objectives.

Promote and facilitate in-person meetings : Although video conferencing is useful for
seeing and hearing others, they are not the same as face-to-face meetings. We should really
have AU team members visit our workplace on a regular basis. Empathy and a deeper
knowledge of each location's work environment, client demands, and micro-culture are
essential aspects of this travel.

Choose a time zone: It is preferable to choose the AU time zone because we are currently
working on an AU-based project, and it will not affect the work of both teams. This also
implies that all booked meetings and any other time references will always relate to the
same time zone, removing any potential for misunderstanding in any interactions.

When your business hours don't line up, it might be more difficult to build a solid working
connection, but the essential goals of management continue the same: to ensure that all
employees know they are a valuable member of the team.

Workplace diversity may bring beneficial improvements to your company, but it also has
the ability to present problems. While these difficulties can be annoying and harmful to
your company as a whole, they can be avoided. What matters most is how businesses can
include collaborative initiatives and connect employee’s development plans with the
company's goals in order to secure long-term viability.
Q. 02) Make your recommendations to the Directors of XYZ Solutions (Pvt) Ltd to
retain their employees by creating a stress-free work culture and creating Work Life
Balance.
According to the study, XYZ Solution's labor turnover has a substantial adverse effect
owing to the costs of finding, employing, and training a new employee, as well as the extra
hours needed of current employees until the company can fill the vacant job. On average,
a lost employee is expected to cost 6 to 9 months of income. Employee retention measures
are clearly necessary.

Employee turnover is a big issue, and many variables at work contribute to this, such as a
high-pressured work environment, communication issues, and other sweeping changes in
the workplace, among others.

My suggestions on employee retention are as follows: The following actionable will assist
XYZ solution in reducing staff turnover and retaining talent in order to run the business.

But first, let's go over the most crucial concept in all of these retention techniques.

You must really care about your staff in order to keep and engage them. A lack of empathy
or appreciation for your workers will be overcome by no plan.

1. Provide more positive Feedback. - Employees should receive positive feedback

on a regular basis to keep them motivated and determined to perform their best
work. However, constructive, and corrective criticism is also necessary, especially
when a problem has to be addressed right away. As time goes on, become more
conscious of how many negative remarks you make to your staff vs how many good
ones you make. Increase the number of positive comments to six for every bad
remark.
2. Foster Respect in the Workplace - People now, more than ever, want to be treated
with respect at work. They don't want to feel undervalued or inconsequential in the
workplace, which may occur when there is a lack of respect. Many of the methods
recommended on this list, including as feedback, acknowledgment, promoting
innovation, cooperation, and so on, can help to build a culture of respect. It's also
 critical to provide your entire team with the information and resources they require
and showing kindness and consideration may go a long way.
3. Give your employees an opportunity to grow - You may create a compelling
motivation for your team members to stay for the long term by promoting from
within and creating a training program, or by utilizing outside resources and tools
(such as seminars, books, online courses, and videos, and so on). These efforts are
viewed by employees as an investment in "their" future.
4. Provide adequate rest periods for your employees - It's critical to give
appropriate rest times for employees if you want to keep them. This will aid in the
reduction of stress and sick days.
5. Offer a competitive base salary or hourly wage - Your employees want to believe
that the time and effort they put in at work is worthwhile. Money isn't everything
when it comes to employee retention but giving a competitive salary may make
your employees feel valued for their work and time. Your employees must be able
to meet their living expenses and feel like they are performing worthwhile work.

Many companies have high standards for their staff. Workers, on the other hand, may have
less time for personal care, leisure activities, and family. Your team members will perform
better at work if they are well-rested and have enough time to care for themselves and their
families.

Action Step : find employees in your team who are overworked. Give them some time off
or take everyone for a walk outside the workplace. Examine how your work schedule
enables you to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Encourage managers to prioritize productivity above hours worked - Encourage managers

to focus on the accomplishment of a specific job rather than the number of hours they labor.
Employees may be required to work long hours on certain days to accomplish a job, but
this is balanced out by days when they are not required to work a full eight-hour day.

Examine your job assignments to verify that everyone has a manageable burden. You'll
need to become familiar with the methods for assigning work. What appears to
management to be a little activity might take a person a day to complete. Managers who
communicate with their staff on a regular basis will be aware of who is overworked and
stressed, as well as who has spare capacity. Request that your employees tell you whether
they are overworked, underworked, or have spare capacity on a regular basis.

Although companies cannot provide their employees a 100 percent work-life balance,
individuals must take some responsibility for changing their attitudes toward work and
home life.

