Final Exam: Org. Diagnosis Flashcards
1
Q
What other profession has consulting been compared to?
A
Like going to the doctor; we see symptoms but no root cause
2
Q
As a consultant, we aim to diagnose what three aspects of a company?
A
Effectiveness, efficiency, and health
3
Q
Named three added values of a consultant?
A
1) Organize problems into a cohesive idea
2) Point out a client’s abilities instead of just focus on problems
3) Draw out motivation for change from management, by using/showing/talking about strengths
4
Q
What is one of the main goals of consulting?
A
Learn the problem and understand the system root behind the problem
5
Q
What is considered a HUGE GOAL of consulting?
A
Differentiating between sources and symptoms
6
Q
What system did Michael Harrison introduce?
A
Open System Model
7
Q
Describe what a feedback loop is.
A
An organization should always have feedback from the environment in order to learn, plan, force, and organize based on what they learn. It’s everywhere, always in an organization, i.e. through business intelligence, surveys, customer satisfaction.
8
Q
Why does a consultant need to understand the environment that the organization is located in?
A
It’s like understanding the context/background of a child, if don’t understand those pieces of information, it is harder to understand the child.
9
Q
Name some important aspects to consider when assessing the environment of a company.
A
1) industry
2) public v. private
sector
3) customers
4) pace of change
5) competitors
6) software, hardware, services, etc. restaurant (food - under regulation —> big brother that tells you how to work, etc.)
7) level of volatility
8) composition of the workforce
expectations
10
Q
What do we as consultants need to be aware of, in terms of objectivity?
A
Not to include our own interpretation into what we are seeing.
11
Q
What are unobtrusive measures?
A
Method of research, where a research primarily takes on the role of the “viewer”, sees things, don’t need to do anything. we can use it for our org. diagnosis, even without talking to anyone.
12
Q
Name several type of environments we may observe.
A
Physical Geographic Political Economic Regulatory Cultural Judicial Customer Supply Competitive
13
Q
Name aspects of an organization that we may take note of:
A
Physical Communication Structural Cultural Learning Thinking Interpersonal
14
Q
What are the two-stage process for a worldview?
A
Framing and Interpretation
15
Q
Describe the term phenomena.
A
Plainly what we see/hear. no objective proof. something we are witnessing.
16
Q
Describe the term Interpretation
A
Giving meaning to what we see, often judgemental
17
Q
Describe the term Fact
A
can be proven to be true.
18
Q
While observing a meeting, what are some questions we may ask ourselves?
A
who is speaking?
how much are they speaking? how many times? for how long?
is there a leader of the meeting? who is that person leading the meeting? is it the manager?
body language
distractions? are people on the phone?
how are people seated?
do ppl sit in the same position?
how do they make decisions/conclusions? do they decide together? do they take into account minority opinion?
materials - ppt/observation
time - beginning on time? ending on time? how much are they devoting to each subject? what about if there is a conversation that is happening
19
Q
Describe what a consultant’s world view should contain?
A
Distinguish between a fact and an interpretation
Each person has a different world view
Ask to contradict not to confirm assumptions
Do not hurry to make conclusions
Try to give systematic interpretations
20
Q
What system did Ichak Adizes introduce?
A
Life Cycle
21
Q
What are an organization’s life cycles?
A
Birth, infancy, adolescence, maturity, prime, aging and death.
22
Q
Name three purposes of the life cycle model.
A
To examine the behavior of organizations across the lifecycle
To understand the forces that allow the organization to develop and grow between each stage
What causes them to eventually grow old and die?
23
Q
Name three assumptions of the life cycle model.
A
Every living organism and every organization is a living system aims to be versatile and effective in the short and long term. An organization is thriving in its’ prime when it is good at this versatility. When management performs optimally it enables the organization to achieve this state. However poor management will hamper the organization’s ability to develop to its’ prime.
Nothing lasts forever, except for changes; changes are inevitable and every organization experiences them.
