Organizational effectiveness in organization's development

7/30/2019 Organizational effectiveness in organization's development

1/54

PROJECT REPORT

ON

A STUDY OF ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENTON ORGANIZATION EFFECTIVNESS

SUBMITTED BY

T.Y.BMS SEMESTERV:

2012-2013

PROJECT GUIDE

UNIVERSITY OF MUMBAI

COLLEGE


2/54

CERTIFICATE

I,______ do hereby certify that______ is a student of

_____ College for T.Y.BMS-Semester-5 (2012-2013), he

has completed the project work as a part of his academic

fulfillment under my guidance.

The information contained in the project work is original to

the best of my knowledge and belief.

Signature of Project guide


3/54

DECLARATION

I,______, the student of_____ College for T.Y.BMS -

Semester-5 (2012-2013) do hereby declare that I have completed

the project work titled A STUDY OF ORGANIZATION

DEVELOPMENT ON ORGANI ZATION EFFECTIVENESSas a

part of my academic program.

The information contained in this project is true and original to

the best of my knowledge and belief.

Date Signature of student


4/54

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I,_______student of_______ College would like to express

my sincere gratitude towards the B.M.S department

I would like to thank my project guide Mr _____for his

constant support during the project and his insights about thesubject matter. Last but not the least I thank all my colleagues

for being with me throughout the project, which leads to the

successful completion of my project.

Nevertheless, it is a good gesture of the University of Mumbai in

providing the students an opportunity to undergo such practical

studies while preparing the project report.


5/54

INTRODUCTION TO ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT

Organization Development is a systematic process for applying behavioural science principlesand practices in organizations to increase individual and organizational effectiveness. The focus

is organizations and making them function better, that is, total system change. The orientation is

action-achieving results as a consequence of planned activities. The target is human and social

processes, the human side of organizations.

Organization Development is an improvement strategy. Today the field of organization

development offers an integrated framework capable of solving most of the important problems

confronting the human side of organizations. Organization Development is about how peopleand organizations function and how to get them to function better. The field of organization

development is based on knowledge from behavioural science disciplines such as psychology,

social psychology, sociology, anthropology, systems theory, organizational behaviour,

organization theory and management. Organization Development (OD) practitioners are HR

consultants trained in the theory and practice of organization development, with the knowledge

from the underlying behavioural sciences.

When a leader in the organization identifies an undesirable situation, it seeks to change it. The

leader then contacts an OD professional and together they explore whether organization

development suits the task at hand. When they come to know that there is a need to conduct the

OD program, they enlist others in the organization to help design and implement the change

program. The participants develop an overall game plan or strategy that includes a series of

activities, each intended to achieve an outcome that moves the organization towards its goals.

The two major goals of OD programs are:

1. To improve the functioning of individuals, teams and the total organization.

2. To teach organizations members how to continuously improve their own functioning.


6/54

Organization development deals with the gamut of peoples problems and work systems

problems in organizations; poor morale, low productivity, poor quality, interpersonal conflict,

intergroup conflict, unclear or inappropriate goals, inappropriate leadership styles, poor team

performance, inappropriate organization structure, poorly designed tasks, inadequate response to

environmental demands, poor customer relations, inadequate alignment among the

organizations strategy, structure, culture and processes.

DEFINITION OF ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT

OD is a systematic application of behavioural science knowledge to the planned development

and reinforcement of organizational strategies, structures, and processes for improving an

organizations effectiveness. (Cummings and Worley, 1993)

Organization Development is a long term effort, led and supported by top management to

improve an organizations visioning, empowerment, learning and problem-solving processes,

through an ongoing, collaborative management of organization culture- with special emphasis on

the culture of intact work teams and other team configurations- using the consultant-facilitator

role and the theory and technology of applied behavioural science, including action research.

By long-term effort, we mean that organization change and development take time- several

years. There is no quick fix when it comes to lasting organizational improvement. It is more

accurate to describe improvement as a never-ending journey of continuous change. One

program or initiative moves the organization to a higher plateau; then another moves to yet a

higher plateau of effectiveness.


7/54

The phrase led and supported by top management states, an imperative top management must

lead and actively encourage the change effort. Organizational change is hard, serious business; it

includes pain and setbacks as well as successes. Top management must initiate the improvement

journey and be committed to seeing it through. Most OD programs that fail to do so because

top management was ambivalent, and, lost its commitment, or became distracted with other

duties.

By visioning processes, we mean those processes through which organization members develop

a viable, coherent, and shared picture of the nature of the products and services the organization

offers, the ways those goods will be produced and delivered to customers, and what the

organization and its members can expect from each other. Visioning means creating a picture of

the desired future that includes salient features of the human side of the organization and then

working together to make that picture a reality.

By empowerment processes, we mean those leadership behaviours and human resource practices

that enable organization members to develop and use their talents as fully as possible toward

individual growth and organizational success. By empowerment, we mean involving large

numbers of people in building the vision of tomorrow, developing the strategy for getting there,

and making it happen. For empowerment to become a fact of life, it must be built into the very

fabric of the organization- its strategy, structure, processes and culture.

By learning processes, we mean those interacting, listening, and self-examining processes that

facilitate individual, team and organizational learning. A Learning Organization can be described

as, organizations where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly

desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspirations isset free, and where people are continually learning how to learn together.


8/54

Problem-solving processes refer to the ways organization members diagnose situations solve

problems, make decisions and take actions on problems, opportunities and challenges in the

organizations environment and its internal functioning. There is a belief that solutio ns to

problems are enhanced by tapping deeply into the creativity, commitment, vitality and common

purposes of all members of the organization, in contrast to having only a select few involved.

Empowerment means involving people in problems and decisions and letting them be

responsible for results.

By ongoing collaborative management of the organizations culture we mean, first, that one of

the most important things to manage in the organization is the culture: the prevailing patterns of

values, attitudes, beliefs, assumptions, expectations, activities, interactions, norms, sentiments

and artifacts. And second, managing the culture should be a collaborative business, one of

widespread participation in creating and managing the culture that satisfies the wants and needs

of individuals at the same time that it fosters the one, not just a small group, has a stake in

making the organization work. Just as visioning, empowerment, learning, and problem-solving

processes are opportunities for collaboration in organization development, so is managing the

culture.

By intact work teams and other configurations we recognize the teams are central to

accomplishing work in organizations. We think teams are the basic building blocks of

organizations. When teams function well, individuals and the total organization function well.

Further, team culture can be collaboratively managed to ensure effectiveness.

The most prevalent form of teams in organization is intact work teams consisting of superior and

subordinates with a specific job to perform. Team building and role and goal clarification

interventions are standard activities in OD programs directed toward intact work teams. But inmany organizations today, intact work teams do not have a boss in the traditional sense- the

teams manage themselves. These self-directed teams assume complete responsibility for

planning and executing work assignments. In addition to team building and role and goal

clarification, members are trained in competencies such as planning, maintaining quality control,

and using management information.


9/54

Over time, self-directed teams control performance appraisals, hiring, firing and training. The

results are usually gratifying both for the team members and for the organization.

By the theory and technology of applied behavioural science, we mean insights from the sciences

dedicated to understanding people in organizations, how they function, and how they can

function better, OD applies knowledge and theory. Therefore, the behavioural sciences such as

psychology, sociology, etc. similarly, applied disciplines such as adult education, psychotherapy,

social work, economics, and political science make contributions to the practice of OD.