You can boost employee engagement by assisting them in finding the ideal balance
between work and home. This offers a lot of advantages. When your employees are
engaged, they are more likely to go the additional mile for you and become devoted brand
and product champions.

We are all aware that excessive stress is harmful to one's health, and we are also aware that
XYZ solution employees have begun to leave the firm as a result of the high level of stress.
The impacts of burnout on corporate performance are less well-known. Stress increases the
likelihood of individuals quitting their employment by nearly three times, hinders strategic
thinking, and dulls creative talents.

Employees are at risk of going into fight-or-flight mode when they are put in a high-stress
position, whether it is due to unclear expectations, unrealistic deadlines, or a frantic work
environment. When we are threatened, our bodies react in this way. Our ability to think
long term, strategize, and create declines when the primitive, more emotional areas of our
brain take over. We become burned out if we stay in this mindset for too long. To
counteract this, create a safe work atmosphere and include stress-reduction practices into
your team's regular routines.

To begin, make your intentions known by setting specific goals for your staff. Second,
ensure that everybody feels heard, and that everyone understands that you want their
opinion heard. You may do this by encouraging individuals to speak up at meetings and
holding brainstorming sessions rather than imposing top-down choices. Third, create a
work atmosphere that is both stimulating and safe. Make it clear that it's alright to fail.
Recognize team members who think outside the box and get input from your colleagues on
a regular basis to demonstrate that you're all in this together.
Increased employee interaction, or the strength of an employee's mental and emotional
connection to their workplace, has many positive effects, including reduced stress,
improved health, and job satisfaction, as well as increased productivity, job retention, and
profitability, according to decades of data.

Be Transparent - If your employees are unsure how their job relates to and supports both
short- and long-term corporate goals, they will simply become more agitated and less
productive, especially during uncertain times. Part of your job entails assisting people in
seeing the broader picture, or the role they play in assisting the organization in achieving
its bigger objectives. You may not be able to share everything with your team, but you can
give them proper knowledge they need to understand how their job contributes to the
company's purpose. If they ask why you can't tell them something, be honest. You wish to
alleviate the anxiety that uncertainty brings.

Create a culture of recognition. Recognizing team members' hard work and

accomplishments in public reduces stress and enhances emotions of connection and
belonging.

It is true that your workplace environment has an impact on the physical, social, and mental
health. It is absolutely worth making the most of the influence it has on your life.
Conclusion
Workplace diversity may bring beneficial improvements to your company, but it also has
the ability to present problems. While these difficulties can be annoying and harmful to
your company as a whole, they can be avoided. There will always be obstacles when
individuals get together to work together. However, because we now have access to so
many tools and procedures, as well as a wealth of information, there is always a solution
to solve these typical issues. What matters most is how businesses can include collaborative
initiatives and connect employee’s development plans with the company's goals in order
to secure long-term viability.

Managers have a unique position in the company, with the power and ability to make
changes that promote a stress-free work environment. Those in positions of leadership owe
it to the workers below them to ensure that they do all possible to provide a helpful and
stress-free workplace for everybody. And, while they strive to put the report's ideas into
action, they should keep in mind that there is one common thread that runs through them
all.

It's the fact that workplace stress dynamics are heavily influenced by communication.
Much of the wrong sort of communication may cause stress, but the right kind of
communication at the right time can provide managers the information they need to make
necessary adjustments to the workflows and environments under their control. Managers
may assist everyone in their care perform to their full potential while avoiding negative
consequences such as staff burnout, absenteeism, and low engagement by making these
efforts.

Finally, the best advises any company can do to help create a stress-free workplace is to
care a little bit more about the people they manage than the outcomes they generate. It's
almost certain that by doing so, they'll end up with happier employees who consistently
fulfill objectives.

Employees who feel more in control and ownership of their life have better connections
with management and are able to leave work concerns at work and personal ones at home.
Employees who are well-balanced are much more engaged and less stressed at work, which
enhances business production and decreases disputes between coworkers and management.

Companies that cultivate a reputation for promoting work-life balance have become highly
appealing to employees, and they will attract a valuable pool of applicants for new job
opportunities. These businesses also have better staff retention rates, which means less time
spent on training, greater loyalty, and more in-house knowledge.

Overall, encouraging employees to be self-aware of their own personalities and inclinations

is vital since some people are more prone to imbalances than others. Emphasize the need
of constantly assessing one's objectives to discover what provides pleasure, inner peace,
and balance via your words, actions, and example. Empowering your workers to take
charge of their work and personal life may have a significant influence on their job
happiness and performance, allowing you to focus on what's best for your business.
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