Understand and incorporate this as a “corporate medical science”
24
Q
Name this stage: “Falling in love with the idea” – an important stage in order to build the level of commitment which is required to establish an organization
In this stage there are low self control mechanisms and high flexibility
Successful transition to the next stage occurs when the required commitment has been established, risks have been taken, and the organization is starting to be built.
Ideas fail at this phase when there has there is no sufficient commitment established. The idea collapses when faced with a dose of reality. It ends up becoming a nothing more than a novel romance which ends abruptly – aka “the affair.”
A
Courtship
25
What are normal characteristics of the courtship phase?
```
Excitement, reality tested
Details thought through
Realistically committed founder
Product orientation
Commitment to risk
Founder in control
```
26
Name this stage:
The organization was born, and is behaving like a baby
Management style - a single perspective of the founder
Systems have not yet been built, there are no rules and policies. Work is done by the opportunities and crises that arise. Enthusiasm is high.
Close interpersonal organizational climate
Flexibility and little control help towards a higher chance at survival in this stage
Success and transition to the next stage happens when the organization creates a first stage product, makes a stable commitment and is not afraid of taking risks. There is also a balance between growth and the availability of money.
Failure in this stage is called “Infant mortality"; this happens when the founder loses control, and the commitment to the organization growth and / or loss of total liquidity.
Infancy
27
Name Abnormal Characteristics of the Courtship Phase.
```
No reality testing of the commitment
No details thought through
Unrealistic fanatic founder
A profit orientation – kills the idea
Rapid development
Founder’s control in vulnerable
```
28
What are normal characteristics of the Infancy phase?
Commitment not threatened by risk
Negative Cash flow
Lack of management depth
Few Systems
No delegation, one person show with a willingness to listen
Lack of planning casing management to jump from crisis to crisis
Short-term financing for short term investments
Benevolent dictatorship
29
Name Abnormal Characteristics of the Infancy Phase.
```
Commitment destroyed by risk
Unanticipated neg. cash flow
Premature delegation
Premature Rules
Arrogant founder
Unmanageable Crises
Short-term financing for long-term investments
Dictatorship
```
30
Name this phase of the life-cycle. Organization takes wild leaps, there are frantic sales, rapid growth, and a very high sense of success.
The company is organized around people, not around tasks and responsibilities.
The company responds quickly and successfully to opportunities, but doesn’t necessarily focus on business development.
Problems are seen as opportunities.
Success and transition to the next step happens when management systems are built, and processes are established which manage and operate the organization without a central control
Failure in this stage is called the founder trap, it happens when the founder is unable to institute a systematic and professional management structure.
Go-Go
31
What are normal characteristics of the Go-Go phase?
```
Self Confidence
Eagerness
Insufficient cost controls
Lack of discipline (staff meetings)
Unclear communication
Unclear responsibilities
Internal disintegration
```
32
Name Abnormal Characteristics of the Go-Go Phase.
```
Arrogance
Lack of focus
No cost controls
No staff meetings
No communication
```
33
Name this stage of the Life cycle: The organization is now reborn and must separate from the Founder (emotional farewell). This is the most difficult transition period.
There will be multiple clashes between groups within the organization (us vs. them, and old vs. new)
There is a stark inconsistency in monitoring targets, a lack of alignment between the goals of the actual work and rewards that distributed, meetings are usually useless, and an overall experience of frustration is rampant.
Success in this stage occurs when the organization moves beyond an entrepreneurial type of management and creates real structured processes. There is also real profitability, not just sales.
Failure in this stage happens when the many confrontations cause complete system paralysis and stagnation, “Divorce.”
Adolescence
34
What are considered normal characteristics of the adolescence life cycle stage?
```
Conflicts between partners
Temporary loss of org. vision
Policies established partially
Power comes and goes
Founder accept sovereignty
```
35
Name abnormal characteristics of the adolescence life cycle stage.
Return to the gogo stage
Inconsistent goals
Organizational paralysis during endless powershifts
Removal of founder
36
Name this life-cycle stage: Institutional vision and creativity
Organizational structure and systems that enable effective conduct
The company is results-oriented and customer needs oriented
Planning and execution of the strategy is key
Impactful growth incurs by both sales and profitability increases.
