Organizational Change

Discussion and Review Questions

Why is diagnosis so vital in organizational change programs?

      Diagnosis is important because it is use to trace the cause of the problem.

We cannot solve the problem immediately without knowing the cause of it. By means of diagnosis, organization can evaluate their effectiveness. So as to improve the management, it is important to know the effectivity because it is essential for our growth.

                        

                            Through diagnosis, management associates the problem with skill, attitudinal, behavioral, and structural causes and selects the appropriate intervention.

Explain the concept of organization intervention and why any particular management or organization change can be considered an intervention.

       

   Intervention is a specific action that a change agent takes to focus the change process. It also refers to a formal activity. Organization change can be considered as intervention because as what I have noted, organization conducts diagnosis to trace the cause of problem and in order to promote change. Promoting change needs action and this is intervention.

 Might some managers attempt to implement a particular intervention, such as TQM, without first diagnosing whether the intervention would be appropriate for their organization’s problems?

               Sometimes they just wanted to solve the problem without diagnosing, so that everything will be fine. Maybe they are lacking with the evaluation.

Why is it important for managers to reduce the resistance to change exhibited or covertly practiced by employees?

   

 Employee resistance to change is a behavioral and/or emotional response to actual, perceived, or imagined threats brought about by work change.

             It is important for the managers to reduce the resistance to change practiced by employees because in an organizations where life is a constant-push-pull of new ideas, the ability to overcome resistance is a critical skill.  

Evaluate the ethical issues associated with downsizing an organization by reducing its labor force to increase the organization’s long-run chance of survival. What other ethical issues can you identify in the practice of organizational development as you understand it thus far?

             Downsizing involves reducing the size of the workforce, and often closing some operations and consolidating others.

             The objective of downsizing is to increase the organization’s long-run chance of survival and to be more efficient and production though there are traumatic aspect involve by eliminating some position and operation still business is business.

Describe the relationships among the steps of the steps of the change model depicted in this chapter and the process of unfreezing-new-learning-refreezing. Which steps of the model are related to which elements of the relearning process?

             Forces for Change

                         affects

            Performance Outcomes

                                 Encourage

                 Diagnosis of the Problem

                                 Leads to

                Selection of appropriate

                   As constrained by

               Limiting Conditions

                        Followed by

                Implementation of the Method

                     Provision for

               Evaluation of the Method

How is the appreciative inquiry approach to organizational change different from a problem-solving approach?

            When we say appreciative inquiry (IA) it is an organizational change process that focuses on diagnosis and presentation of positive characteristics of change, the process, and the outcomes while problem solving approach Problem-solving method is focused on the identification of problems, shortfalls and deficiencies of the organization. This includes the survey method wherein the issues of the employees are being assessed.

Explain why a change program should be evaluated and why such an evaluation is so difficult to conduct.

           Change program is important to evaluate the effectiveness. Evaluation is difficult to conduct because in establishing an evaluation you need to know first what is the objective of your evaluation and there should be relevance with each other. The evaluation should also be reliable for you to use it as your information diagnosis.

Case for Analysis: Bayer’s Major Change in One Plant

Discussion Questions

1.      What type of change(s) occurred at Bayer?

Structural change

Behavioral change

Technological change

2.      What type of employee resistance to change did Bayer have to address?

Downsizing

Empowerment

Telecommunicating

3.      What are the positive and negative lessons learned from how change was handled at Bayer?

Negative

     As one employee said,” it would be nice if managers were really sincere in this, but we’ve all been through this before. I think this is going to be another flavor of the month.”

Positive

     As an employee said,” I felt like the entire process was handled extremely well.”

    “The thing I really appreciated about the process was that the managers listened to what everyone had to say, treated us as equals and really valued our opinions.”

Experiential Exercise: Alternative Ways to Initiate Change

COMPLETING THE EXERCISES

Phase I: Evaluate the five alternatives, and prepare an oral report defending their choice.

 The five alternative ways was I think credible and will be effective but in my opinion I think number 4 will be more effective.

The 4 left, for me was obliging the employee’s to attend and participate. Yes they will attend but we are not sure that they will participate.

Phase II: Discuss the choices made by you as well as your reasons for picking a particular alternative.

I choose number 4 because I believe that talking to the employees sincerely will struck their heart and they will participate enthusiastically with the training knowing that it is for their company.