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Identify Organisational Needs, Formulate an Intervention, and Outline How it Could be

Implemented and Evaluated.

Amy Jones

R2103D1201543

Work Psychology

34209

October 9, 2022
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The sustainability and productivity of an organisation is undoubtedly dependent on the

abilities and motivation of its employees. This is because an organisation is only able to function

effectively because of the people who work there. Be it the staff members in managerial

positions or the administrative directors or custodians, each individual serves a purpose that leads

to the effective day-to-day operations of the organisation as a whole. Due to the increasing

competition in the world today, employers believe their staff should perform more and more

tasks. Employees, therefore, lament having “too much work and too little time” at a certain point

as technology allows fewer people to complete more work in less time. The best and brightest

start to update their resumes as absenteeism increases, tempers flare, and performance quality

starts to decline (Brightman & Moran, 2001). Just like human needs, organisational needs are

paramount. How employees feel, how they are treated, and how they are financially

compensated determines their output and overall productivity.

In areas where organisations do not perform at their optimal potential, organisations

typically respond to employee complaints in highly predictable ways (Brightman & Moran,

2001). They are known to reactively respond to fixing problems rather than proactively creating

ongoing, continual solutions that mitigate these problems. This can be seen in some hurried

efforts to hastily create training programmes in the interim that do not meet organisational needs

and, as a result, fail to enhance and maintain organisational sustainability. Instead of short-term

training sessions that fail to truly address the problems and the needs of the workforce,

organisations can instead use a method for accumulating, understanding, and rectifying the

long-term needs of employees and the organisation as a whole.

According to Holloway et al. (2018), organisations should exercise caution when

responding to issues with how their workforces function as a whole and when implementing
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training programmes, which are occasionally unstructured training sessions. These authors

hypothesised that unplanned, pointless reactions to organisational shortcomings would end up

being what causes their problem list to increase. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to

formulate an intervention plan to assist a pseudo-organisation who have sought assistance from

an Industrial Psychologist. The author will discuss the name and type of the organisation, their

challenges, needs, an outline of the chosen intervention plan to be implemented, and its

evaluation. Additionally, relevant theories and empirical findings, as it relates to the proposed

intervention, strengths, challenges, and ethical considerations will also be highlighted.

To begin this paper, one must understand that each person is driven to work and

contribute to their organisation as a whole when they feel their needs are being addressed. A

person’s dedication, perseverance, and laser-like focus on completing a goal can be explained by

these motivational factors. (Robbins & Judge, 2009). Employee motivation enhances output and

job happiness in addition to having a long-term, favourable effect on the success of the company

(Kurr, 2013). This indicates that companies must make sure that workers feel motivated and that

their organisational needs are addressed for an effective and productive work environment. The

theories to be utilised in this essay are McClelland’s theory of Manifest Needs and Maslow’s

Hierarchy of Needs.

Firstly, Taormina (2009) stated that theories such as Murray’s Theory of Manifest Needs

(1938) and McClelland’s application of the theory to Management (1961) are significant

contributions to the field of research in motivating needs. These theories, along with

McClelland’s theory of Manifest Needs and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, have established the

groundwork for comprehending intrinsic requirements and the methods by which employees

might satiate these needs. In McClelland’s theory of needs, it was stated that employees desire to
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feel the following three (3): Achievement, Power, and Affiliation. These, he classified, as their

most important needs; these needs, as explained by Mc Clelland, are explicit to all employees

and unless they are met, do not create a productive and satisfying work environment for

employees. For achievement, he emphasised that many people think they must accomplish a

specific milestone or objective in order to flourish at work and feel accomplished. Werdhiastutie

et. al (2020) added that achievement motivation is very strongly tied to success or individual

excitement in accomplishing a goal or success. As a result, motivation differs depending on how

strong one’s needs for success are.