There are nascent formation of new groups within the organization (rejuvenation).
Prime
37
Name characteristic problems for the Prime life-cycle stage.
Insufficient managerial depth
38
Name abnormal characteristic problems for the Prime life-cycle stage.
Insufficient decentralization
39
Name the following life-cycle stage:
Maturing past the prime is not guaranteed and depends on the ambitions of senior management, as growth is still possible and is on the agenda.
The level of ambition is influenced by three main factors:
1. The mental stamina of the people standing in positions of power and strategy
2. The relative market share that the organization holds
3. The functionality level of the organizational structure.
Strong and stable company lose its flexibility
No motivation for change / innovation
Good cash flow -> dormant culture
financial results exceed forecasts, and there is an excellent cash flow. The focus is on the “how” and the “who” rather than the “what” and the “why”
Success in this stage happens when innovation is instituted and intrapreneurship is enabled, rejuvenation is critical.
Failure in this stage happens when the company avoids any changes, tries not to make any waves
The organization at the end of it’s Prime Aging and the Fall of the organization
40
What are normal problem characteristics of the "Fall" stage?
Nothing! There is no normal aging problems!
41
What are characteristic abnormal problems of the "Fall" stage?
Signs of disintegration
Signs of decreased entrepreneurial activity
Satisfaction with the results and the process
A sense of security, no sense of urgency
Longer hours at the office
Hesitation of taking risks
Loss of org. vision
42
Name this stage: The organization focuses on past achievements rather than its vision of the future
There are low expectations for growth, market domination and breakthroughs.
There becomes a practiced form of the way in which things are done. The question is "How did you do that" (and not “what” or “why.”)
Aristocratic organizations distinguish codes for dress, how colleagues are contacted, important ways to access information, location of conference sessions and use of spaces.
These organizations are apprehensive of change and take a conservative approach to innovation which is risk-averse (they don’t want to do mergers and acquisitions)
Corporate laziness is rampant, there is decreased activity and output, and a decrease in profitability.
The organization falls into the Finzi-Contini Syndrome – they believe that problems are temporary and transient
Aristocracy
43
Name this stage. There are multiple failures in this stage, with negative consequences.
There are various internal conflicts, and energy is directed inwards towards the organization instead of towards the customers and business. The organization is busy keeping afloat and has no room for expansion.
Paranoia paralyzes the organization
Internal conflicts end up concerning everyone internally and do not allow time for the organization to address the needs of external customers.
The end of this stage signals the beginning of the “death” of the organization, unless it is a governmental organization in which external resources “feed” the bureaucracy .
The end result is a full bureaucracy
Recrimination - Early bureaucracy aka. Salem City – Witch Hunt
44
Name this life stage: Many systems are instituted which serve few functions
There is a general detachment from the environment and steep internal focus
There is no sense of control
The bureaucracy forces the customers to develop sophisticated approaches to circumvent the road blocks of the system, or breaking them completely - customers are inconvenienced
“Worship of the written word”
Beauracracy
45
Name this stage. Lack of resources available to reward members of the organization for their work
Employee turnover, nobody wants to come to work and there is no reason to show up
This occurs when no one is committed to the organization, not the owners, employees or even customers.
A strong sense of failure
Death
46
What type of questions do we ask ourselves to utilize the life cycle model?
At what stage is the organization on the lifecycle?
How aware of this are the management members / managers?
Which problems exist in the organization and are they normal / abnormal for it’s developmental stage?
How the organization was born?
What events were critical in influencing the organization’s development?
47
What are the 7 steps of Org. Diagnosis?
1. Entrance, acquaintance, goals
2. Psychological contract, diagnosis plan
3. Choose models
4. Prepare methodologies
5. Execution
6. Analyze data and write report
7. Meet with client and present findings and recommendations
48
What Model did Weisbord introduce?
The Six Box Model
49
According to the Six Box Model what are the six most important aspects?
