The role of models in organisational diagnosis

The role of models in organisational diagnosis It is impossible to attend to everything that affects how an organisation functions, therefore we focus on:
A limited number of key elements that appear to offer a good representation of the real world. The ways in which these elements interact with each other.

We use our implicit models of organisational functioning to:

Guide the kind of information we attend to Interpret what we see Decide how to act.

A methodology for developing a collaborative model of organisational functioning

Diagnosing organisation-environment fit

1. PEST

Political factors Economic factors Socio-cultural factors Technical factors

Strength Weaknesses Opportunities Threats

2. SWOT

Diagnosing organisation-environment fit

3. Strebels evolutionary cycle of competitive behaviour

Breakpoint

Convergence of offerings

Innovation
Variety creation

Efficiency
Survival of the fittest

Breakpoint

Divergence of offerings

Diagnosing internal alignment

Pascal and Athos 7S model

STRATEGY
Purpose of the business; nature of the competition; relationship between espoused and actual strategy. Division of activities; integration and co-ordination mechanisms; nature of informal organisation. Formal procedures for measurement, reward, and resource allocation; informal routines for communicating, resolving conflicts etc. Demographic, educational and attitudinal characteristics of organisational members. Typical behaviour patterns of key groups such as managers and other professionals and of the organisation as a whole. Core beliefs and values and how these influence the organisation's orientation to customers, employees, shareholders and society at large. The organisation's core competencies and distinctive capabilities.

STRUCTURE SYSTEMS STAFF STYLE

SHARED VALUES SKILLS.

Diagnosing internal alignment

Weisbords six box model

Purpose
What business are we in?

Relationships
How do we manage conflict among people? How do we manage relationships with our technologies?

Leadership
Is someone keeping the six boxes in balance?

Structure
How do we divide up the work?

Helpful mechanisms
Have we adequate co-ordination technologies?

Rewards
Do all needed tasks have incentives?

External Environment

Diagnosing internal alignment

Nadler and Tushmans congruence model

Transformation process

Informal organisation INPUTS Task

Strategy

OUTPUTS Formal organisation

Environment, Resources, History

Organisation, Group, Individual

Individual

FEEDBACK

The Burke-Litwin causal model of organisational performance and change External

Environment

Leadership Mission and strategy Organisation culture

Management Practices Structure

Systems (policies and procedures)

Work unit climate

Tasks and individual roles

Motivation

Individual needs and values

Individual and Organisational performance

The Focus for Transformational Change

External Environment

Mission & strategy

Leadership
Organisation culture

Management Practices

Structure

Systems (policies and procedures)

Work unit climate

Tasks and individual roles

Motivation

Individual needs and values

Individual and Organisational performance