The primary distinguishing characteristics of organization development are as follows:

1. OD focuses on culture and processes.

2. Specifically, OD encourages collaboration between organization leaders and members in

managing culture and processes.

3. Teams of all kinds are particularly important for accomplishing tasks and are targets for

OD activities.

4. OD focuses on the human and social side of the organization and in so doing also

intervenes in the technological and structural sides.

5. Participation and involvement in problem solving and decision-making by all levels of

the organization are hallmarks of OD.

6. OD focuses on total system change and views organizations as complex social systems.

7. OD practitioners are facilitators, collaborators and co-learners with the client system.

8. An overarching goal is to make the client system able to solve it problems on its own by

teaching the skills and knowledge of continuous learning through self-analytical methods.

OD views organization improvement as an ongoing process in the context of a constantly

changing environment.

9. OD relies on an action research model with expensive participation by client system

members.

10.OD takes a developmental view that seeks the betterment of both individual and the

organization. Attempting to create win-win solutions is standard practice in OD

programs.


10/54

VALUES, ASSUMPTIONS AND BELIEFS IN OD

A set of values, assumptions and beliefs constitutes an integral part of organization development,

shaping the goals and methods of the field and distinguishing OD from other improvement

strategies. Most of the beliefs were formulated early in the development of the field, and they

continue to evolve as the field itself evolve. These values and assumptions developed from

research and theory by behavioural scientists and from the experiences and observations of

practicing managers. OD vales tend to be humanistic, optimistic and democratic. Humanistic

values proclaim the importance of the individual; respect and dignity, assume that everyone has

intrinsic worth, view all people as having the potential for growth and development. Optimistic

values posit that people are basically good, that progress is possible and desirable in human

affairs, and that rationality, reason and goodwill are the tools for making progress. Democratic

values assert the sanctity of the individual, the right of people to be free from arbitrary misuse of

power, the importance of fair and equitable treatment for all, and the need for justice through the

rule of law and due process.

EARLY STATEMENTS OF OD VALUES AND ASSUMPTIONS

Values have always been an integral part of OD. We will see some of the early statements

regarding OD values that had a significant impact on the field

In 1969, Warren Bennis proposed that OD practitioners must share a set of normative goals

based on their humanistic/democratic philosophy. He listed these normative goals as follows:

1. Improvement in interpersonal competence

2. A shift in values so that human factors and feelings come to be considered legitimate.

3. Development of increased understanding between and within working groups in order to

reduce tensions.


11/54

4. Development of more effective team management, that is, the capacity of functional

groups to work more competently.

5. Development of better methods of conflict resolution. Rather than the usual bureaucratic

methods which rely mainly on suppression, compromise and unprincipled power, more

rational and open methods of conflict resolution are sought.

6. Development of organic rather than mechanical systems. This is a strong reaction against

the idea of organizations as mechanisms which managers work on.

Also in 1969, Richard Beckhard described several assumptions about the nature and functioningof organization held by OD practitioners.

1. The basic building blocks of an organization are groups (teams). Therefore, the basic

units of change are groups, not individuals.

2. An always-relevant change goal is the reduction of inappropriate competition between

parts of the organization and the development of a more collaborative condition.

3. Decision making in a healthy organization is located where the information sources are

rather than in a particular role of level of hierarchy.

4. Organizations, subunits of organizations, and individuals continuously manage their

affairs against goals. Controls are interim measurements, not the basis of managerial

strategy.

5. One goal of a healthy organization is to develop generally open communication, mutual

trust, and confidence between and across levels.

6. People support what they help create. People affected by a change must be allowed

active participation and a sense of ownership in the planning and conduct of the change.


12/54

These values and assumptions may not seem profound today, but in the 1950s and 1960s they

represented a radical departure from accepted beliefs and assumptions. Beliefs such as trust

and respect for the individual, the legitimacy of feelings, open communication, decentralized

decision making, participation and contribution by all organization members, collaboration

and cooperation , appropriate uses of power, authentic interpersonal relations, and so forth

were seldom espoused and rarely implemented in the vast majority of organizations at the

time.

IMPLICATIONS OF OD VALUES AND ASSUMPTIONS

Let us understand these values and assumptions and their implications for organization

leaders and members.

Implications for Dealing with Individuals

The first assumption is that most individuals have drivestowards personal growth and

development if provided with an environment that is both supportive and challenging. Most

people want to develop their potential. The second assumption is that most people desire to

make, and are capable of making, a greater contribution to attaining organization goals that

most organizational environments permit. A tremendous amount of constructive energy can

be tapped if organizations realize and act on these assumptions.

Implications for Dealing with Groups

First, one of the most psychologically relevant reference groups for most people is the work

group, including peers and boss. What occurs in the work group, at both the formal and

informal levels, greatly influences feelings of satisfaction and competence. Second, most

people wish to be accepted and to interact cooperatively with atleast one small reference

group, and usually with more than one group, such as a work group, the family, a church or

club group, and so on.


13/54

Third, most people are capable of making greater contributions to a groups effectiveness and

development. Implications of these assumptions are several. Let teams flourish because they

are often the best way to get the work done, and, in addition, are the best way to satisfy social

and emotional needs at work. It is important that leaders adopt a team leadership style, not a

one-on-one leadership style. To do this, leaders need to give important work to teams and not

individuals.

Another assumption is that the formal leader cannot perform all the leadership and

maintenance functions required for a group to optimize its effectiveness. Hence, group

members should assist the leader with the multiple roles required for group effectiveness

skills such as group problem solving and decision-making, conflict management, facilitation

and interpersonal communication. And because suppressed feelings and attitudes adversely

affect problem solving, personal growth and job satisfaction, group members should be

encouraged to learn to deal effectively with positive and negative feelings. This skill is a

trainable one. Dealing appropriately with feelings and attitudes increases the level of

interpersonal trust, support, and cooperation within the group.

Implications for Designing and Running Organizations

Traditional hierarchical forms of organization- fairly steep pyramid, emphasis on top-down

directives, grouping by specialized function, adherence to the chain of command, formalized

cross-functional communications, and so on are obsolete. They cannot meet the needs of the

marketplace. Therefore, experimenting with new organization structures and new forms of

authority is imperative. In addition, a growing awareness that win-lose organizational

situations in which one side wins and the other side loses, are dysfunctional over the long run

and highlight the need for a win-win attitude. Creating cooperative by rather than

competitive dynamics is a primary task of the organizations leaders.


14/54

A key assumption in organization development is that the needs and aspirations of human

beings are the reasons for organized effort in society. This notion suggests it is good to have

a developmental outlook and seek opportunities in which people can experience personal and

professional growth. Such an orientation creates a self-fulfilling prophecy. The belief that

people are important tends to result in their being important. The belief that people can grow

and develop in terms of personal and organizational competency tends to produce that result.

By implication, an optimistic, developmental set of assumptions about people is likely to

reap rewards beneficial to both the organizations and its members.

Finally, it is possible to create organizations that on the one hand are humane, developmental

and empowering and on the other hand are high performing in terms of productivity, quality

of output and profitability. Evidence for this assumption comes from numerous examples

where Putting people first paid off handsomely in profits and performance. The implication

is that people are an organizations most important resource; they are the source of

productivity and profits and should be treated with care.

