Organizational Change, Development, and Learning Module 15 Organizational Change, Development, and Learning

Learning Objectives 1. Explain the phenomenon of organizational learning and its underlying dimensions. 2. Describe the alternative organizational learning mechanisms. 3. Describe the relationship among organizational learning, change, development, and effectiveness. 4. Define the field of organizational change and development (OC&D). 5. Compare and contrast any two of the systemwide OC&D interventions. 6. Describe the different types of change problems. 7. Explain some of the challenges that OC&D faces in the global arena.

Key Terms and Concepts Action research Continuous improvement Eclectic planned change approach Integrated learning mechanism Intervention Learning organization Organizational change and development (OC&D) Organizational development (OD) Organizational diagnosis Organizational learning Organizational learning mechanism Organizational memory Parallel learning mechanism Parallel learning structure Planned change Reengineering Sociotechnical system (STS) Total quality management (TQM)

Module Outline Premodule Preparation Introduction Organizational Learning Organizational Change and Development (OC&D) Systemwide Approaches to Change and Development Toward an Eclectic Planned Change Approach Planned Change and Organizational Effectiveness Organizational Change and Development in the International Context Summary

Premodule Preparation Activity 15-1: Planned Change at General Electric Objective: To appreciate the complex process and the management of a planned change program. Case Study: The Transformation at General Electric New Culture, New Systems The Work-Out Program–A Generic View The Structure of the Work-Out Process The Results of Work-Out Managing Work-Out Best Practices Assignment (Written)

Introduction Focus on: Total-system strategy: applied behavioral science approach or organizational development (OD) orientation Total-system strategy: improving organizational effectiveness concerning both macro and micro aspects of change and development

Organizational Learning Defining Learning Organizations and Organizational Learning Organizational Learning Mechanism

Organizational Change and Development (OC&D) Diagnosis Selection of Strategies Types of Interventions Target Group-Based Clustering Consequence-Based Clustering

Organizational Change and Development (OC&D) (Continued)

Systemwide Approaches to Change and Development The Sociotechnical System (STS) Approach Total Quality Management Reengineering A Comparative Examination

Systemwide Approaches to Change and Development (Continued)

Toward an Eclectic Planned Change Approach

Planned Change and Organizational Effectiveness Cumulative results of empirical investigations point toward conclusion that OC&D is successful strategy of planned change Published research on OD evaluation: (1) identified general problems and developed guidelines (2) demonstrated methods for evaluating change efforts (3) identified and resolved specific methodological issues

Planned Change and Organizational Effectiveness (Continued) OD literature survey (1948-1982) identified 65 studies recommending: (1) goals and expected results of the intervention stated clearly (2) intervention clearly defined and clearly described (3) intervention demarcated from the outcomes (4) why specific dependent variables were selected and how were they measured (5) adequately describe: experimental design utilized sequence of observations frequency and time span of measurement beginning and termination of the intervention

Organizational Change and Development in the International Context Guidelines for adopting OC&D in different cultural contexts: 1. Evaluate the ranking of the dimensions of culture in the given situation. 2. Make a judgment as to which values are most deeply held and unlikely to change. 3. Evaluate the “problem appropriate” interventions ranking on the dimensions of culture. 4. Choose the intervention that would clash least with the most rigidly held values. 5. Incorporate process modifications in the proposed intervention to fit with the given cultural situation.

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