Moreover, power, as a need, is a desire to hold authority and to have influence over

others. Power-motivated individuals are motivated by a desire to influence, instruct, or uplift

others. They might approach group labour in a zero-sum manner, wherein for one person to

achieve or win, another must fail or lose. If used properly, this can function to advance group

objectives and increase group morale (Osemeke & Adegboyega, 2017). Power intentions can be

expressed in both positive and negative ways (Werdhiastutie et. al, 2020) and might be either

personal—wanting to rule others—or institutional—wanting to guide others. In contrast, the

need for affiliation is the drive to establish and preserve solid, long-lasting social ties. People

who are motivated by affiliation want approval and acceptance. They, according to Nayeril &

Jafarpour (2014), strive for a coordinated relationship and social harmony. They are willing to

follow the group’s rules and keep their opinions to themselves. They are trying to project a good,

respectable image. When people affirm them and accept them, they get inspired and motivated to

do more.

Secondly, additional to McClelland’s theory, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs listed the

following as essential to human survival: Physiological needs (food, clothing, and shelter),
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safety, love and belonging needs, esteem, and self-actualisation. These needs on this level can be

understood as a need for restrooms, a comfortable working environment, and a secure, hygienic

dining area, among other things. People should feel secure in their working environment, and

they should demand that all Occupational Safety and Health regulations be observed and put into

practice. Celik et al (2016) quoted Balci (1990) who summarised the needs of the employee

within organisational structures. It was stated that the needs of individual employees include

physical, spiritual, and organisational necessities as well as those for sustaining existence in

terms of earning a living.

For some, an initial criteria for entry into an organisation is the desire to manage in a

hierarchical structure. Both internal and external elements, like self-respect, independence, and

success, have a role. Every person has the urge to be respected, which includes having

self-respect and self-esteem. They want to be regarded and accepted by others (Osemeke &

Adegboyega, 2017) and recognised for the work they have done. This explains that for most, it

is expected that during their time of employment, the opportunity will arise for contribution to

the holistic development of the organisation and upward movement within the organisational

structure. This, according to Balci (1990), is a need and motivates employees throughout their

tenure within the organisation. These needs, however, are also based on the organisational

culture which are described by Moorhead & Griffin, (2010) as a collection of values which aid

employees in understanding what behaviours are deemed inappropriate inside a certain

organisation.

Discussion

The separation of diagnosis and intervention is a significant conceptual problem in

change management, according to Schein (1999) as quoted by Reed (2006), and action research
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concepts are crucial in this process. When requirements are recognised in an organisation for a

need for change, intervention plans must be created; however, the plans that are implemented

must take into account the needs of both the employees and the organisation as a whole.

Herrera-Sánchez et al. (2017) quoted León-Pérez et al. (2016) who expressed that the selected

intervention strategies to be utilised to effect change must be theory-driven or built on a

foundation of presumptions and mechanisms that explain how and why it is intended to bring

about deliberate changes in organisational contexts.

As stated by Baylor University (n.d.), Organisational Development interventions (OD)

are a series of sequential, planned actions or events designed to help an organisation become

more effective. They intentionally destabilise the status quo and represent conscious efforts to

move an organisation or division in the direction of a new, more efficient state. These may

acquire the form of data collection, discussions or training intended to hone existing abilities or

acquire new ones. The expected outcome of these interventions is that the values, norms, or

culture of organisations may be impacted positively and promote change.

OD interventions can be placed into four categories: human process interventions at an

individual, group, and systemic levels, technological and structural interventions that change

systemic innovation and framework, human resources interventions that enhance member

performance, and strategic change interventions that manage the organisation’s relationships with

its external environment and internal processes (Cummings and Worley, 2009 as quoted by

Chandrasekari & Velusamy, 2017). Moreover, as noted by Kompier et al. (2000), the

effectiveness of any intervention is dependent more on the method of implementation than it is

on the intervention’s actual content. For the purpose of this discussion, the human processes OD

intervention strategy will be utilised.

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To design and outline the intervention, the author of this essay has created a

pseudo-organisation, a fictitious business is an advertising firm called “Johnson-Johnson & Co.”

Due to the high staff turnover rate and frequent absenteeism, an industrial psychologist’s services

have been required. Within this organisation, there is a chasm between management and lower

level employees since it has been perceived that management is mistreating workers and is

uncompassionate to them. Recently, the management of Johnson-Johnson & Co. received a letter

from the staff’s union, detailing challenges expressed to them by the organisation’s employees.