A Values Study

Values are never static; they change over time. The rapid technological, societal and

organizational changes taking place assure that tomorrow will bring new definitions of what

is true and new beliefs about what is good as behavioural scientists and managers

continue to develop better understand of authority structures, organizing structures and ways

to optimize human potential.


15/54

FOUNDATIONS OF ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS

MODELS AND THEORIES OF PLANNED CHANGE

Organizational development is planned change in an organization context. The development

of models of planned change facilitated the development of OD. Models and theories depict,

in words or pictures, the important features of some phenomenon, describe those features as

variables, and specify the relationships among the variables. Planned change theories are

rudimentary as far as explaining relationships among variables, but pretty good for

identifying the important variables involved. Several recent theories show great promise for

increasing our understanding of what happens and how it happens in planned change.

Kurt Lewin and Friends

Kurt Lewin introduced a idea about change that have been influential since the 1940s. The

first idea states that what is occurring at any point in time is a resultant in the field of

opposing forces. That is, the status quo- whatever is happening right now- is the result of the

forces pushing in the opposing direction. For example, we can think of the production level

of a manufacturing plant as a resultant equilibrium point in a field of forces, with some forces

pushing towards higher levels of production and some forces pushing towards lower levels of

production. The production level tends to remain fairly constant because the field of forces

remains fairly constant. Likewise, we can think of the level of morale in that plant as a

resultant equilibrium point. Although morale may get a little better or a little worse on

occasion, it generally powers around some equilibrium point that is the resultant in the field

of forces, some forces pushing towards higher morale and some pushing towards lower

morale. With a technique called the force-field analysis, we can identify the major forces that

make up the field of forces and then develop action plans for moving equilibrium point in

one direction or the other. This concept is useful for thinking about the dynamics of change

situations.


16/54

SYSTEMS THEORY

A second foundation of organization development is systems theory, which views

organizations as open systems in active exchange with their environments. This explains

systems theory, describes the characteristics OD systems, and shows how systems theory

enhances the practice of OD. Systems theory is one of the powerful conceptual tools

available for understanding the dynamics of organizations and organizational change. Fagen

defines system as a a set of objects together with relationships between the objects and

between their attributes. When taking a systems approach, one begins by identifying the

individual parts and then seeks to understand the nature of their collective interaction. To

summarize, systems denotes interdependency, interdependency, interconnectedness among

elements in a set that constitutes an identifiable whole or gestalt.

The Nature of Systems

The nature, dynamics, and characteristics of open systems are well known. Organizations are

open systems. Therefore, studying open systems leads to a good understanding of

organizations.

All open systems are input-throughput-output mechanisms. Systems take inputs from the

environment in the form of energy, information, money, people, raw materials, and so on.

They do something to the inputs via throughput, conversion or transformation processes that

change the inputs and they export products to the environment in the form of outputs. Open

systems have purposes and goals, the reasons for their existence. These purposes must align

with purposes or needs in the environment. For example, the organizations purposes will be

reflected in its outputs, and if the environment does not want these outputs, the organization

will cease to exist.


17/54

Another characteristic of open systems is steady state or dynamic homeostasis. Systems

achieve a steady state or equilibrium point and to seek to maintain this equilibrium against

disruptive forces, either internal or external. Another characteristic of systems is equifinality,

the principle that there are multiple ways to arrive at a particular outcome or state-systems

have multiple ways to arrive at a particular outcome or state-systems have multiple paths to

goals. Subsystems exist within larger systems. These subsystems can be arranged into a

hierarchy of systems moving from less important to more important.

Sociotechnical Systems Theory and Open Systems Planning

Two major variations open systems theory- Sociotechnical systems theory (STS) and open

systems planning (OSP)- play an especially important role in organization development.

Sociotechnical systems theory was developed by Eric Trist, Fred Emery and others in the

1950s. The thesis of STS is that all the organizations comprise two interdependent systems, a

social system and a technical system, and that changes in one system affect the other system.

To achieve high productivity and employee satisfaction, organizations must optimize both

systems. STS is the principal conceptual foundation for efforts in work redesign and

organization restructuring, two active segments of OD today.

A number of design principles have been developed to implement sociotechnical systems

theory. Principles such as optimizing the social and technical systems, forming autonomous

work groups, training group members in multiple skills, giving information and feedback to

the people doing the work and identifying core tasks help STS consultants structure

organizations and tasks for maximum effectiveness and efficiency. High performance

organizations almost always use principles from sociotechnical systems theory, especially

autonomous work groups, multiskilled teams, controlling variance at the source and

information to the point of action, that is, to the workers during the job.


18/54

Open systems planning entails scanning the environment to determine the expectations and

stakeholders, developing scenarios of possible futures, both realistic and ideal and

developing action plans to ensure that a desirable future occurs. Most OD practitioners

engaged in redesign projects use a combination of sociotechnical systems theory and open

systems planning.

Open Systems Thinking

Open systems thinking is required for creating learning organizations. Learning organizations

can cope effectively with rapidly changing environmental demands. To create a learning

organization, there are five disciplines which need to be mastered, which include personal

mastery, mental models, building shared vision, team learning and systems. Off all these

disciplines, systems thinking is the most important.

PARTICIPATION AND EMPOWERMENT

One of the most important foundations of organization development is a participation and

empowerment model. Participation in OD programs is not restricted to elites or the top

people; it is extended throughout the organization. Increased participation and empowerment

have always been central goals and fundamental values of the field. These pillars of OD

practice are validated by both research and practice.

To empower is to give someone power, which is done by giving individuals the authority to

make decisions, to contribute their ideas, to exert influence, and to be responsible.

Participation is an especially effective form of empowerment. Participation enhances

empowerment and empowerment in turn enhances performance and individual well-being.


19/54

OD interventions are deliberately designed to increase involvement and participation by

organization leaders and members. For example autonomous work groups, quality circles,

team building, survey feedback, quality of work life programs, search conferences, and the

culture audit are all predicated on the belief that increased participation will lead to better

solutions. OD interventions are basically methods for increasing participation. The entire

field of OD is about empowerment.

TEAMS AND TEAMWORK

A fundamental belief in organization development is that work teams are the building blocks

of organizations. A second fundamental belief is that teams must manage their culture,

processes, systems and relationships if they are to be effective. Theory, research and practice

attest to the central role teams play in organizational success. Teams and teamwork are part

of the foundation of organization development.

Teams are important for a number of reasons. First, much individual behaviour is rooted in

the sociocultural norms and values of the teamwork. If the team, as a team changes those

values and norms, the effects on individual behaviour are immediate and lasting. Second,

many tasks are so complex they cannot be performed by individuals; people must work

together to accomplish them. Third, teams create synergy, that is, sum of the efforts of team

members is far greater than the sum of the individual efforts of people wowing alone.

Synergy is a principal reason teams are so important. Fourth, teams satisfy peoples need for

social interaction, status, recognition and respect-nurture human nature.

A number of OD interventions are specifically designed to improve team performance.

Examples are team building, intergroup teambuilding, process consultation, quality circles,

parallel learning structures, sociotechnical systems programs, Grid OD and techniques such

as role analysis technique, role negotiation, and responsibility charting. These interventions

apply to formal work teams as well as startup teams, cross-functional teams, temporary teams

and the like.