1. Management
2. Purposes
3. Org. Structure
4. Rewards
5. Helpful Mechanisms
6. Interpersonal Relations
50
What two questions is the six box model guided by?
1. What is the gap between the formal and informal organization?
2. What is the degree of correlation between the ideal and realistic organization?
51
Six Box Model: Name this term defined by the following:
Answers the question: Who balances the system?
Focuses on the management style and its fit to the organizational state:
The degree to which the leadership leads
Do the management team complement one another?
What is the functionality of management and board of directors?
An examination of the decision making process.
What is the degree to which employees participate in the decision making process?
Management and Leadership
52
Six Box Model: Name this term defined by the following:
Answers the Question: What business are we in?
Examining the relevance of the field of expertise and fit of the objectives of the organization by examining:
types of customers
type and distinctiveness of product
niche of the organization, and the strategy to achieve its purpose
Congruence of this with other systems within the organization.
This term = vision, mission, strategy (not the same as planning the implementation on the day-to-day, goals
Purposes
53
Six Box Model: Name this term defined by the following:
Examination of this and division of labor in accordance to the needs of the organization and environment
Examination of the flexibility of this
Does this adjust for size and complexity?
What is the degree of decentralization or concentration of power required?
What is the flow of knowledge and relationships between various departments and the environment?
What is the capacity for learning and adaptation? - what is the growth mindset?
What is the level of role and organizational flexibility?
Organizational Structure
54
Six Box Model: Name this term defined by the following:
Examination of motivation and rewards practices in the organization:
Are there incentives for each of the tasks?
Are the rewards material?
Which benefits and other methods are used to motivate employees?
Does the organization dedicate time and resources to the promotion and development of employees?
Do activities promote involvement and participation? Diversity? Interest or responsibility?
Rewards
55
Six Box Model: Name this term defined by the following:
Everything in the infrastructure of the organization that helps the company move forward.
Examine the existence and functionality of mechanisms which are designed to help the organization reach its goals.
For example, methods of control, feedback mechanisms, assessments, satisfaction surveys, safety regulation, quality assurance mechanisms etc.
sometimes the software does not coincide with the way an organization wants to work.
Helpful Mechanisms
56
Six Box Model: Name this term defined by the following:
Examining the characteristics of the human element of the organization: •
Examining the existing organizational culture
Is there a nature of openness and acceptance, or mutual trust?
Does the culture encourage trial and error?
How are conflicts managed between people in the organization?
What is the climate of relationships between the units of the organization in general?
What is the level of support and acceptance of various employee ideas?
Interpersonal Relations
57
Six Box Model: Name this term defined by the following:
Explanation of the relationship of the organization with this.
In this stage, each subsystem will be examined on its’ relationship with the environment that the organization exists within.
Environment
58
Name three assumptions of Weisord’s Model
1) An organization is built from various departments. These departments are interrelated with complex relationships, but at the same time independent of each other.
2) We must look at the organization as a whole, and not focus on a single systems model.
3) This model focuses on examining the organization internally (doesn’t deliberately include environment, or other aspects external to the organization).
59
Name Four Advantages of the Weisbord's Model
1) Diagnostic process
2) Organizes information into clear categories
3) Shows the relevance of the leader in a good way -> links between him, the categories and the org.
4) Quick and simple diagnosis
60
Name Three Disadvantages of the Weisbord's Model
1) Problems are more complex and not limited to 6 categories
2) No interdependent relationship between the categories shown
3) Only suitable for simple diagnosi
61
Under Weisbord's Model what types of Questions you would ask interviewee?
In your opinion, what do you think the company values?
Do you feel the values of the organizations are felt in daily activities? (yes/no. hard to answer. and assumes that employees know the values and that the values are stated by the organization) —> can you give me an example of how staff meeting works - how do you hold staff meetings, is everyone allowed to talk, does the manager have a veto power , or tell me about your most recent experience with client.
What is the target customer demographic?
Who are your main competitors?
What do you find meaningful about your work?
What in your product/service stands out from competition?
