WEEKLY ASSIGNMENT

1. What is OD. Describe the major Operational goals which usually underlie OD efforts ?
MEANING OF OD Organizational development deals with improving a companys performance and individual development of its employees. Each organization should be viewed as a coherent system composed of separate parts. Organizational development as a process includes methodologies and achievements in strategic planning, organizational design, leadership development, coaching, diversity and balance between work and life. Business enters a new era, we need other personal qualities - emotional intelligence, ability to manage, to set goals and follow them, to be confident assertive, creative, to self-improve continuously. Only strong and complete individuals can make a profitable and stable business. The term organizational development identifies the stages through which organizations go in the process of their development. You could say that organizational development is the way organizations change, evolve. This understanding is based on the assumption that organizations, just like human beings, have cycles of development, each characterized by its specific problems, crises and ways to overcome them. When we say organizational development we mean the various techniques and interventions that are planned and implemented in order to assist or facilitate the implementation of certain planned and consequential changes in the structure, processes and human resources within the organization. Organizational development process is planned, as it requires systematic diagnosis, program development and mobilization of resources (financial, technical, human) in a separate structural unit or entire organization. It is described as a process that includes efforts to improve various activities in the organization. Organizational development involves the analysis of strategy, structure and culture of the organization. Organizational development analyzes formal and informal parts of the organization. The formal parts of the company that it analyzes include objectives, structure, policy, human resources, and compensation. The informal ones include values, attitudes, social relationships,

etc. Organizational development focuses on performance and health of the entire organization, not on an individual. It is designed to achieve organizational goals that will lead to the satisfaction of people working in the organization. The main objectives of the organizational development as a form of consultation are to: -Solve problems -To help people acquire knowledge and skills Organizational development consultants act as a catalyst that helps an organization to solve its own problems by improving its capabilities. The consultation process is defined as a set of activities by the consultant who helps the client to perceive and understand the problems in the organization and to learn to act on solve them. There are different models of organizational consulting: Expert-model: If the client seeks specific information and expertise to solve problems or issues. The responsibility lies with the client. This model works well in the following conditions: the client has correctly diagnosed and presents problems identified as the consultants spatiality, ensuring the ability of the consultant to give him/her the expertise, to know the nature of information that he/she wants and to be able to accept the consequences. Pattern of organizational consulting doctor-patient: In this model, the consultant makes the decision, but has additional power to diagnose the problem. In this model, the consultant assumes responsibility for the decision.

THE GOAL OF ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELPOMENT The goals of organizational development are formulated on the basis of particular situations. These goals or objectives vary from place to place and situation to situation. In, simple words, the objectives of an enterprise are customized to suit the requirements of different situations of the organization. However, the basic objectives have certain common things. Some of the common and important goals of organizational development are as follows.

The objectives of a company are focused on educating individuals of the company about the mission of the enterprise. Organizational development enables employees to align with the mission of their company. This keeps the workers united to achieve the common goal.

Workers are motivated to solve the problems of the enterprise assigned to them instead of avoiding those problems. Solving problems sharpens the skills of the employees which in turn improves their performance and allow them to stretch in their positions. As a result, employees work effectively to their fullest potential in achieving the targets of the company.

Workers are encouraged to participate in the planning process depending upon their skills. This makes them realize their responsibility and drive them to work for proper and effective implementation of the plan. Workers participation increases their working efficiency to perform better to attain the targets and objectives of the company.

Certain objectives of the company are directed at developing good communication channel between workers and management of the enterprise. The absence of a communication channel may give rise to communication gap which may act as a big obstacle in uniting the employees as well as the resources of the organization. An effective communication channel develops trust, cooperation and helps in strengthening ties among workers as well as management to strive hard for the success of the company.

Organizational development aims at creating a friendly and stress free working atmosphere where workers are encouraged and motivated to work efficiently for the profitability of the company. Such an atmosphere at the place of work facilitates better working environment so that workers work enthusiastically. As a result, their efficiency as well as productivity is enhanced; this is necessary for the healthy growth of any business enterprise.

With changing business environment, it is necessary to implement changes within the organization. Organizational development creates a conducive environment of trust which motivates and guides workers in an organization to accept the changes resulting from dynamic changes in a business. Acceptance of change by workers boosts the working efficiency of the organization to perform better.

Thus, the primary and common aim is to repose trust and confidence among the workers of the organization. When the employees feel that they are an important part of the enterprise, they work enthusiastically and contribute their best efforts for the success of the organization. The increased efficiency as a result of increased cooperation by all employees of the company goes a long way in enhancing the overall performance of the enterprise. Companies that achieve desired goals of organizational development enjoy an edge over their counterparts in the market and fare better. On the other hand, business enterprises that do not capitalize on attaining desired objectives lag behind and fail to succeed in the long run.

OD CHARACTERISTICS/COMPETENCIES OD focuses on development of organizational culture. OD focuses on overall development of organization and individuals with win-win strategy. It relies heavily on action research. It deals with improvement of ongoing processes. OD focuses on total system change and views organization as complex social system. Delegation of authority, empowerment, and quality of work life a sense of autonomy are the hallmark of OD programme. OD practitioners are facilitators and collaborators. Their assistance in identification of problem areas, arriving at a solution, implementation and feedback is necessary. Their services are valuable. OD is characterized by study and development of multiethnic culture that is supportive of work ethics. People with diverse value system, culture, and interests should be able to work effectively under one roof and achieve cordial relationship with fellow employees. It should be able to help achieve organizational effectiveness. Organizational development is a joint responsibility of owners, employees, investors society, government agencies and consumers. It must be understood that the organizations exist for all of them.

SUMMARY Organization development offers a prescription for improving the fit between the individuals and the organization, between the organization and the environment, and among the organizational components such as strategy, structure and process. The prescription is implemented through inventions and activities that address specific problematic conditions. Organizational development is a continuous process. The programmes are implemented on short-term as well as long-term basis. Organization Transformation (OT) may be called as the second generation OD as suggested by Porras and Silvers. Organizational development is a set of behavioural science based theories, values, strategies and techniques aimed at the planned change of the organizational work setting for the purpose of enhancing individual development and improving organizational performance through the alteration of organizational members on the job behaviours. In OD, there is a reciprocal influence between culture, strategy, structure and processes; each is important and each influences the other. When we study the profile of organization culture, it is identified as autocratic/feudal culture, bureaucratic, entrepreneurial, and technocratic. Innovations are carried out to solve complex organizational problems through laboratory training, survey research and feedback methodology, action research and socio-technical and socio-clinical approach to organizational development. Second generation OD efforts revolved around organizational transformation, learning organization,total quality management, visioning and virtual organizations. We should understand what are various objectives of organizational development programme before a beginning is made.