20/54

Team-building activities are now a way of life for many organizations. Teams periodically

hold team-building meetings, people are trained are group leaders and group facilitators.

Organizations using autonomous or self-directed teams devote considerable time and effort

to ensure that team members possess the skills to be effective in groups. The net effect is that

teams perform at increasingly higher levels, that they achieve synergy, and that teamwork

becomes more satisfying for team members.

An emerging development is the application of technology to improve team performance.

Groupware is the generic term for electronic and nonelectric tools designed to help teams,

especially business teams, function better. The use of groupware and find it highly effective;

it speeds up decision making, allows anonymous contributions, focuses attention on one issue

at a time, facilitates setting priorities, enhances consensus building and provides quick

feedback regarding the groups progress. Groups can improve a groups performance on both

simple and complex tasks.

Teams have always been an important foundation of OD, but there is a growing awareness of

the teams unique ability to create synergy, respond quickly and flexibly to problems, find

new ways to get the job done, and satisfy social needs in the workplace.

PARALLEL LEARNING STRUCTURES

Parallel Learning Structures, specially created organizational structures for planning and

guiding change programs, constitute another important foundation of organizations

development. This concept was introduced in 1974 under the label collateral organization

and defined it as a supplemental organization coexisting with the usual, formal

organization. The purpose of the collateral organization is to deal with ill-structured

problems the formal organization is unable to resolve. Considerable experimentation with

collateral organizations occurred in the 1970s and 1980s.


21/54

Parallel Learning Structures are a mechanism to facilitate innovation in large bureaucratic

organizations where the forces of inertia, hierarchical communication patterns and standard

ways of addressing problems inhibit learning, innovation and change. In essence, parallel

structures are a vehicle for learning how to change the system, and then leading the change

process.

In its most basic form, a parallel learning structure consists of steering committee and a

number of working groups that study what changes are needed, make recommendations for

improvement and monitoring the change efforts. Additional refinements include having a

steering committee plus idea groups, action groups or implementation groups, with the

groups serving specific functions designated by the steering committee. The parallel structure

should be a microcosm of the larger organization, that is, it should have representatives from

all parts of the organization. One or more top executives should be members of the steering

committee to give the parallel structure authority, legitimacy and clout.

Parallel structures help people break free of the normal constraints imposed by the

organization, engage in genuine inquiry and experimentation, and initiate needed changes.

Parallel learning structures are a foundation of OD because they are prevalent in so many

different OD programs. The quality of work life of the 1970s and the 1980s used parallel

structures composed of union leaders, managers and employees. Most sociotechnical systems

redesign efforts and open systems planning programs use parallel structures. High

performance organizations often use parallel structures to coordinate self-directed teams.

Parallel learning structures are often the best way to initiate change in large bureaucratic

organizations, especially when the change involves a fundamental shift in the organizations

methods of work and/or culture.


22/54

APPLIED BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCE

This foundation of OD relates to the primary knowledge base field, behavioural science

knowledge. OD is the application of behavioural science knowledge, practices and skills on

ongoing systems in collaboration with system members. Although human behaviour in

organizations is far from an exact science, lawful patterns of events produce effectiveness

and ineffectiveness. OD practitioners know about these patterns through research and theory.

Organizational development is both a result of applied behavioural science and a form of

applied behavioural science; perhaps more accurately, it is a program of applying

behavioural science to organization.

The following are some contributions from the sources that are relevant for organization

development.

Contributions from Behavioural Science Theory

The importance of social norms in determining perceptions, motivations and

behaviours.

The role of an exchange theory of behaviour that postulates that people tend to

exchange approximately equivalent units to maintain a balance between what is given

and received.

The importance of the existing total field of forces in determining and predicting

behaviour.

The relevance of role theory in accounting for stability and change in behaviour.

The possibilities inherent in views of motivation different from those provided by

older theories

The importance of individual goal setting for increasing productivity and improving

performance.

The place of social cognitive theory, general theories of learning, effects of reward

and punishment, attitude change theories and so on in understanding organizational

behaviour.


23/54

Contributions from Behavioural Science Research

Studies on the causes, conditions and consequences of induced competition on

behavioural within and between groups.

Results on the effects of cooperative and competitive group goal structures on

behaviour within groups.

Studies on the effects of organizational and managerial climate on leadership style.

Studies on the variables relevant for organizational health.

Studies showing the importance of the social system in relation to the technical

system.

Studies on different communication networks, causes and consequences of

conformity group problem solving and groups dynamics.

Contributions from Practice Theory

Implications from the theory and practice of the laboratory training methods.

Implications from theories of group development.

New dimensions in the helping relationship and specifically the client-consultant

relationship.

Codification of the practice of management

New ideas about the education process.

The concept of Management by Objectives

Implications of social learning theory and behaviour modeling supervisor training.

Explorations in intervention advance and method.

Developments in consultation typologies and theory.

Implications and applications from theories of planned change.


24/54

Contributions from Package Research

Studies showing that feeding back survey research data can bring organization

change.

Results indicating the importance of the informal work group on individual and

performance

Results showing the efficacy of grid of organization development in large

Results documenting improved organizational performance and improved

organization climate stemming from

Results show the ability of behavioural modeling training to improve supervisory

human reactions

Results from the action research studies.

This list of contributions is not meant to be exhaustive, but only to show some of the

sources of and kinds of information/knowledge OD practitioners, as applied behavioural

scientists, bring to the organizational setting.

ACTION RESEARCH MODEL

The action research model- a data based, problem solving method that replicates the steps

involved in the scientific method of inquiry underlies most OD activities. Action

Research involves three process data collection, feedback of the data to the client system

system members and action planning based on the data. Action research is especially

collection. Action research is especially well suited for planning chane programs.

Action Research is a method that combines learning and doing- learning about the

dynamics of organizational change, and doing or implementing the change efforts.


25/54

MANAGING THE OD PROCESS

All OD programs have three basic components: diagnosis, action and programmanagement. The diagnostic component represents a continuous collection of data about

the total system, its subunits, its processes and its culture. The action component consist

ofall the activities and interventions designed to improve the organizations functioning.

The program management component encompasses all activities designed to ensure

success of the program.

The first step is to diagnose the state of the system, focusing on the clients major

concerns. The diagnosis identifies strengths, opportunities and problem areas. Actionsplans are developed to correct problems, seize opportunities and maintain areas of

strength. These action plans are OD interventions specifically tailored to address the issue

at individual group, intergroup or organizational levels, as well as issues related to

selected processes. During the entire sequence, managing the OD process itself requires

attention. Energy and effort are directed to ensuring that the program is supported by the

organization members, that the program is relevant to the organizations priorities, and

that the program is making discernible progress. Managing the OD program is a

continuous activity.

Organization development is at heart an action program based on valid information about

the status quo, current problems and opportunities and effects of actions as they relate to

achieve goals. An OD program thus starts with diagnosis and employs data collecting and

data analyzing throughout. Diagnostic activities- activities designed to provide an

accurate account of things as they are for two reasons: the first is to know the state of

things and the second is to know the effects or consequences of actions.


