Page 160 - DMGT520_ORGANIZATION_CHANGE_AND_DEVELOPMENT

Unit 11: Implementation and Assessment of OD

Validity: Validity concerns the extent to which a measure actually reflects the variable it is Notes
intended to reflect.

11.5 Prerequisites to Success of OD

There are many things that can grow in an OD programme. The conditions which are accepted
as necessary for optimal success of an OD programme by Wendell French and Cecil Bell:
 Top management awareness of problem: Top management and other key people must be
aware that the organisation has a problem. The top management actually decides the
time, effort and money to be invested in an OD programme.

 A behavioural science consultant must be brought into the picture. It is the consultant job
to diagnose the problem.
 The OD effort should involve the human resource people and should be in line with the
current personnel policies and practices.
 The organisational personnel must build on what they learn from the OD change agent.
 The OD effort must be carefully monitored: The change agent and the organisational
personnels must communicate with each other so that all understands where the
organisation is heading.

 The process must start slowly and gain momentum through its own success. The
management in consultation with the change agent should plan the activities for success
of the intervention.

 Action research must be used: The change agent needs to make a preliminary diagnosis,
gather data, feed it back to the personnels and develop a plan of action and follow-up.

 The OD effort in order to be truly successful, must be monitored in terms of checking on
the personnel attitudes regarding what is going on and determining to the extent to which
the problems are identified and being resolved.
Self Assessment

State whether the following statements are true or false:
1. OD interventions should take a holistic view of the organisation and secure top management
support.

2. The secondary situation that whether the intervention would work similarly in other
situations is referred to as internal validity.

11.6 Failures in OD Efforts

Limitations of organisation development are given including some by French and Bell:

 Imprecision of definition and conceptualization concerning OD.
 Inadequacy of client-consultant relationship.
 Non-availability of behaviour science consultant who has expertise in OD.
 Lack of knowledge of skillful interventions and effectiveness of various strategies.

 Failure in linking of OD changes with other sub-systems.

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