They added that there is little to no harmony among workers and are of the belief that

supervisors pin staff against each other. The employees added that they get the job done but little

to no praise is given to motivate them. There is no sight of upward mobility within the

organisation; employees stay in their same positions for years without salary increases to reflect

the positive results from their yearly appraisals.

Moreover, staff have complained about lack of security measures as many organisational

safety and health regulations and policies have been disregarded or not implemented altogether.

In response to this, management stated that it is of the opinion that its employees are taking

advantage of the freedom within the company and the leniency that sometimes exists.

Management has expressed that they have attempted training sessions but these sessions were

not well received and little to no change was realised. The intervention of a Psychologist was

therefore requested to mitigate these challenges.

To begin formulating this intervention, the author utilised the summary of the four (4)

basic ways in which intervention can be realised, as highlighted by the University of South

Wales (n.d.). These are: the assessment phase, planning/ search phase, implementation phase,

and the evaluation phase. Firstly, in the assessment phase, the objective of the Psychologist will
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be to identify what must be changed or differently performed; this will be done through a needs

analysis/ assessment. A needs assessment, according to the APA Dictionary, identifies particular

areas that should be the focus of a programme for staff training. The three (3) main areas of these

analyses—(a) personnel knowledge, skills, and capacities; (b) task requirements; and (c)

organisational needs—are the main points of emphasis. The organisation can decide whether or

not to take action in order to address the identified needs by gathering this information. This data

will be collected through various means such as questionnaires and anonymous forms.

In this next stage, the Industrial Psychologist will focus on the planning/ searching stage

for the proper intervention. She will complete the necessary search and research; this will be

done to ascertain the success rate of other strategies that have been put into practice and have

produced favourable outcomes. This is necessary since the validity and reliability of an

intervention strategy can be determined through research as it is evidence-based. In her research,

the Psychologist may discover findings like research done by Spears & Parker (2002), as quoted

by Vijay & Indradevi (2017), that have determined that the likelihood of employees being

unhappy with their performance appraisal process was found to be decreased by new employee

training, internal training, and support for ongoing education. It was further determined by these

authors that improving training programs, providing better support, and providing targeted

feedback can boost employee satisfaction. Additionally, the impacts of training on performance

in service organisations were researched by Del-Valle et. al. (2009). The study’s objective was to

ascertain whether service organisations’ investments in employee training had any bearing on

their financial performance. Nine years’ worth of data were collected. The results confirmed the

impact of training initiatives on business performance. (Vijay & Indradevi, 2017).

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Next, over a given time-period, the Psychologist will work along with the entire

management and staff to implement the intervention plan, for the purpose of eliminating

verbalised challenges and helping them cope more effectively when new challenges arise. Miller

(2020) underlined that management must create a comprehensive and practical plan for

implementing change when a company is prepared to do so. Any unknowns or potential

obstacles during implementation should be taken into consideration in the plan. When these

measures have been put in place and the implementation is complete, the Industrial Psychologist

will give the organisation a time-period of six (6) months to evaluate the effectiveness of the

intervention process. The length of this intervention can vary on the size and needs of the

organisation as a whole. Focus must be placed on team building exercises which will strengthen

the overall morale and unite the organisation. This intervention should be tailored to match

individuals within “Johnson-Johnson & Co.” and typically focus on fostering interpersonal

communication. (Himani, n.d.). In the long-term, it is impossible and unwise to neglect the

employee’s and the organisation’s health. If this is taken into account, both the business and the

individual will benefit—increased productivity levels, creativity, and long-term success for the

organisation and work happiness, security, best-possible personal growth, and best-possible

integration for all (Schein, 1978).

In the next stage, the Psychologist will utilise evaluation methods as tools for continual

learning and enhancement and train the organisation. Evaluation is required to determine whether

the training is accomplishing its goals and to learn how to enhance the programme. If the

intervention’s intended result was not achieved, the Psychologist along with the organisation

must evaluate the result and create a new strategy that will take the desired change into account.

This can therefore be achieved through the use and consideration of the Transtheoretical model
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of change and the organisational development change stages (White & Wooden, 1983).