How do you define success? (Indirect)
Does the current state of the company reflect the stated vision of the organization?
What need does the company fulfill?
What do you find meaningful about your work —> question that shows whether employees identify with the culture/values
Do you connect to the values of the company?
Different questions/different phrasing is more appropriate/less appropriate for different people.
62
Under Weisbord's Model what types of Questions you would ask interviewee, specifically related to Helpful Mechanism + Purpose of Company - Relationship Questions:
How do you use the new CRM in daily work? (Helps you find out whether they use one, how they feel about it) When you work with the CRM what is transparent to you about what other people are doing with their clients?
When you work with a software what parameters do you use that allow you to document/review information about customers.
How does x software help you work/promote teamwork?
How are people trained on systems? Are people using the program? Do they feel it is helpful?
Who do you need to consult (inside/outside the company?)
What are the considerations? What regulations do you need to consider?
63
What Model did McKinsey (Peter Waterman) introduce?
The 7-S Model
64
According to Peter Waterman, what are Mckinsey's 7s?
1) Strategy
2) Structure
3) Systems
4) Staff
5) Style
6) Skills
7) Superordinate Goals (ie. Shared Values)
65
Which model does this describe:
Holistic Management Model
Contains seven main elements which are both independent and connected to one another
Internal to the Organization
Hitting each of these elements will lead to the implementation of the organization’s strategy and success
McKinsey’s 7
66
Name the “S”?
An operational plan, with a clear orientation towards vision and goals
Its’ goal is to preserve and build a competitive advantage, positioning the organization as leader in the market
Important to consider the environment and factors which are internal to the organization
Short and long term
Can be seen and expressed in all areas of the organization: management, marketing, finance, etc.
Leading Questions
How do we intend to achieve these goals?
How will we deal with the pressure in the wake of competition?
How do you deal with changes in customer requirements?
How does this adopt to environmental changes?
Strategy
67
Name the “S”
Serves the strategy and goals
Processes that enable the realization of the organization’s mission
Determines the hierarchy
Defines different roles and what communication looks like between them – who reports to whom?
Leading Questions:
How is the company/departments divided?
What is the hierarchy?
How do different departments coordinate activities?
How are team members organized within the team?
Is the decision making process centralized or decentralized?
Should the it be this way, given our goals?
What are our lines of communication? Are they explicitly known or implicit?
Structure
68
Name the “S”
Activities and processes carried out by employees in order to accomplish their job
Control mechanisms, quality, learning, procedures, and laws
These are expressed in:
Marketing
Financial transactions
Communication
Information storage
Management and so on
Leading Questions:
What are these operating in the organization?
What roles and internal processes do team members use?
How does information flow?
How is information managed?
Systems
69
Name the “S”
Relationships and teamwork, communication, motivating employees, commitment, satisfaction, pressure and burnout
Skills development and employee training
Recruitment with interpersonal skills required
Leading Questions:
What are the roles or specialties within the teams?
What roles should be filled?
Are there gaps in required skills?
What is the policy of cultivating and developing employees?
Staff
70
Name the “S”
The main “S” of the leadership in the organization as a body with one identity
Decision making protocols
Characteristics of successful managers
To what extent does this “S” suit the different situations that are occurring in the organization?
Leading Questions:
To what extent is the management/leadership “S” collaborative?
How effective is this leadership?
Do employees tend to be competitive or collaborative?
Are there real functional teams within the organization or “nominal” groups only?
Style
71
Name the “S”
Define the core competencies of the organization and employees
Knowledge, “S”, abilities and learning capacity
Compare the existing situation versus a desirable future state
Leading Questions:
What are the roles or specialties within the teams?
What roles should be filled?
Are there gaps in required “S”?
What is the policy of cultivating and developing employees?
Skills
72
```
Define the “S”
Values and basic beliefs that make up organizational identity
The company’s credo
Acceptable norms of behavior
Leading Questions:
What are the core values?
What is the organizational culture?
How strong are the values?
What are the basic values on which the organization is structured?
