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Organisational development and sense-making approaches

Q: Kurt Lewin supports these OD interventions for the practitioner with a three-stage model that consists of?

Unfreezing : how the organization operates through establishing the need for change Changing : the organisation by implementing new behavior through cognitive restructuring Refreezing : the change into the operations of the organisation by integrating new behaviors into social and organisational relationships

30 important questions on Organisational development and sense-making approaches

What is the aim of the OD approach?

The OD approach is commonly presented as being aimed at incremental, developmental, first-order change.

Others claim that the classic OD approach is revolved around three sets of core values. The values are constructed from human psychology and focus on developing people in organisations and helping these people to achieve satisfaction. What are the three values?

Humanistic values: relate to honesty, integrity and openness

Democratic values: relate to involvement, freedom of choice and social justice

Developmental values: relate to growth authenticity and self-realization

What is special about the classic od approach?

The classic OD approach focuses more on the interests of people rather than the interests of management and profitability of the firm

The role of the OD practitioner is central and could be internal or external to the organisation. What is the aim of a typical OD practitioner?

Structure activities to help the organisation members to solve their own problems and learn to do that well (French and Bell)

The OD practitioner must monitor a number of steps (8x)

- Problem identification
- Culsultation with an OD practitioner
- Data gathering and problem diagnosis
- feedback
- joint problem diagnosis
- joint action planning
- change actions
- further data gathering

What is the difference between intrapersonal skills and interpersonal skills?

Intra: a well-developed set of values and personal integrity, including the ability to maintain their own health in situations of stress

Inter: the ability to work in groups and build trust easily

Kurt Lewin supports these OD interventions for the practitioner with a three-stage model that consists of?

Unfreezing: how the organization operates through establishing the need for change

Changing: the organisation by implementing new behavior through cognitive restructuring

Refreezing: the change into the operations of the organisation by integrating new behaviors into social and organisational relationships

What are some other criticisms of the OD method related to?

The extent to which the model can deal with leadership, strategic change, power and reward.

What does Warner Burke argue about OD?

The traditional values of OD are no longer being honored and put into practice. This is mainly because current practitioners are in the position to implement changes such as mass dismissal and the rebuilding of the organisation. These changes are against the central values of OD, because individuals will get hurt. Therefore, OD has lost some of its power, presence and perspectives.

What does David Nicholl argues about practitioners?

OD practitioners must remember that they should assist both individual development and organisational performance - which are seen as contradictory elements. He proposes that they not only view organisations as institutions for profit, but also as social institutions.

Other OD writers challenge managers to improve their organisation on what points?

More inclusive (more levels of involvement)
Create mutual accountability
reinforce interdependence
expand notions of time and space
ensure the wise use of natural resources
redefine the purpose of the organisation in terms of multiple stakeholders

What is the claim of the managerial (or leadership) grid developed by Robert Blake and Jane mouton?

Claimed as the first systematic approach to organisational change.

In the managerial grid, seven forms of leadership are mentioned that vary in their emphasis on people vs results. Which seven?

Controlling
Accommodating
Status Quo
Indifferent
Paternalistic
Opportunistic
Sound: most preferred, because it is concerned with both people and results

What is the criticism of Marshak on the managerial grid?

Marshak argues that the perspectives of organisational change differ fundamentally between east and west. Along with other writers Marshak agrees that the OD values are not universal, thus implying that national culture dimensions should be carefully considered when recommending specific OD interventions

There is a doubt about the suitability of the OD model for second grade, large-scale changes in organisations. In response to these criticisms techniques are developed that make the OD model suitable for use in large changes. Give some examples

- simu real
- future search
- search conference
- participative design
- whole-system design
- open space technology
- appreciative future search
-real-time strategic change
- fast-cycle full participation
- ICA strategic planning process
- large-scale interactive process

What is the argument of proponents of large-scale interventions

People who were first in opposition, are willing to work together to produce restructured bureaucratic hierarchies and the results are produced with greater speed, higher dedication and less resistance in the organisation through innovation, adaptation and learning.

What are arguments of the opponents of the use of OD regarding large-scale interventions?

They argue that system-wide culture change programs are less relevant, because there is a need for faster reactions that involve specific situational interventions

What are arguments of the opponents of the use of OD regarding the traditional OD model?

The organisation is viewed as the 'centre of the universe' as system wide changes might not be compatible with other stakeholders such as suppliers, customers, shareowners etc.

What is the focus of appreciative inquiry?

Appreciative inquiry focuses on building upon activities that already work well. This technique consists of four steps, what four?

- discovering discover what works best in current practices
- building building further on this knowledge in order to continue in the future
- designing co-constructing or designing by listening to collective dialogues
- sustaining the organisations future

What are according Fuller, Griffin and Ludema the advantages and disadvantages of Appreciative inquiry?

+

it creates new constructive conversations, releases the self-sustaining capacity of learning, flourishes the necessary conditions for the organisation and provides a reservoir of strength for positive change

-
the approach is successful in reaching the outcome but it is difficult to establish because it is based on propositions rather than on research

What is the aim of Positive Organisational Scholarschip (POS)

Identifying 'positive deviances': dynamics can lead to exceptional performance, such as the development of human strenght, the production of resilience and renewal and the promotion of vitality.
Afterwards, organisations undergoing this approach try to understand the behaviors and dynamics of these 'positive deviances' and figure out on how to spread them throughout the organisation

The POS perspective involves the four connotations described by one of its founders (cameron) which four?

Adopting a positive lens: when dealing with either successes or problems

Focusing on positively defiant performance: investigating outcomes that are well in excess of any normally expected performance, that are extra ordinary

Assuming an affirmative bias: the view that positivity generates the capacity for greater achievements

examining virtuousness: assuming that all 'human systems' are inclined towards the highest aspirations of mankind

Fineman had 4 criticisms regarding POS, which four?

There is no general, clear definition of positive behavior hence this may vary per area

There is doubt whether positivism and negativism really are isolated from each other or that hey are two sides of a coin in which each positive point also brings something negative with it or vice versa

positive behavior and emotions can vary by cultural environment

There is also a 'dark side' of positivism, since not everyone responds positively to positive programs such as a culture of fun in the workplace

What is the defence to this criticism?

POS is not just about ignoring or disguising negativity within the organisation, but that it is the general focus on the positive aspects of the organisation

What is the role of the change agent within the model of POS?

To enhance the quality of life for individuals who work and are affected by organisations but critics urge POS advocates recognizing power relations and interests in the organisation that can restrict certain actions. In addition, the change manager must recognize that things that are seen as positive can be seen as negative in another context, so not everyone will have a positive experience.

What is according to Mantere the sense-making process?

It starts with 'sense-breaking' (challenging appropriateness of the status quo)

followed by 'sense-giving' (reshape people's understandings of the direction of the firm)

The sense-making model of Karl weick argues against three assumptions of change, which three?

- the assumption of inertia
- the assumption that a standardised program of change is needed
- the assumption of unfreezing

Explain the assumption that a standardised program of change is needed

According to Weick this assumption does not provide room for the four drives to implement organisational change, according to him the drivers are:

- animation, direction, paying attention and updating, respectful candid interaction

How is sense making defined by Rouleau and Balogun?

' a social process of meaning construction and reconstruction through which managers understand, interpret and create sense for themselves and others of the changing organisational context'

Explain the concepts of frame-validating and frame-breaking

Framing of change is fragile. With employees' interpretations of senior management varying from frame-validating (accepting) to frame-breaking (challenging). The change manager as interpreter has no guarantee that his views will not be contested.

Mental models can make people resistant to change

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