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 :


 Helped the new CEO turn around a software

company to position it for business success.


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


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.
•
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


Ø
THANK YOU