26/54

For each of the major targets in an organization, the typical information desired and

common methods of obtaining the information are given. The OD practitioner maybe

interested in all these target groups or in only one or two of them, he or she may work

with one subsystem during one phase of the program and other subsystems during

subsequent phases. Frequently, the improvement strategy calls for concentrating on

different organizational targets in a planned sequence.

An alternative way to conceptualize the diagnostic component emphasizes the

organizations principal processes rather than its primary target groups. Continual

diagnosis is necessary in any planned change effort. Action plans are then developed to

close the gap and the effects of these actions are continuously monitored to measure

progress toward the goal. Diagnosis is therefore basic to all goal-seeking activities.

Organization development continuously generates system data. In this, the consultant has

three primary intervention tasks: to help the client system generate valid data; to enable

the client system to have free, informed choice; and to help the client system generate

internal commitment to the choices made. Without valid information, it would be difficult

for the client to learn and for the interventionist for help, valid information is that which

describes the factors, plus their interrelationships, that create the problem for the client

system.

In an OD program, although the results of diagnostic activities are important, how the

information is collected and what is done with the information is also important. The OD

practitioner and the organization members actively collaborate about such issues as what

target groups to diagnose, how the diagnosis is best accomplished, which processes toanalyze, what to do with the information and how to use the information to aid action

planning. Usually information is collected through a variety of methods- interviews,

observations, questionnaires and organization records.


27/54

Information is treated as the property of those persons who generated it, and the data

serve as the foundation for planning actions. This is basically an action research model.

Therefore, the diagnostic and action components are intimately related in organization

development.

THE ACTION COMPONENT: OD INTERVENTIONS

OD interventions are sets of structured activities in which selected organizational units

engage in a sequence of tasks that will lead to organizational improvement. Interventions

are actions taken to produce desired changes.

Typically, one of the four conditions gives rise to the need for OD interventions. First-

the organization has a problem; something is wrong, Corrective actions- Interventions-

are implemented to fix the problem. Second, the organization sees unrealized

opportunity; something it wants is beyond its reach. Enabling actions- Interventions- are

developed to seize the opportunity. Third, features of the organization are out of

alignment; parts of the organization are working at cross-purposes. Alignment activities-

Interventions- are developed to get things back in sync. Fourth, the vision guiding the

organizations changes; yesterdays vision is no longer good enough. Actions to build the

necessary structures, processes and culture to support the new vision- Intervention- are

developed to make the new vision a reality. In summary, the interventions are planned

sets of actions to change situations the organization members want to change.

The range of OD interventions is quite extensive. Interventions have been developed to

solve most problems related to the human side of organizations.


28/54

The Nature of OD Interventions

To intervene in the client system is to interpose activities so that the intervention

activities are done in addition to the normal activities or are done instead of the normal

activities.

A well designed OD program unfolds according to a game plan, called the overall OD

strategy. This strategy may be planned in advance or may emerge as events dictate.

Planning actions, executing actions, and evaluating the consequences of actions are

integral to organization development. This emphasis on action planning and action taking

is a powerful feature of OD, and in some respects, is a distinguishing one. In many

traditional, educational and training activities, learning and action taking are taken back

to the organization with the learner being admonished to practice what he or she has

learned, that is, to take actions. most OD interventions minimize this artificial separation

in many ways. First, many interventions activities have two goals: an educational goal

and an accomplishing-a-task goal. Second, OD problem-solving interventions tend to

focus on real problems central to the organizations needs. Third, OD interventions use

several learning models, not just one.

Organization development interventions tend to focus on real problems rather than

hypothetical problems. Developing the skills and knowledge to solve real problems as

they arise in their natural state minimizes the educational problem of transfer of

learning from one situation to another.

An additional feature of working on real problems, in OD interventions is that the real set

of individuals involved in the problem is the group -the problem solvers work with.

Organization development programs rely on several learning models. Actions programsin OD are closely linked with explicit goals and objectives. Careful attention is given to

translating goals into observable, explicit and measurable actions and equal care is given

to ensuring that actions are relevant to and instrumental for attaining goals.


29/54

Diagnosis, action taking and goal setting are all linked in OD programs. Diagnostic

activities precede action programs, that is, face-finding provides a foundation for action.

Actions are continuously evaluated for whether they are attainable and whether they can

be translated into action programs. Organization development is a continuous process of

setting goals, collecting data about the status quo, planning and taking actions based on

hypothesis and on the data, and evaluating the effects of action through additional data

collection.

THE PROGRAM MANAGEMENT COMPONENT

Just as OD practitioners apply behavioural science principles and practices to improve

organizational functioning and individual development, then apply these same principles

and practices as they manage OD programs. They attend equally to task and process.

They consider system ramifications of the program, involve organization members in

planning and execution, use an action research model, create feedback loops to ensure

relevance and timeliness and so forth. Managing the OD program effectively means the

difference between success and failure. The aim is to provide guidelines to ensure success

in managing OD programs.

Phases of OD Management

OD programs follow a logical progression of events- a series of phases the unfolds over

time. An important part of managing an OD program well is to execute each phase well.

Entry

Contracting Diagnosis

Feedback

Planning change

Intervention


30/54

Entry represents the initial contact between the consultant and the client; exploring the

situation that led the client to seek a consultant and determining whether the problem or

opportunity, the client and the consultant constitute a good match. Contracting involves

establishing mutual expectations reaching agreement on expenditures of time, money,

resources and energy: and generally clarifying what each party expects to get from the

other and give to the another. Diagnosis is the fact finding phase, which produces a

picture of the situation through interviews, observations, questionnaires, examination of

organization documents and information and the like. Feedback represents returning the

analyzed information to the client system; the clients exploring the information for

understanding, clarification and accuracy; and the clients owning the data, their picture of

their situation, and their problems and opportunities. Planning change involves the clients

deciding what action steps to take based on the information they have just learned.

Alternative possibilities are explored and critiqued; plans for action are selected and

developed. Interventions implements sets of actions to correct the problems or seize the

opportunities. Evaluation represents assessing the effects of the program.

These phases are straightforward and logical in descriptions, but in practice they often

overlap a great deal and look more like an evolving process than a linear progression. The

most important point is that each phase builds the foundation for subsequent phases;

therefore each phase must be executed with care and precision.

The ideas about managing OD programs describe some of the important factors OD

practitioners take into account as they implement change efforts. Program management is

a complex, dynamic, difficult and great fun. The challenges are many, but the sense of

accomplishment is great for practitioners, leaders, and organizational members alike as

successes build upon successes and the organization realizes its goals.


31/54

ACTION RESEARCH AND ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT

ACTION RESEARCH: A PROCESS AND AN APPROACH

Action research may be described as a process, that is, as an ongoing series of events and

actions. It may be defined as: Action research is the process ofsystematically collecting

research data about an ongoing system relative to some objective, goal, need of that

system; feeding these data back into the system; tacking actions by altering selected

variables within the system based both on the data and on hypothesis; and evaluating the

results of actions by collecting more data.

This definition characterizes action research in terms of the activities comprising the

process. First, the researcher takes a static picture of an organization. On the basis of

what exists, hunches and hypotheses suggest actions; these actions typically entail

manipulating variables in the system that are under action researchers control, which

often means doing something differently from the way it has always been.

Action research is a process in two different ways. It is a sequence of events and

activities within each iteration and it is a cycle of iterations of these activities, sometimes

treating the same problem several times and the moving to different problems.

