Introduction to

Organization Development and Change

Ranjeet Nambudiri
Indian Institute of Management, Indore

7/19/2022 1
 Levels / Units of Analysis in an Organization and
alignment of Behavioral Sciences studies

The Individual – personality / traits / motivation / stress

perception / competencies

The Group – group decisions / conflict in groups / dynamics

/ norms and culture

The organization – structure / organizational culture

/ managing change and internal processes

HRM – application of behavioral science

Leadership and Organizational Development

(Management of Change) 2
Objectives and scope

• Focuses on the Human side of Change Management

– Role of the Change Agent or OD Consultant
• Managing People
• Processes

• Emphasis is on the group as the unit of analysis

• Practice-academic orientation
• Culture due-diligence (models of analysis) v culture change
process (OBII?)

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Session Exercise / Case Learning objective

1&2 OD Consultant Diagnostics, Expectation setting, Forces for and

TGIF against change (Force Field Model)
3 Roaring Dragon Hotel Challenges of planned change (Harvey
and Brown) , Models of planned change
4 Jess Westerley / AW Limited Resistance to change (O’ Çonnor model)

5 ODC styles / Grayson Practitioner styles / OD process

6&7 The Young Woman Diagnosis of a group (sociogram) / of

an Organization (Competing Values)
8&9 Sigma Computers Process Consulting

10 Datavision / Simmons Designing and implementing group

level interventions

4
Session Exercise / Case Learning objective

11 OCAI Diagnosis of Organizational Culture

12 C & B / Sonoco Designing and implementing

organizational level interventions
13 NIL Briefing

14 & 15 National Instrumentation Limited Designing and Implementing change

5
Evaluation

• In Class Evaluation – 20 %
– Class participation (on a scale of 0-4)
– Peer CP
– In-class exercises / Quizzes based on cases and group activities

• Case Analysis – 20 % (Any one or more case – best score)

• Group Learning Paper – 20 %

• End Term – 40 %

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Coverage

• Definitional issues

• OD and other forms of planned change

• OD: History

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Definitions

• Warner Burke
• OD is a planned process of change in an organization’s culture through the
utilization of behavioral science technology, research, and theory
• Focus: Culture as the target of change

• Wendell French
• OD refers to a long-range effort to improve an organization’s
problem-solving capabilities and its ability to cope with changes in its
external environment with the help of behavioral science consultants
or change agents
• Focus: Use of consultants, long-term transformation

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Definitions

• Richard Beckhard
• OD is an effort (1) planned, (2) organization-wide, and (3) managed from
the top, to (4) increase and organization’s effectiveness and health, through,
(5) planned interventions in the processes, using behavioral science knowledge
• Focus: OD process per se

• Micheal Beer
• OD is a system wide process of data collection, diagnosis, action planning,
intervention, and evaluation aimed at, (1) enhancing congruence among
organization structure, process, strategy, people and culture;
(2) developing or creating organizational solutions; and (3) developing the
organization’s self-renewing capacity. It occurs through the
Collaboration between organizational members and change agents, using
behavioral science theory, research and technology
• Focus: OD process

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Definitions

• Worley and Feyerherm – for a process to be classified as OD it should

• Focus on or result in change of some aspect of the organizational system

• Must be learning or transfer of knowledge or skill in the client system

•Must be evidence or intention of improving effectiveness of the client system

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Definitions

• Common themes:
• System wide (part or whole)
• Use of behavioral science knowledge
• Improve organizational effectiveness
• Build capacity to change
• Problem solving capability, capability to cope with change, health,
self-renewing capacity, processes etc.

• Cummings and Worley

• OD is a system wide application, and transfer of behavioral science
knowledge to the planned development, improvement and reinforcement
of the strategies, structures and processes that lead to organizational
effectiveness

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What OD is not

• Micro approach – does not concern with changing an individual

• More than a single technique – uses multiple techniques, like TQM, Job enrichment etc.

• Not adhoc or random changes – based on systematic diagnosis leading to specific change
efforts

• Aimed at more than just raising morale or attitude

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OD : Need

• Environment: Change in way businesses are run

• Global operations
• Technology and Innovation
• Competition

•Organizations faced with

• Greater complexity
• Uncertainty

• OD facilitates
• Organizations to cope with changing conditions and responsiveness

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OD : Need

Competition Global / Networked

Uncertainty environment

Organizations of today
-Faster
-Quality oriented
--Employee friendly
-- Customer centric
-- Leaner
New technology
New products Changing demands
Of consumers

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History

T groups

Action research / Survey feedback

Normative approaches

QWL / self-managed groups

Strategic change

1950
2000s

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Model for OD

Stage 1
Anticipate need
For change Stage 2
Stage 5 Develop the
Self-renewal, Practitioner-client
Monitor relationship
Stabilize

Stage 4
Action plans, Stage 3
Strategies, Diagnostic phase
Techniques

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Planned change

• OD is directed at bringing about planned change to increase and organization’s

effectiveness and the ability to cope with changing conditions

• Organizations go for planned change to,

• solve problems
• learn from experience
• reframe shared perceptions or assumptions
• adapt to external environment changes,
• improve performance
• Theories of planned change
• Lewin’s model
• Action research model, and
• Positive model

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Lewin’s Change Model

Unfreezing

Movement

Refreezing

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Source: Cummings and Worley , 8e (2007:23) 18
Lewin’s Force-Field Theory of Change

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Source: Cummings and Worley , 8e (2007:23) 19
Forces for and against

• For
• External (Competition, Legislation, Customers, Technology etc.)
• Dissatisfaction with the present situation (poor performance)
• Innovation / Idea generation (Culture)
• (Motivation by) Top management

• Against
• Inertia – why change it if it ain’t broken / poor timing (Individual and
Organizational – Culture-based) WILLINGNESS
• Unknown – Loss security, competency, need for security, lack of support, feeling of
being alone, lack of confidence to handle the new situation (Individual)
• Personal agenda – Loss of control (Individual)
• Routine / Embeddedness (Structural) (Individual and organizational) -
ABILITY
• WIIFM syndrome (Individual)

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 Action Research Model – Problem Solving

Trigger
Joint diagnosis

Consultation with a
behavioral scientist Joint action planning

Data gathering & Action

preliminary diagnosis

Data gathering after

Feedback to Client action

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Source: Cummings and Worley , 8e 21
 Appreciative Inquiry - Positivist

Envision
Initiate the inquiry
preferred future

Inquire into Design and deliver

Best practices ways to create the future

Discover themes

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Source: Cummings and Worley , 8e 22
 Comparison of
Planned Change Models

• Similarities
– Change preceded by diagnosis or preparation
– Apply behavioral science knowledge
– Stress involvement of organization members
– Recognize the role of a consultant
• Differences
– General vs. specific activities
– Problem-solving vs. social constructionism

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 General Model of Planned Change

Planning Evaluating
Entering and and
into an Diagnosing Implementing Institutionalizing
OD contract Change Change

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Source: Cummings and Worley , 8e 24
 Factors affecting planned change efforts

• Magnitude of Change
– Incremental (e.g., decision making process within a workgroup)
– Quantum (significant alteration in the way an organization works)
• Degree of Organization
– Over-organized (bureaucracy)
– Under-organized (projects)
• Domestic vs. International Settings

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 Critique of Planned Change

• Conceptualization of Planned Change

– Change need not be linear
– Change may not always be rational
– The relationship between change and performance is unclear
• Practice of Planned Change
– Quick fixes vs. development approaches

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 Thank you for your time and attention

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