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Organization Development and Change: Chapter Five: Diagnosing Organizations

The document discusses frameworks for diagnosing organizations, groups, and jobs from an open systems perspective. It presents diagnostic models that examine the alignment between inputs, design components, and outputs at the organization, group, and individual levels. The goal of diagnosis is to collect information, analyze problems, and develop interventions to improve alignment across all levels. Key areas of focus include strategy, structure, culture, goals, tasks, teams, and individual roles.

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emamutia
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228 views

Organization Development and Change: Chapter Five: Diagnosing Organizations

The document discusses frameworks for diagnosing organizations, groups, and jobs from an open systems perspective. It presents diagnostic models that examine the alignment between inputs, design components, and outputs at the organization, group, and individual levels. The goal of diagnosis is to collect information, analyze problems, and develop interventions to improve alignment across all levels. Key areas of focus include strategy, structure, culture, goals, tasks, teams, and individual roles.

Uploaded by

emamutia
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Organization Development and Change

Chapter Five:
Diagnosing Organizations

Thomas G. Cummings
Christopher G. Worley
Learning Objectives
for Chapter Five
• To equip students with a general framework
of OD diagnostic tools from a systematic
perspective
• To define diagnosis and to explain how the
diagnostic process provides a practical
understanding of problems at the
organizational level of analysis

Cummings & Worley, 7e (c) 2001 5-2


South-Western College Publishing
Diagnosis Defined

Diagnosis is a collaborative process between


organizational members and the OD
consultant to collect pertinent information,
analyze it, and draw conclusions for action
planning and intervention.

Cummings & Worley, 7e (c) 2001 5-3


South-Western College Publishing
Open Systems Model
Environment

Inputs Transformations Outputs


• Information • Social Component • Goods
• Energy • Technological • Services
• People Component • Ideas

Feedback
Cummings & Worley, 7e (c) 2001 5-4
South-Western College Publishing
Properties of Systems

• Inputs, Transformations, and Outputs


• Boundaries
• Feedback
• Equifinality
• Alignment

Cummings & Worley, 7e (c) 2001 5-5


South-Western College Publishing
Organization-Level
Diagnostic Model
Inputs Design Components Outputs
Technology
General

Organization
Effectiveness
Environment Strategy Structure

Culture
Industry
Structure
HR Measurement
Systems Systems

Cummings & Worley, 7e (c) 2001 5-6


South-Western College Publishing
Key Alignment Questions
• Do the Design Components fit with the
Inputs?
• Are the Design Components internal
consistent? Do they fit and mutually support
each other?

Cummings & Worley, 7e (c) 2001 5-7


South-Western College Publishing
Organization-Level Inputs
• General Environment
– External forces that can directly or indirectly
affect the attainment of organizational
objectives
– Social, technological, ecological, economic, and
political factors
• Industry Structure
– External forces (task environment) that can
directly affect the organization
– Customers, suppliers, substitute products, new
entrants, and rivalry among competitors

Cummings & Worley, 7e (c) 2001 5-8


South-Western College Publishing
Organization Design Components
• Strategy
– the way an organization uses its resources
(human, economic, or technical) to gain and
sustain a competitive advantage
• Structure
– how attention and resources are focused on task
accomplishment
• Technology
– the way an organization converts inputs into
products and services
Cummings & Worley, 7e (c) 2001 5-9
South-Western College Publishing
Organization Design Components

• Human Resource Systems


– the mechanisms for selecting, developing,
appraising, and rewarding organization
members
• Measurement Systems
– methods of gathering, assessing, and
disseminating information on the activities of
groups and individuals in organizations

Cummings & Worley, 7e (c) 2001 5-10


South-Western College Publishing
Organization Design Components

• Organization Culture
– The basic assumptions, values, and norms
shared by organization members
– Represents both an “outcome” of organization
design and a “foundation” or “constraint” to
change

Cummings & Worley, 7e (c) 2001 5-11


South-Western College Publishing
Outputs
• Organization Performance
– e.g., profits, profitability, stock price
• Productivity
– e.g., cost/employee, cost/unit, error rates,
quality
• Stakeholder Satisfaction
– e.g., market share, employee satisfaction,
regulation compliance
Cummings & Worley, 7e (c) 2001 5-12
South-Western College Publishing
Organization Development and Change

Chapter Six:
Diagnosing Groups and Jobs

Thomas G. Cummings
Christopher G. Worley
Learning Objectives
for Chapter Six
• To clarify the concepts of group and job
level diagnosis
• To define diagnosis and to explain how the
diagnostic process discovers the underlying
causes of problems at the group and job
level of analysis
• To present an open systems diagnostic
model for group and job levels
Cummings & Worley, 7e (c) 2001 6-14
South-Western College Publishing
Group-Level Diagnostic Model

Inputs Design Components Outputs


Goal Clarity

Organization Task Team Team


Design Structure Functioning Effectiveness

Group Group
Composition Norms

Cummings & Worley, 7e (c) 2001 6-15


South-Western College Publishing
Group-Level Design Components
• Goal Clarity
– extent to which group understands its objectives
• Task Structure
– the way the group’s work is designed
• Team Functioning
– the quality of group dynamics among members
• Group Composition
– the characteristics of group members
• Group Norms
– the unwritten rules that govern behavior
Cummings & Worley, 7e (c) 2001 6-16
South-Western College Publishing
Group-level Outputs
• Product or Service Quality
• Productivity
– e.g., cost/member, number of decisions
• Team Cohesiveness
– e.g., commitment to group and organization
• Member Satisfaction

Cummings & Worley, 7e (c) 2001 6-17


South-Western College Publishing
Individual-Level Diagnostic Model

Inputs Design Components Outputs


Organization Goal Variety
Design
Task Individual
Group Identity Autonomy Effectiveness
Design
Task Feedback
Personal Significance about Results
Traits

Cummings & Worley, 7e (c) 2001 6-18


South-Western College Publishing
Individual-Level Design Components
• Skill Variety
– The range of activities and abilities required for
task completion
• Task Identity
– The ability to see a “whole” piece of work
• Task Significance
– The impact of work on others
• Autonomy
– The amount of freedom and discretion
• Feedback about Results
– Knowledge of task performance outcomes
Cummings & Worley, 7e (c) 2001 6-19
South-Western College Publishing
Individual-level Outputs
• Performance
– e.g., cost/unit, service/product quality
• Absenteeism
• Job Satisfaction
– e.g., internal motivation
• Personal Development
– e.g., growth in skills, knowledge, and self

Cummings & Worley, 7e (c) 2001 6-20


South-Western College Publishing

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