In viewing action research as an approach to problem solving we note the following

features: the normative nature of this model, the centrality of the objectives, and the

different role requirements of the consultant/change agent vis--vis the clients. Three

additional features deserve discussion: first, the elements of the action research model

that link it to practitioners, and laypersons that often is a component of action research;

and third; the increased richness of knowledge derived from action research programs.


32/54

Another distinguishing feature of action research is collaboration between individuals

inside the system- clients and individuals outside the system- change agents or

researchers. A widely used belief states that people support what they have helped to

create. Such a belief, congruent with the collaborative aspect of action research, impels

practitioners and researchers to cooperate extensively with client system members. This

point of view implies that the client system members and the researcher should jointly

define the methods used for data collection, identify the hypotheses relevant to the

situations, and to evaluate the consequences of actions. This collaborative ingredient is

found in both action research and organizational development.

AN OVERVIEW OF OD INTERVENTIONS

"Interventions" are principal learning processes in the "action" stage

of organization development. Interventions are structured activities used individually or

in combination by the members of a client system to improve their social or

task performance. They may be introduced by a change agent as part of an improvement

program, or they may be used by the client following a program to check on the state of

the organization's health, or to effect necessary changes in its own behavior. "Structured

activities" mean such diverse procedures as experiential exercises, questionnaires,

attitude surveys, interviews, relevant group discussions, and even lunchtime meetings

between the change agent and a member of the client organization. Every action that

influences an organization's improvement program in a change agent-client system

relationship can be said to be an intervention.

OD interventions are sets of structured activities in which selected organizational units

engage in a task or a sequence of tasks with the goals of organizational improvement and

individual development. Work gets done in OD when organization leaders and members

systematically address problems and opportunities; usually guided by an OD practitioner


33/54

Practitioners have created an array of interventions to help organization members address

specific problems effectively. Interventions range from those designed to improve

the effectiveness of individuals through those designed to deal with teams and groups,

intergroup relations, and the total organization. There are interventions that focus on task

issues (what people do), and those that focus on process issues (how people go about

doing it). Finally, interventions may be roughly classified according to which change

mechanism they tend to emphasize: for example, feedback, awareness of changing

cultural norms, interaction and communication, conflict, and education through either

new knowledge or skill practice.

There are many possible intervention strategies from which to choose. Several

assumptions about the nature and functioning of organizations are made in the choice of a

particular strategy. Beckhard lists six such assumptions:

The basic building blocks of an organization are groups (teams). Therefore, the basic

units of change are groups, not individuals.

An always relevant change goal is the reduction of inappropriate competitionbetween

parts of the organization and the development of a more collaborative condition.

Decision making in a healthy organization is located where the information sources are,

rather than in a particular role or level ofhierarchy.

Organizations, subunits of organizations, and individuals continuously manage their

affairs against goals. Controls are interim measurements, not the basis of managerial

strategy.

One goal of a healthy organization is to develop generally open communication, mutual

trust, and confidencebetween and across levels.

People support what they help create. People affected by a change must be allowed active

participation and a sense of ownership in the planning and conduct of the change.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Competitionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hierarchyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communicationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confidencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confidencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communicationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hierarchyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Competitionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organization


34/54

One of the most difficult tasks confronting the change agent is to help create inthe client system a safe climate for learning and change. In a favorable climate, human

learning builds on itself and continues indefinitely during man's lifetime. Out of

new behaviour, new dilemmas and problems emerge as the spiral continues upward to

new levels. In an unfavorable climate, in contrast, learning is far less certain, and in an

atmosphere of psychological threat, it often stops altogether. Unfreezing old ways can be

inhibited in organizations because the climate makes employees feel that it is

inappropriate to reveal true feelings, even though such revelations could be constructive.

In an inhibited atmosphere, therefore, necessary feedback is not available. Also, trying

out new ways may be viewed as risky because it violates established norms. Such an

organization may also be constrained because of the law of systems: If one part changes,

other parts will become involved. Hence, it is easier to maintain the status quo.

Hierarchical authority, specialization, span of control, and other characteristics of formal

systems also discourage experimentation.

The change agent must address himself to all of these hazards and obstacles. Some of the

things which will help him are:

A real need in the client system to change

Genuine support from management

Setting a personal example: listening, supporting behavior

A sound background in the behavioral sciences

A working knowledge of systems theory

A belief in man as a rational, self-educating being fully capable of learning better ways to

do things.


35/54

Interventions such as team building, survey feedback, role analysis and intergroup

conflict resolution were developed during the early years of organization development.

Interventions such as quality of work life (QWL), work redesign using sociotechnical

systems theory (STS), collateral organization and strategic planning methods were

developed as the field continued to evolve. Today we have interventions aimed at self-

directed teams, high-performance work systems and self-designing organizations, as well

as large-scale systems change models to help organizations adapt and survive. OD

interventions address a wide range of specific problems and opportunities. But OD is

much more than just reaching into the kit bag and executing an intervention. OD is a

complete strategy for change that encompasses theory, practice method and values.

Interventions are just one component of the OD formula.

Classification of OD Interventions

1. Diagnostic Activities

2. Team-Building Activities

3. Intergroup Activities

4. Survey Feedback Activities

5. Education and Training Activities

6. Technostructural or Structural Activities

7. Process Consultation Activities

8. Grid OD Activities

9. Third-Party Peacemaking Activities

10.Coaching and Counseling Activities

11.Life and Career Planning Activities

12.Planning and Goal-Setting Activities

13.Strategic Management Activities

14.Organizational Transformation Activities


36/54

Behind every program is an overall game plan or intervention strategy. This plan integrates the

problem or opportunity to be addressed, the desired outcomes of the programs, and the

sequencing and timing of the various interventions. Intervention strategies are based on diagnosis

and the goals desired by the client system. Lets say the clients want to redesign the way work is

done at a production facility, changing from an assembly-line arrangement of individualized

simple tasks to complex tasks performed by selfmanaged teams. This desired redesign requires

diagnosis to determine whether the work is amenable to such a system, to test the employees

willing ness to undertake such a change, to calculate the time and effort required to make the

change, and to assess the probable benefits. Sociotechnical systems theory would likely be the

guiding model for the program, which would entail dozens of significant changes and different

interventions- training, education, parallel structures, employee involvement, modified reward

systems and management philosophy and so forth. A series of activities designed to move the

system in step wise fashion from the current state to a new state would be laid out against a time

line several years. This overall strategy would be the road map for the change program.

Now, in order to understand the topic of Organization Development, I have introduced a case

study. This case study is based on TATA Consultancy Services LTD (TCS), and their journey of

OD in the early 2000s. In this case, the company has described their position before OD, and the

developmental field after the OD was taken place.


37/54

CASE STUDY ON TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES

Synopsis

In organizations worldwide today, there is a greater realization of the importance of Organization

Developmental (OD) interventions in facilitating the rapid changes brought about in the current

competitive environment. Organizations today struggle to balance the tensions between Voice of

Customer, Voice of Technology, Voice of Strategy and Voice of Employee in the context of a

globalized and dynamic market, which makes competitive advantage and sustainability the key

mantras of corporate survival and success.

Organization Development has been defined as a process by which behavioral science

knowledge and practices are used to help organizations to achieve greater effectiveness,

including improved quality of life, increased productivity, and improved product and service

quality.

