Organizational Development Case Study

ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CASE STUDY RASHMI . S

CASE AT A GLANCE !!!!! • The case is a leading company whose growth has been steadily declining over the years due to internal problems . • • The internal problems are both on part of the ; • 1. Top Management • 2. Front line and Middle Management • 3. Employees.

PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED !!! 

q Lack of co-operation between the sub-units. 

qIncreasing complaints from customers. q q Sagging morale among the workforce. q q Rapidly increasing costs.

solutions Ø Lengthy dialogue with the CEO – understand view pts, attitude, behaviour. 

Ø Observe reactions of sub-ordinates & employees to CEO’s statements. Ø Ø Conduct Interviews with all the CEO’S subordinates – problem areas. Ø Ø Group the feedback into general categories “Boss”, “Meetings”, “Administrative Services”, “Customer relations” …. – feedback, prioritize.

Ø Conduct workshop for employees and CEO together – usually workshop conducted for 2-3 days with no work during those days. Ø Ø Ø Workshop – motivation , leadership, group dynamics, team performance , effectiveness …. – mainly… Ø Ø Ø Act as a moderator / coach and help group analyze and bring optimal solutions to the problems given. Ø Ø Ø Must break up team into syndicates- increased intense brainstorming – better team dynamics . Ø

Ø Design workshop- time for stress free and recreational activities – greater mutual understanding & better trust and relationship among participants. Ø Ø last day – help team develop “next action plan ” for the problems discussed in the workshop. 

Ø Fix a future date with the organization (mostly 3 months) after which organization’s progress is mapped & workshop or additional training to achieve the remaining goals. 

Ø Work with Top management to institutionalize the process of “Strategy” with constant feedback & grievance systems from employees – HR in charge.

Success case studies. The case :

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Helped the new CEO turn around a software company to position it for business success.

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The OD consultant :  Maya Townsend, Founder, Partnering Resources, Cambridge, MA 

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Critical

actions

• Work began with a plan to get the executive team to think creatively about the company and its future. • The executive team identified the core purpose, values and strategy for the company. • Realizing that the entire company needed to accept their work in order to implement it successfully, the leadership team engaged managers in defining actions needed to achieve the strategy. • The leadership team presented their work to all employees in an energized, creative town hall meeting. • The leadership team cascaded the strategies through the entire organization so all employees saw how their goals contributed to the core purpose of the company

Results Ø Ø Said the CEO, “This initiative has been an unqualified success. We have a clearly defined strategy and the management of the company is more energized than I’ve ever seen them. We have built the foundation to be a truly great company.”

Ø Ø more case details found at www.odsuccesscases.htm.

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FAILURE CASE STUDY - ENFIELD Leading business firm called “ENFIELD”.- consistent with many OD practices. Designed & facilitated by top OD practitioners of then.  Developed difficulties with the goals set by OD practitioners.  2 fold problem • without proper mindset – people engage in same old problems • Participative mgmt- effective during single change system but hopeless during double loop systems. 

Ø Result : Changed into a traditional top – down approach Company. Ø Ø Ø Abstract Taken from “Reinventing organization development ”- David.L. Bradford , Wyatt Warner Burke 

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