Unit 3.9 - Organizational Development Intervention

Question 1

What are OD interventions and their 4 levels?

Answer 1

An OD intervention is a set of structured activities designed to improve some aspect of organizational functioning.

1. Interpersonal interventions
2. Group interventions
3. Intergroup interventions
4. Organizational interventions

Question 2

What are interpersonal interventions?

Answer 2

Directed toward individuals

• Coaching and counseling
• Sensitivity training
• Process consultation - better ways to work

Question 3

What are group interventions?

Answer 3

• Group diagnostic meetings - purpose is to identify problems and identify which are most crucial
• Team-building meetings
• Role analysis technique - reduces uncertainty in assignments
• Responsibility charting - who’s responsible, who needs to be informed, who approves, who supports

Question 4

What are intergroup interventions?

Answer 4

When there’s conflict between two groups (ex. HR and finance)

• Finding a common enemy
• Joint activities (ex. forcing them to work together in a less high stakes environment)
• Rotating membership (ex. having people switch teams)
• Conflict resolution meetings

Question 5

What are organizational interventions?

Answer 5

Company-wide, entire organization

• Survey feedback - ex. engagement surveys; common
• Knowledge management programs
• Structural change - ex. changing reporting relationships; common
• Quality and performance management - TQM

Question 6

What is quality & performance management (TQM)?

Answer 6

The purpose of TQM is to reduce errors to zero and to improve the quality of service.

Elements:
* Performance Planning
* Setting & Communicating Performance Standards
* Measuring Results & Providing Feedback
* Implementing Performance Improvement Strategies
* Evaluating Results

Major steps in TQM:
- Defining major functions and services that must be performed
- Determining customers and suppliers of these services
- Identifying customers’ requirements and developing quantitative measures to assess customer satisfaction regarding the requirements
- Identifying the requirements and measurement criteria that the suppliers’ through the process must meet
- Mapping/flowcharting the process among each department
- Continually improving the process with respect to effectiveness, quality, cycle time, and cost