Its focus is on improving the organization's ability to assess and to solve its own problems & to

move the organization to a higher level of functioning by improving the performance and

satisfaction oforganization members. organizations relationship to its environment, its markets

and key

At Tata Consultancy Services Limited, (TCSL), too OD interventions have been instrumental in

facilitating change management and bringing about competitive advantage. OD has contributed

to redefining the organizations relationship to its environment, its markets and key stakeholders.

This paper briefly explores an overview of OD interventions at organizational level, and focuses

in particular on the case of a large relationship within the organization wherein OD has brought

about a paradigm shift especially in the cultural perspective. The structural alignment andcommensurate cultural changes thereof have been facilitated in a deliberate manner to improve

the total systemthe relationship and its parts in the context of the larger market environment.


38/54

INTRODUCTION: TCS -AN ORGANIZATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

The Pre-OD Scenario: Our Strengths and Areas of Concern

In the years 1998-99, TCS had grown into the largest Indian software company with revenues of

over Rs. 1600 crores and racing towards achieving its vision of being global top ten. As pioneers

in the industry, TCSs strengths included on time delivery, premier position in the industry in

terms of revenues, focus on training programs, quality initiatives, use of good technical tools and

procedures and encouragement of individual excellence in performance.

However, TCS was also, at that point in time, grappling with a few areas of concern with regard

to its operational paradigm.

Mounting revenue pressures: The pressure to retain its strong premier position led the

organization to tend towards short-term revenues, and relatively lesser efforts were being put into

medium and long-term markets and activities (such as products and building up knowledge).

Though TCS built relationships with individual customers, Relationship Managers largely tended

to focus on obtaining short-term projectsthere was lesser investment on aligning to long-termobjectives of customers. The approach, by and large, was of reactive project management and we

were yet to espouse the approach of architecting proactive solutions for the customer.

Selectivity in projects: There was a tangible tension at TCS, between generating revenues and

organizing strategically, on basis of technology and business areas, impacting selectivity in

projects accepted. Pressures from customers on schedules was resulting in faster delivery and

hence, snowballing into further pressure on future schedules.


39/54

Focus on specialization: There was diffusion of expertise and we were yet to focus on building

strategic expertise in individual centers. Employees were rotated across domains and skills in the

interest of learn ability as well as for meeting requirements. In a sense, there was heightened

focus on Voice of the Customer, in comparison to the Voice of Employee.

Efforts on Experimentation & Innovation: The management at TCS felt that by and large,

employees tended to go straight by the book. Though Dr. De Bonos techniques were introduced

and employees trained on perceived rewards for experimentation.

Rewards and Recognitions: The reward structure at TCS was, at this point in time, primarily

focused on individual performance and we were yet to explore the institutionalization of team

based rewards at the organizational level.

Inter group co-ordination & knowledge sharing: Sharing of knowledge was very centre-

oriented, and although, informally, best practices spread by interaction and word of mouth, we

were yet to evolve a formal system which would capture these for ease of replication across

projects. Multiple centers and multiple projects within the same centre ended up resolving the

same sort of issues, resulting in avoidable rework.

Branding and PR: Image building endeavors were not yet an area of focus and, in a subtle way,

this affected the sense of pride of employees. Among educational institutions, this meant greater

difficulty in terms ofattracting quality talent, which further aggravated stress among the few key

performers in the organization.

By the year 2002, management felt the conscious need to bring in changes in our approach to the

aforementioned areas, in order to align more closely with the customer, business and market

requirements at an organizational level.


40/54

Alignment and Structure at TCS

With respect to alignment, there was a need to create an environment of dialogue between

system dynamics and human dynamics in the organization. Strategy comes from the market,

form comes from structure; capacity from technology; and synergy from culture. The

organizational design at that point needed to incorporate this holism and thereby bring in, a

coherent organizational identity. The flow of philosophy to policy to practice and further to

procedure in organizational design, needed to be re-looked at neutrally.

In the interest of alignment of strategy and culture, the need for a dynamic process of dialogue

between the Generals and the Scouts was also felt.

Alignment and Attunement:

As an answer to the above areas of concern, alignment and attunement were sought to be

achieved through integrating and balancing out the four voices:

Voice of Wealth

Voice of Employee

Voice of Customer Voice of Technology

The Organizational Development interventions at TCS focused on balancing tensions arising

from these four voices along dimensions of balancing tensions arising from these four voices

along dimensions of strategizing, valuing, serving, energizing, investing and improving.


41/54

Scenario Building Workshops:

An internal organization workshop was conducted with top management for scenario building.

This program focused at a larger level, on the The TCS that can be . The idea was to challenge

the conventional ways of thinking and to give shape to the key drivers of change through realistic

listening and dialoguing. These workshops were followed by dissemination and communication

of the scenarios with teams in order to develop a new language in the organization, consistent

with the envisaged future scenario.

As a fallout of this workshop, several representatives of senior management worked on building

scenarios as for e.g. on TCS tools and approach to high end consulting. These looked at what we

were and what we wished to be, our competition, changes and challenges with regard to our

business models, technologies, products and support functions. Further, the factors that would

facilitate the desired change and focuses that needed to be redefined were clearly laid down.

The scenarios addressed the nature of the struggle the organization would go through and etched

out realistic possibilities based on present factors. The roles and context that would impinge on

the following were detailed:

Wealth creation

Factors which will enhance productivity and enhance the feeling of being valued.

Resource allocation and team-work

Membership criteria and norms of the group

Learning opportunities for individuals and teams


42/54

Goal Alignment & Balanced Scorecard:

In the interest of better alignment, a need was felt to re-look at a few organizational processes

and systems, as for instance, the performance management and appraisal system at TCS. A

Teach-Train-Transfer workshop on Goal alignment was conducted, with help from expert OD

consultants to build the context, to think through goal setting at TCS with a systems perspective

to goal alignment & to explore means of institutionalizing goal-oriented performance

management within the organization.

The workshop further introduced the concept of the Personal Score Card, and clearly outlined

what would define goals, outputs, performance management, Economic Value adds & the ways

and means for facilitating goal alignment.

The Balanced Scorecard approach was proposed, introducing corporate goals, which touched

upon the following:

Voice of the Shareholder - Financial Goals e.g. Wealth creation

Vector of TechnologyTechnology Goals e.g. Quality, Cost, Delivery dimensions

Voice of the CustomerCustomer/ Market Goals e.g. Customer Satisfaction

Voice of the EmployeeLearning & Development e.g. Employee SatisfactionFurther the relevance of the corporate goal template at the relationship level was explored and

the subsequent cascading to individual level (Organizational to Relationship to Personal

Scorecard). Goal specification frameworks, derived from the key performance parameters of the

unit were chalked out. While the goal was treated as a virtual entity, the measurement was

extended to deliverables on a day-to-day basis (outputs). Further, workflow reviews were done

with the objective of deploying an on-line regular review process and system to track individual

performance against stated goals. The linkage with incentives and value add drivers, was also

thought through to determine the reward framework, based on published results as against goals.


43/54

Hereby, strategic objectives and measures agreed upon by the function/ geography/ delivery and

relationship heads would be cascaded to subsequent roles as appropriate, ensuring performance

in alignment with the larger vision of the organization.