Moreover, Himani (n.d.) proposed that examining how well the intervention plan has fit within

the selected organisation and considering any needed modifications is critical.

It is without doubt that the proposed intervention has its strengths and challenges. One of

its noted strengths is that the strategies utilised are geared specifically at the goals of

Organisational Psychology. These goals include understanding the causes, processes, and

purposes of work performance, analysing employee and supervisor relationships and interactions

as well as attitudes, norms, and beliefs, and researching human behaviour in the workplace

(Week 1: Work Psychology, n.d.).

Secondly, this intervention is inclusive of both employee and management input and

requires a level ground in the responses given. Its use of anonymity protects the rights of

workers who may feel reluctant to share true feelings for fear of victimisation. Thirdly, the

intervention calls for ongoing monitoring. Rather than leaving the organisation to cope on its

own, it makes use of the psychologist’s ongoing skills until the bulk of concerns have been

identified and corrected. An unfortunate flaw, however, is that it will be costly and would require

the financial compensation of the Psychologist every time additional changes must be made to

the intervention and implementation process.

Equally important, it goes without saying that in such an intervention plan, ethical

considerations must be taken into account during the processes.. Firstly, the consent of

participants is vital. According to the code of ethics of the British Psychological Society,

Psychologists have a duty to be responsible with the knowledge they gather. They ought to use

their knowledge and abilities responsibly and have regard for the welfare of the people they work

with (BPS, 2018). For example, the information gathered from “Johnson-Johnson & Co.” must
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not be used to exploit the management or organisation as a whole for financial gain.

Additionally, misuse of data is a significant area of ethical concerns in organisational change. It

happens when the client system’s confidentiality or voluntary permission are compromised or

violated. If sensitive information has been shared to the Psychologist by “Johnson-Johnson &

Co.”, it must not be disseminated with the use of the organisation’s name unless consent has been

given both verbally and written. Data can be used to penalise individuals or organisations,

leading to harm to the individual, the organisation, or others (White & Wooten, 1983).

Additionally, compassion, understanding, and sympathy must also be stated along with respect

for one’s privacy and the utmost confidentiality in situations where people reveal personal

information that could have an impact on them in their professional context (BPS, 2018). By

doing so, the Industrial Psychologist fosters an environment where the participants within

“'Johnson-Johnson & Co.” feel safe to actively participate in this organisational development

intervention process.

Conclusion

The purpose of this essay was to identify organisational needs, formulate an intervention, and

outline how this plan could be implemented and evaluated. The information accumulated

throughout this essay demonstrated that organisations must pay close attention to the needs of its

employees. To do so, organisations can adopt a strategy for compiling, comprehending, and

addressing the long-term needs of both individuals and the organisation. The author of this essay

utilised Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and McClelland’s theory of Manifest Needs to highlight

what employees’ needs were. Maslow described these needs as Food, clothes, housing, safety,

love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization while McClelland saw these needs as power,
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affiliations, and achievement. To fulfil the purpose of this essay, the author created a fictitious

organisation, “Johnson-Johnson & Co.”, with many challenges. The need for an industrial

psychologist’s services arose as a result of the high worker turnover rate and frequent absences.

Additional issues raised by the company’s employees were expressed to management through the

employee union. To mitigate these challenges within “Johnson-Johnson & Co.,” the author

proposed that intervention suggestions should be customised for each individual and concentrate

on promoting interpersonal communication. Interventions for organisational development should

also include intentional and properly planned training sessions and interviews aimed at

developing current skills or learning new ones. Team building activities were also suggested as a

priority as it will boost organisational cohesion and general morale. The strengths of this

proposed plan were listed as aligned with the goals of Organisational Psychology, inclusion of

both employee and management and ongoing monitoring. There was a regrettable drawback,

however, in that this form of intervention may be expensive and necessitate paying the

psychologist every time there needs to make additional changes. Moreover, ethical

considerations have been taken into account for this organisational development intervention. It

is the responsibility of the psychologist to protect the information she receives. Utmost

confidentiality must be considered as well as compassion and respect for all involved. By

maintaining these considerations, the Psychologist provides an environment where participants

are comfortable and desire to actively participate in the process.

Word Count: 3214

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