Respond to the following:
What are the major diagnostic models and techniques used in OD programs? How are these models used to identify system parameters and recognize, in turn, the symptoms, problems, and causes that result in ineffective organizations?
This forum is reflective (No citations/references required). First person is acceptable.
Reply to the following response with *** 125 words minimum, including direct questions to the post***. (please make response as if having a conversation, respond directly to some of the statements in below post.This is not providing an analysis of the original post.Respectfully address it and even ask clarifying or additional questions.)
These responses are to be informative and contribute to advancing the knowledge of the topic .
1. Organizational development is about continuously developing refining processes and systems for efficiency. There are many tools and techniques like the Likert scales and Gannt charts used to diagnose problems. One tool we use to gauge employee satisfaction is the employee net promoter score (eNPS). The survey runs quarterly, and results are shared with leadership. These tools and many others help measure a whole system, whether it is evaluating financial health, performance or enhancing company culture.
Assessing a problem before developing a plan of action should be one of the first strategies. The example of a physician is great because imagine going into a doctor's office with a symptom and they started treating based on a few statements before running tests. Tests may identify different issues than what was first believed resulting in unnecessary treatments or misdiagnosis. The same thing can happen to organizations. Developing strategies based on quick observations and no data to support it can result in poorly designed interventions or missing the root cause altogether.
Even when problems are identified, change can be difficult without a well-planned strategy. I really like Lewin's change model when it comes to implementing change. Have you been part of a project to improve a process and heard someone say, "that's the way we've always done it?" It is difficult to change the process for someone who has done a job the same way for the last 25 years. Following Lewin's change model, you have to "unfreeze" their ways before you can make the change. And for someone who is set in their ways, can be very challenging. There could be many reasons as to why a person doesn't want to change because some are afraid of change, insecurity, or simply don't agree with the decision. Understanding and communicating throughout the process is important to change. Another good brainstorming tool is the force field analysis, which shows what the problem is and what the positive and negative forces are. This could be a good tool to use when evaluating an employee's performance. The video of Marvin Weisbord reminded me of the early days as a production worker in a manufacturing environment. Engineers did time and motion studies to analyze processes for more efficient ways of producing the product. They came back with new design changes that looked great on paper but did not always work in reality. There was a disconnect between the engineers and employees who did the job because they did not seek employee feedback during the process.
2. Diagnostic models are defined by Shirom and Harrison (1995) as models that "identify conditions in and outside an organization that identify problems, limit effectiveness, and can facilitate organizations change and improvement" (p. 1). The authors go on to identify various types of diagnostic models; implicit, informal, and unwritten which are generally informal without a detailed action plan. Subsequently, these authors also identified a fourth diagnostic model; explicit, which are commonly more formal and put in writing (Shirom and Harrison, 1995, p.6). By implementing a formal plan of diagnosis, explicit models use a holistic approach to identifying inefficiencies within an organization. Explicit models are traditionally split into four steps, the first of which is to identify frames in which to view the organization. Frames are defined by Shirom and Harrison (1995), as "theoretical approaches or views of organizational life that often include sets of related models, some of which are useful in diagnosis (p.5). Once an overview of an organization's operations has been conducted, step two of the process develops a systems-based approach of the observed problems and then identifying how these issues are linked to organizational features. In step three, the explicit model's implementation plan is developed and then initiated; playing close attention to the root causes by using critical analysis of the data collected. Finally, feedback is obtained from member of the organization and stakeholders to measure success of the model. By using this four step method, organizations are able to comprehensively evaluate their business, identify inefficiencies and thereby link them to flaws within their business model, culture or a combination of the two.
Shirom, A., & Harrison, M. I. (1995). Diagnostic Models for Organizations: Toward an Integrative Perspective: INTRODUCTION; Diagnostic Models in Planned Change. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 1(1), 1-23.
Please don't just rephrase their info, but respond to it. Remember to answer question at the end if there is one.