Identification of talent for higher responsibility was also seen as a key focus area, highlighting

the need to have a focused Career Planning and Mentoring process. The process of role

alignment was further thought through, as well as the need for assessment and coaching for role

transitions. Towards employee satisfaction and towards ensuring sustained availability of

sufficient managerial and leadership talent, the need to create succession plans at all levels and to

track and reward high fliers was brought out.

This further, lead to the formulation of career paths in TCS global services, consulting and

products, supported by HR processes, tools and support staff. This structure was designed to

enable a fair degree of flexibility in rotating at appropriate levels, which would provide avenues

for individual growth.

Besides, there was an exercise to bring out new role definitions in Human Resources (HR),

focusing on alignment, energizing and task facilitation through HR. Business leaders dialogued

to evolve the mission and expectations and further, to design enablers for continuous change,

team work, and individual growth.


44/54

PROPELThe Intervention: Culture Building at TCS

PROPEL was introduced as a revolutionary intervention with the dual objectives of facilitating

the exchange of ideas and helping in immediate problem solving, while also encouraging

bonding and self-development among and within teams. As the organization and its relationships

grew, it brought its own challenges, whereas change remained a constant. PROPEL was

introduced as a platform and a tool to help bring about this change, in consonance with the TCS

belief of Let us make it a joy for all our stakeholders. Promoting continuous improvement at a

cross-functional level was one of the envisaged objectives. Change management was enabled

through alignment with growth strategy; by creating platforms for dialogue on the current and

emerging experience of the organization.

PROPEL has helped the organization build a culture of collaboration, creativity and also

networks of relationships through its two modes:

1. Confluences: Listening to the voice of the employee in a team scenario, by creating a

platform for open sharing of thoughts on a relevant theme. This is achieved through a

balance of fun, introspection and interaction, while evoking commitment to self-

development2. Camps: Platform for problem solving, focus on the Quality, Cost and Delivery measures

of throughput resulting in transfer and adoption of best practices within and amongst

relationships in the organization.

\Further on, this paper explores the case of a large relationship which espoused PROPEL

interventions to bring about effective quantifiable results in the interest of relationship

robustness, market agility and a fine balance in the culture perspective.


45/54

THE CASE OF A LARGE RELATIONSHIP AT TCS:

Team Alignment through PROPEL framework & SpiralDynamics

Team alignment was a PROPEL application initiated for members of this large relationship, to

reflect on its own state, to build a coherent statement of current realities and to channel potent

restlessness and dissatisfactions within the relationship, into a convergent blueprint of

responsiveness and new levels of maturity. It looked at redefining desirable role behaviors, and

hence conveyed responsibility for movement at the collective as well as individual levels, for the

team.

This was brought about through the following stages:

1. Initiation: The Spiral dynamics framework was used to map the relationship in terms of

its evolution. Tools were administered to a group of Project Managers to identify the gaps

between where the team is (current state) and where it should be (desired state) and the

steps to be taken to bridge this gap.

Spiral Dynamics posits that the evolution of human consciousness can best be

represented by a dynamic, upward spiraling structure that charts our evolving thinkingsystems as they arc higher and higher through levels of increasing complexity. The spiral

in spiral dynamics contains the blueprints of patterns for sequential development of

cultures. The spiral's first tier is a set of six memes (beige, purple, red, blue, orange and

green) characterized by existence or subsistence, or the survival-level concerns. Second

tier of yellow and turquoise works to create healthy forms of all the first tier systems, in

the context of an information-rich, highly mobile global community.


46/54

2. Awareness sessions & Workshops: Overviews on Spiral Dynamics and its application

to achieve team alignment was shared with the team. In Jan 2005, a workshop was

organized with the team to discuss the findings based on the analysis of data. A few key

observations were:

a. Differential perceptions of current reality by leadership and the rest of the team

b. Need to make a few critical role shifts

c. Need to align the broad directions and future steps

This workshop allowed the team to clearly discuss their perceptions of the teams current

situation and the following observations were agreed upon:

d. Need to negotiate expectations and sufficiently understand interdependence

e. Reluctance to confront and bring issues to a head

f. Stress

g. Results and task oriented disposition

These results were then compared to the leaderships expectations from the team. Greater

the convergence and alignment between leadership and the team on the current state and

the directions for movement, greater the power of focused deployment of energies, and

empowered, autonomous decisions and actions within the team. Gaps were identified,

developmental areas were prioritized and broken down and categories identified to

pinpoint where the greatest impact from team development efforts will be achieved.


47/54

3. Gap analysis: This was done to enhance understanding of the different roles for each job

position, identify the ones suitable for the different job positions and come up with action

items to address the themes agreed upon. As a next step, each member had to identify the

gaps based on the role selected. For e.g.: The below roles were identified for a team

member job position:

a. Self-developer

b. Team Player

c. Craftsperson

The roles would vary depending on the location as well. Onsite members would have

roles that require higher customer interaction.

4. Implementing improvement plan: Follow-up meetings were held at 6-8 week intervals

to monitor progress made as well as to identify areas of improvement using Demings

Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle. The Team Alignment tool was created in September

2005 with an aim of cascading the team alignment concept to the team member level in a

shorter span of time.

5. Next steps: The team now has a 30, 60, 90 day implementation plan for the same.

Incorporation of the three high priority action items arising from the team alignment

exercise, as goals in the team was contemplated. Additionally a PROPEL camp was

planned, to agree upon the steps to be taken to close the action items for each of the roles.

VALUE CARDS AT THE LARGE RELATIONSHIP

Value card for the relationship was a fallout of the analysis of tensions existing in the

four dimensions as represented by Voice of Customer, Strategy, Employee and

Technology.


48/54

A tool called Value Card was used to analyze the problems faced by the relationship in

relation to these tensions and to arrive at workable solutions to the identified problems,

within designated timeframes. The Value Card helped to effectively capture and track

this through the following steps:

The situation summary was charted out

Improvement goals, action plans and owners of each plan were identified

Success measures were identified against the dimensions of Valuing, Strategizing,

Improving, for each actionable, along with timeframe for closure.

Impact was analyzed in terms of short term and long-term actions.

Value Card deployment has substantially helped the relationship to retain its Account of

Choice status.

IMPROVEMENTS THROUGH MEASUREMENTS/ INITIATIVES:

EXCELLENCE AT THE LARGE RELATIONSHIP (AEP)

The Account excellence program (AEP) at the large relationship was modeled on the lines of the

Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award/Tata Business Excellence Model , which touches

upon 7 key categories viz leadership, Strategic Planning, Customer and market focus,

Measurement, Analysis and Knowledge Management, HR Focus, Process Management and

Business Results. This was aimed to help the relationship to evolve towards meeting changing

business needs with agility.


49/54

The AEP was initiated as a change driver & umbrella for business excellence initiatives in the

relationship to facilitate creation and balancing of value to all stakeholders employee,

shareholder, customer, supplier and society.

The AEP has also engendered a value creation framework encompassing quality, service, cost

and cycle time through setting benchmarks in the following:

Meeting all customer requirements

Minimizing processes variances

Reduction in Cost Of Quality

Elimination of waste

Enhanced Customer Support

Efficient Product Service

Flexibility to mee

Documents

Organizational effectiveness in organization's development