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

3. 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.

4. 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)

5. 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

6. 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)

7. 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

8. Organizational Learning
Defining Learning Organizations and Organizational Learning
Organizational Learning Mechanism

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

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

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

12. Systemwide Approaches to Change and Development
(Continued)

13. Toward an Eclectic Planned Change Approach

14. 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

15. Planned Change and Organizational Effectiveness
(Continued)
OD literature survey ( ) 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

16. 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.

17. Summary ?
Questions