OD can be taken as a
process of changing people and other related aspects of an organization. Thus
it contains of many subprocesses or steps. However, theorists and practitioners
both differ about the various steps and their sequence in OD. This is because
most of the ideas in OD have generated from practices and these practices have
differed from organization to organization. It is not necessary that each
organization may involve all the steps with same results from OD strategy. As
such, uniformity in the steps involved
cannot be expected. Blake and Mouton provide six steps in OD programmes:
studying the managerial grid as a theoretical framework to understand
behavioral dynamics of organizations culture, study of the dynamics of the
actual work team, launching similar activities in different units, engaging the
top team, implementation tactics for transforming the organization into the
above model, and measurement of changes. Beckhard provides five steps:
diagnosis, action and process maintenance.
The difference in the various steps as described by various
scholars and practitioners is due to the defining scope of a particular step.
Moreover, since OD is on ongoing interactive process – a process is an
identifiable flow of interrelated events moving over time towards some goal –
many of the events overlap, and in real practice, a clear cut demarcation
between various events becomes a difficult. In OD programmes, various steps may
be problem identification and diagnosis, planning change strategy, intervening
in the system, and evaluation. These step are not exclusive to each other and
do not follow the same sequence but interact with each other.
1.
PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION AND DIAGNOSIS: OD programme leads to meet certain objective in the organization
because OD is a means and not an end in itself. Thus it attempts to solve some
organizational problem. The problem may be a gap between desired path of action
and actual path of action, that is the organization fail to meet its objective
on a long term basis. OD programme starts with the identification of the help
in identifying the problems. Diagnosis gives correct identification of the
problem and its causes and determines the scope of future course of action.
Diagnosis in OD involves a number of techniques concerned with identifying
concerns and issues, establishing priorities and translating them into aims and
objectives. At this stage itself, the collection and analysis of data is
undertaken. Major consideration is given to techniques and methods used to
desirable organization system, the relationships between the element or sub –
systems and ways of identifying major problems and issues.
Problem identification flows almost immediately into analysis.
Once a problem is identified, the analysis will show why the problem exists.
The analysis will identify the variables that can be altered or changed by the
organization and its management, such as leadership style, organization
structure, organizational objective, etc. In other words, analysis brings the
identification of environment that has caused problems.
2.
PLANNING STRATEGY FOR CHANGE: When the problems are diagnosed, the OD practioner – either
consultant or management, but preferably consultant – plans the various courses
of action in OD. Attempts are made to transform diagnosis of the problem into a
proper action plan involving the overall goals for change, determination of the
basic approach for attaining these goals, and the sequence of detailed scheme
for implementing the approach. Although it is a relatively simple matter to identify
changes after they have occurred, it is considerably more difficult to
influence the direction thrust of changes while they are under way. Thus,
planning and implementation of change while they are under way. Thus, planning
and implementation of change are interdependent; the ay in which change is
planned has an impact on the way in which it is carried out and conversely the
problems of implementing change have an impact on the ay in which it is
planned.
3.
INTERVENING IN THE SYSTEM:
Intervening in the system refers to the planned programme activities during the
course of an OD programme. these planned activities bring certain changes in
the system which is the basis objective of OD. There may be various methods
through which external consultant intervenes in the system, such as education
and laboratory training, process consultation, team development etc. which will
be discussed later.
4.
EVALUATION: This step
relates to evaluate the results of OD programmes so that suitable actions may
be followed up. Since OD is a long process, there is an urgent need for careful
monitoring to get precise feedback regarding what is going on as soon as an OD
programme starts. In this respect, the use of critique sessions, systematic
appraisal of change efforts and pre – post – training behavioral patterns are
quite effective. This step again involves data gathering because such data will
provide the basis for OD efforts evaluation and suggest suitable modification
or continuation of OD efforts in similar direction. All parties concerned in OD
programme need to realize that if major organizational improvements are to be
made and sustained, managerial practices with respect to many sub – systems
will need to be modified if these practices are not congruent with the OD
effort because there exists the possibility of slip back and regression to old
behavioral pattern if adequate changes in other parts integrating behavioral
change are not made.
