Page 174 - DMGT520_ORGANIZATION_CHANGE_AND_DEVELOPMENT

Unit 12: Issues in Consultant – Client Relationship

Notes
Pankaj and said: “The system is grossly unfair and inaccurate as a measure of performance.
The real objective is to control total cost. My department has done this, even though we
were over in labour costs. There was a heavy snowstorm last month with lots of frozen
lines, and we had to get people out there on overtime. The real need is to maximise
customer service and to keep costs to a minimum, which we have done.”
Two other department managers complained that the system was unfair, and several
engineers are threatening to resign. In their complaints to Pankaj, they pointed out that it
appeared that Suman was only looking for failure to report, under the cover of the MBO
system. Bhuvan Lal thought: ‘We may need to take another look at our system; maybe
MBO doesn’t work in a utility.’

Question:
Discuss the above Case and Explain it in detail.

12.9 Summary

 Numerous issues have to do with establishing the initial contract, identifying who is the
client, establishing trust, clarifying the role of the consultant determining the appropriate
depth of intervention, examining the consequent, is of being absorbed by, the organisation’s
culture,
 Issues such as viewing the consultant and consulting teams as models, applying action
research to OD, terminating the relationship, and ethical standards.
 These issue important implications for practitioners, top management, and the organisation.

12.10 Keywords

Entry: The process that describes how an OD practitioner first encounters and establishes
relationship with a client system.
Microcosm Group: A small, representative group selected from the organisation at a large to
address important organisational issues.

Model: A simplification of some phenomena for purposes of study and understanding.
12.11 Review Questions

1. Discuss the role of consultant as a model.
2. ‘We believe that the more extensive the OD consultant’s knowledge of management and
organisation, the more effective the OD consultant can be.’ Discuss.

Answer: Self Assessment

1. formal compensation 2. face-to-face meeting
3. good deal 4. True
5. True 6. True
7. True

LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 169