BA 204 - Assignment # 1

ESSAY:

1. What is a good working definition of OD? (10 pts)

A good working definition of organizational development states that

organizational development is a vital and science-based mechanism that helps
organizations grow their capacity to improve and achieve greater effectiveness by
creating, enhancing, and reinforcing strategies, systems and processes.
It is stressed in this concept that it is a structured and evidence-based
procedure. It's not a case of doing something and seeing what happens. It's all about
incorporating research results as feedback and establishing a formal and regulated
process for testing assumptions. It's all about determining if the results are consistent
with the intervention's goals.
The aim of organizational development is to improve the effectiveness of the
organization. As a result, it has a variety of outcomes. Financial efficiency, customer
satisfaction, organizational member participation, and increased capacity to adapt and
refresh the company are all examples of these. These aren't always obvious. It's
sometimes about gaining a competitive advantage, in whatever sense the term is used.
As a result, organizational development is critical to ensuring effective growth and long-
term viability. It is the method of controlling the activities of people within an
organization to increase the overall effectiveness of that organization. However, it is
critical to have processes in place that allow for successful change implementation and
planning, as well as the analysis of actual data that can be used to implement further
change.
Lastly, organizational development, according to the final part of our description,
refers to changes in policy, structure, and/or processes. This necessitates a systemic
approach in which we concentrate on the whole organizational structure. The entire
company, one or more sites, or a single department may be included.

2. Explain how team building activities can help improve effectiveness of the organization.
(20 points)

Over the last few years, we've seen companies move away from competitive
work environments and toward environments where employee teamwork and
cooperation are seen as critical to company success. As a result of this change, an
increasing number of businesses are engaging in regular team-building activities. These
activities can range from a quick problem-solving activity to a multi-day retreat.
Although some people view team building as a fun way to get away from work, it serves
a serious purpose and that is it helps organizations boost their productivity by
developing the skills and knowledge of their employees.
In a variety of ways, team building can help improve employee morale and foster
a strong company culture. When a group of workers completes a team bonding exercise
successfully, they gain energy and feel better about themselves. It boosts employees'
trust in their own and their teams' abilities, as well as demonstrating that the company
is willing to invest in them. This inspiration would eventually become their incentive to
effectively complete their duties and responsibilities.
 Furthermore, one of the most common aims of team building is to increase
productivity. Employees will work more efficiently if they are encouraged to learn to
work together more effectively and avoid duplication of effort. Workloads may be shared
between groups. This ensures that if one team member has less work, he or she will
assist another team member in finishing their work. This helps the project to be
completed more quickly, increasing efficiency and enhancing the company's overall
results. Team building increases not only individual efficiency but also the productivity of
the enterprise. Individuals can learn new skills and improve their current ones when
they work in groups. This boosts team productivity and efficiency, allowing more work to
be done in less time. As a result, when companies meet their goals and perform their
best, they will produce more sales.
Another significant advantage of team building is increased employee
collaboration. Knowing who has the skills or who can respond to a problem when it
occurs, trusting them and their expertise, and being able to reach out to that person
when you need it are all part of collaboration. Employees will create relationships and
establish networks of connections outside of their day-to-day job by developing
experiences that people enjoy and can experience as a community. This can benefit
them in the future. Teams must be able to trust one another in order to work together.
That they may depend on one another in an emergency. Furthermore, as teams develop
confidence, they allow each other the freedom and autonomy to complete tasks and
make their own decisions. They are more proactive in their proposals, taking chances,
listening to one another, and finally reaching an agreement. As a result, there is more
teamwork and coordination, and team members aren’t afraid to expose their
vulnerabilities with each other.
To run a successful company focused on creativity and innovation, you'll need to
hire people with a variety of backgrounds and skills to "cross-pollinate" the organization
with new ideas. Unusual team-building activities enable workers to use their
imaginations to come up with innovative strategies, and they send the message that
innovation in the workplace, as well as bouncing ideas off one another, is encouraged.
Employees who are part of a successful team are more likely to learn from one another
and draw on one another's strengths. When opposed to working on a project alone,
collaboration allows for new insights and ideas. It brings together personal experiences
with fresh, creative ideas, making work more enjoyable and productive. As a result,
everybody will contribute something new to the discussion and learn from one another.
And the business should use and innovate these new ideas in order to increase the
company's efficiency.
Improved contact between employees is perhaps the most important advantage
of a well-planned team building operation. Employees will get to know one another
better, gain a better understanding of one another, and break down barriers of distrust
by allowing people to reflect on what they have in common rather than their differences
through enjoyable, pleasant experiences. Team building exercises can help to foster
teamwork and confidence, as well as increase morale, cultivate strengths, and overcome
weaknesses. They must, however, serve a specific function and be well-planned in order
to have a true effect, rather than just having a pleasant day away from the office.
While it is clear that recruiting the right workers is important, it is also clear that
selecting good people for the business is not the only way to achieve success. Helping
workers work well together will improve the company's bottom line while also reducing
organizational pressure, preventing good people from leaving, assisting the company in
solving issues more quickly than would otherwise be feasible, and even resulting in the
development of new products and/or services that will move the company further into
the future. Collaboration between teams fosters workplace creativity and innovation.
Employees are more communicative and collaborative. This boosts their productivity and
quality, reduces tension and misunderstandings, and encourages people to be more
respectful of one another. People begin to be remembered, which motivates them and
others to produce even more and better results in the future. This boosts the company's
overall profitability while also encouraging a constructive and inspiring organizational
culture.