HRM502 8 OD Interventions

M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

1 Faculty of Management and Commerce

Module Code: HRM502

Module Title: Organisational Life Cycle Management

Module Leader: Dr. Sandhya Iya

E-mail: [email protected]

Session 8: OD Interventions



Session Objectives

At the end of this session, students will be able to:

Explain the meaning and importance of an OD intervention and its strategies

Discuss the various types of interventions



Session Contents

OD intervention and strategies

Human Process interventions

Role focused interventions

Techno-structural interventions

Human resource interventions

Change interventions



OD Interventions



Intervention Design/Action Planning

An OD intervention is a sequence of activities, actions, and events intended to help an organisation improve its performance and effectiveness

Intervention design, or action planning, derives from careful diagnosis and is meant to improve particular areas of organisational functioning identified in the diagnosis

OD interventions vary from standardized programs that have been developed and used in many organisations to relatively unique programs tailored to a specific organisation or department



Effectiveness of Interventions

Interventions purposely disrupt the status quo; they are deliberate attempts to change an organisation or subunit toward a different and more effective state

Three criteria define an effective intervention:

1. The extent to which it fits the needs of the organisation

2. The degree to which it is based on causal knowledge of intended outcomes

3. The extent to which it transfers change-management competence to organisation members



Extent of Fit to Organisational Needs

Accurate diagnosis yields valid information

Provides organisation members opportunities to make free and informed choices

Gain members internal commitment to those choices

Internal commitment means that organisation members accept ownership of the intervention and take responsibility for implementing it



Causal Knowledge of Intended Outcomes

Valid knowledge that outcome can actually be produced



Transfer of Change-management Competence to Organisation Members

Active participation in designing and implementing the intervention equips members with the ability to carry out planned change activities

Competence in change management is essential in todays environment, where technological, social, economic, and political changes are rapid and persistent



Designing Effective Interventions

Two major sets of contingencies can affect intervention success :

1. Those related to the change situation (including the practitioner)

2. Those related to the target of change

Both kinds of contingencies need to be considered in designing interventions



Contingencies Related to the Change Situation

Individual differences among organisation members (for example, needs for autonomy)

Organisational factors (for example, management style and technical uncertainty)

Dimensions of the change process itself (for example, degree of top-management support)

Other situational factors: the organisations readiness for change, change capability, cultural context, and the change agents skills and abilities



Contingencies Related to the Target of Change

Organisational Issues: certain issues to operate effectively

Strategic issues: called strategic interventions; recent additions to OD; what products, services, markets, relationship with environment

Integrated strategic change

Mergers and acquisitions

Trans-organisational development

Organisational learning



Contingencies Related to the Target of Change Contd.

Technology and structure issues: called techno-

structural interventions; division of work and coordination to support strategy; OD activities relating to

Organisation design

Employee involvement

Work design




Human resources issues: called human resources management interventions

Attracting competent people to the organisation

Setting goals for them

Appraising and rewarding their performance

Ensuring they develop their careers and manage stress




Human process issues: called human process interventions; social processes occurring among organisation members, such as communication, decision making, leadership, and group dynamics

Conflict resolution

Team building (most common OD interventions)



Types of OD Interventions



Organisational Issues in OD Interventions

Consistent with system theory, organisational issues are interrelated and need to be integrated with each other

Intervention design must create change methods appropriate to the organisational issues identified in diagnosis

Interventions aimed at one kind of organisational issue will invariably have repercussions on other kinds of issues



Overview of Interventions

Human process interventions: related to interpersonal relationships and group dynamics

T-group

Process consultation

Third-party intervention

Organisation confrontation meeting

Inter-group relations

Large-group interventions

Grid Organisation Development



Overview of Interventions Contd.

Techno-structural

Structural design

Work design

Human resources

Goal setting

Performance appraisal

Reward systems

Managing workforce diversity

Employee wellness



Overview of Interventions Contd.

Strategic

Self designing organisations



Human Process Interventions

1. T-Group: This traditional change method provides

members with experiential learning about group dynamics, leadership, and interpersonal relations

Brings ten to fifteen strangers together with a professional trainer to examine the social dynamics that emerge from their interactions

Members gain feedback about the impact of their own behaviors on each other and learn about group dynamics



Human Process Interventions Contd.

2. Process consultation:

Focuses on interpersonal relations and social dynamics occurring in work group

A process consultant helps group members diagnose group functioning and devise appropriate solutions to process problems, such as dysfunctional conflict, poor communication, and ineffective norms

Aim is to help members gain the skills and understanding necessary to identify and solve problems themselves




3. Third-party intervention:

Aimed at interpersonal conflict

Interpersonal conflict may derive from disputes over work methods, or from interpersonal issues, such as miscommunication

The third-party intervener helps people resolve conflicts through such methods as problem solving, bargaining, and conciliation




4. Team building:

Helps members diagnose group processes and devise solutions to problems

Includes examination of the groups task, member roles, and strategies for performing tasks




5. Organisation confrontation meeting:

Mobilizes organisation members to identify problems, set action targets, and begin working on problems

Management needs to organise resources for immediate problem solving

Generally includes various groups of employees in identifying and solving problems




6. Inter-group relations:

Designed to improve interactions among different groups or departments in organisations

Involves a small group of people whose backgrounds closely match the organisational problems being addressed

This group addresses the problem and develops means to solve it




7. Large-group interventions:

Involve getting a broad variety of stakeholders into a large meeting to

Clarify important values

Develop new ways of working

Articulate a new vision for the organisation

Solve pressing organisational problems

Powerful tools for creating awareness of organisational problems and opportunities and for specifying valued directions for future action




8. Grid organisation development:

This normative intervention specifies a particular way to manage an organisation

A packaged OD program with standardized instruments for measuring organisational practices and specific procedures for helping organisations achieve the prescribed approach



Summary

An OD intervention is a sequence of activities, actions, and events intended to help an organisation improve its performance and effectiveness

Intervention design, or action planning, derives from careful diagnosis and is meant to resolve specific problems and to improve particular areas of organisational functioning identified in the diagnosis

OD interventions vary from standardized programs that have been developed and used in many organisations to relatively unique programs tailored to a specific organisation or department



Summary

Three criteria define an effective intervention:

1. The extent to which it fits the needs of the organisation

2. The degree to which it is based on causal knowledge of intended outcomes

3. The extent to which it transfers change-management competence to organisation members

Two major sets of contingencies can affect intervention success :

1) Those related to the change situation (including the practitioner)

2) Those related to the target of change



Summary

The major types of OD intervention are human process, techno-structural, human resources, and strategic interventions

Types of human process interventions are T-group, Process consultation, Third-party intervention, Organisation confrontation meeting, Inter-group relations , Large-group interventions, and Grid Organisation Development

Documents

HRM502 8 OD Interventions