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Block 4 OD Interventions

Unit 1 Definition, Factors To Be Considered, Nature And Classification Of OD Interventions

1. What is the role of the consultant in Organisation Development Intervention?

The role of the consultant in Organisational Development (OD) intervention is multifaceted and includes facilitating team building, group development, structuring activities, and guiding behaviour modification. The consultant acts as a change agent, helping the organisation to identify issues, develop solutions and implement them effectively.

2. OD objectives do not focus on what?

OD objectives focus on promoting a problem-solving culture, finding synergistic solutions, and open communication. 

3. “Organisational development has become imperative in view of dynamics of external environmental conditions and internal tensions and strain”. Justify this statement.

Organisational development (OD) is crucial because external environmental conditions and internal tensions are always changing. Organisations must adapt to stay competitive, which means they need to focus on continuous improvement in their processes, structures, and culture. OD provides a framework for managing this change and addressing the root causes of problems, rather than just the symptoms, to create a more adaptable, effective, and healthy organisation.

4. What is an OD Intervention? Discuss its concept and nature.

OD interventions are structured activities that selected groups or individuals engage in with the goal of organisational improvement and individual development. They constitute the 'action' aspect of OD, involving planned activities introduced into the system to accomplish desired changes and improvements. Interventions are based on diagnosis and the goals desired by the client system. They may vary in range, depth, and penetration into the organisational system, and the purposes they serve. OD interventions are not simply management development, but focus on improving the organisation as a whole, using techniques inherited from the Human Relations Movement.

5. Describe the factors to be considered for OD interventions.

Several factors should be considered when designing and implementing OD interventions, including:

1. The extent to which it fits the needs of the organisation: The intervention should address the specific issues and concerns identified through diagnosis.
2. The degree to which it is based on causal knowledge of intended outcomes: The intervention should be based on an understanding of what causes the desired outcomes.
3. The extent to which it transfers change-management competence to organisation members: The intervention should help the organisation to manage future changes independently.
4. Organisational readiness for change: The organisation's receptiveness and willingness to undergo change.
5. Change capability: The organisation's ability to effectively manage change processes.
6. Cultural context: The organisation's culture, including values, norms, and beliefs.
7. Change agent's skills and abilities: The consultant's competence and experience.
8. Ethical Considerations: Consultants should disclose their expertise and its limitations, and intervene within their capabilities or recommend someone more suitable.

6. Discuss the types of interventions based on the underlying causal mechanisms given by Robert Blake and Jane Mouton.

Blake and Mouton's classification focuses on different intervention dynamics that produce change using different causal mechanisms. These mechanisms include:

• Feedback: Providing information about an individual's or group's performance.
• Awareness of changing socio-cultural norms or dysfunctional current norms: Helping members to understand norms.
• Increased interaction and communication: Improving communication and collaboration among members.
• Confrontation: Addressing differences in beliefs, feelings and attitudes, values, etc.
• Education: Upgrading knowledge, skills and concepts.
• Participation: Involving members in problem-solving and goal setting.
• Increased accountability: Making members responsible for their actions.
• Increased energy and optimism: Creating positive attitudes and confidence in the process of change.

The interventions can be further categorised into:

• Human Processes: T-groups, process consultation, team building, etc.
• Techno-Structural: Formal structure change, total quality management, work design, etc.
• Human Resource Management: Goal setting, performance appraisal, career planning, etc.
• Procedural interventions: Focused on how something is done.
• Relationship interventions: Focused on interpersonal relations.
• Experimentation interventions: Testing different action plans.
• Dilemma interventions: Using dilemmas to force examination of choices.

• Perspective interventions: Drawing attention to historical context, future objectives.

7. Elucidate the major “families” of OD intervention activities.

OD interventions can be categorised into several families based on their objectives and targets:

• Diagnostic Activities: Fact-finding activities to determine the current state of the system using interviews, surveys, and other methods.
• Team Building Activities: Activities to enhance the effectiveness of teams, focusing on tasks and relationships.
• Intergroup Activities: Activities to improve the effectiveness of interdependent groups.
• Survey Feedback Activities: Using surveys to gather information for problem identification and action planning.
• Education and Training Activities: Activities to improve individual skills, abilities, and knowledge.
• Techno-Structural or Structural Activities: Activities designed to improve the effectiveness of organisational structures and job designs.

• Process consultation activities: Activities that focus on interpersonal relations and the way people function within the organisation.
• Coaching and counselling Activities: Helping others to define learning goals, learn how others see their behaviour and learn new behaviours.
• Life and Career Planning Activities: Helping individuals to focus on their objectives.
• Third-Party Peacemaking Activities: Activities conducted by a skilled person to resolve conflict.
• Large scale system change: Activities that involve major changes in the entire organisation.

Important Points

1. The organisation is treated as an interrelated whole and no part of the organisation can be changed without affecting other parts is systemic approach. This concept is not directly related to sensitivity training or goal setting.
2. Interventions will provide data needed to make subsequent intervention decisions should come first to maximise diagnostic data.
3. Human resource issues are among the most critical facing organisations in today’s changing and competitive environments.
4. Issues that have to with social processes occurring among organisation members, such as communication, decision making, leadership, and group dynamics are human process issues.
5. Team building, group development, and process consultation are all considered OD interventions, behaviour modification, on its own, is not a typical OD intervention.
6. Visioning is an intervention that motivates people to contribute towards a desirable future.
7. Activities designed to improve the effectiveness of organisational structures and job designs are techno-structural activities.