```
Superordinate Goals (ie. Shared Values)
73
Describe uses of McKinsey’s 7-S Model.
McKinsey’s 7-S Model:
1) Improvement, retention and performance
2) Organizational change
3) Mergers and Acquisitions
4) Best way to implement a strategy
5) Description of current, future, proposed situation – identifying gaps
6) New organizations in the process of establishing and searching for identity
74
Name advantages for the 7-S Model.
Identify different gaps: Formal vs. Informal Perception and Environment Elements:
Adaptability:
- Connections and systemic vision
- Hierarchy of influence – values as a unifying factor
- Environment, organization boundaries
75
Disadvantage of the 7-S Model
Doesn’t focus on innovation as entity within the organization
76
What is the single most important element of the 7-S Model?
Shared Values
77
Describe the types of questions that relate to 7-S when going in to interview and provide an example of an intro/type question.
We should make sure that questions are not leading.
Some questions need to be systemic/holistic, open-questions, research about industry/the company/media-coverage.
Example: Can you explain me a little bit about your role here? What is your background here?
78
Provide some strategy-related questions.
Do you know where/how the organization is growing? Do you see changes in your job that require the company try to be more competitive in the market? Do you see changes in the market that might affect your role and the position in your company? Who would you define as your key competitors?
79
Give an example of an indirect question.
Can ask a team leader: do you know what is the most important role of your job versus what is the most important part of your role as manager? How do you define an excellent employee? What is rewarded in the organization?
80
Name two of the most important assets a Consultant may have.
Trust and integrity
81
What does CAPI stand for?
Coalition of Authority, Power and Influence
82
What Model did John Kotter introduce?
Change Management
83
What are the 8 stages of the Change Management Model?
1) Establish a sense of urgency
2) Form a powerful coalition
3) Create a vision
4) Communicating the vision
5) Empowering others to act on this vision
6) Planning for and creating short terms wins
7) Consolidating improvements and producing still more change
8) Institutionalizing new approaches.
84
Name five possibilities as to why Change Management may fail?
1) A weak culture that isn’t aligned with the mission
2) Lack of participation and buy-in
3) Under communicating a powerful vision
4) Not enough training or resources
5) Change battle fatigue
85
Name an Action Needed and Common Pitfall for the following Change Management Stage:
Establish a Sense of Urgency
Action: At this point, a leader needs to convince his managers that the status quo is more dangerous than the fear of the unknown.
Pitfall: Underestimating the resistance that may develop due to people being in their comfort zones and their fears of taking risks.
86
Name an Action Needed and Common Pitfall for the following Change Management Stage:
Guiding Coalition
Action: Assemble a team of people with a shared commitment to guide the change.
Pitfall: Selecting the wrong team of people.
87
Name an Action Needed and Common Pitfall for the following Change Management Stage:
Create a Vision
Action: Create a vision and develop strategies to realize that vision.
Pitfall: Creating a vision that is too difficult to understand or too complicated.
88
Name an Action Needed and Common Pitfall for the following Change Management Stage:
Communicate the Vision
Action: Spread the Vision throughout the organization.
Pitfall: Under-communication.
89
Name an Action Needed and Common Pitfall for the following Change Management Stage:
Empower other to act on vision
Action: Encourage the ideas and remove the systems that may undermine the new vision.
Pitfall: Failure to remove persons in power seeking to undermine the change.
90
Name an Action Needed and Common Pitfall for the following Change Management Stage:
Plan for and create short-term wins
Action: Engineer visible improvements and reward those who implemented these improvements.
Pitfall: Failure to plan for short term successes or leaving it up to chance.
91
Name an Action Needed and Common Pitfall for the following Change Management Stage:
Consolidate improvements and produce more change
Action: Use results from early wins to change processes and systems that may be impeding the transformation process.
Pitfall: Celebrating victory too soon.
92
Name an Action Needed and Common Pitfall for the following Change Management Stage:
Institutionalize new approaches.
Action: Leadership development and succession plans must be consistent with new approach.
Pitfall: Promoting leaders who do not personify the new vision.
93
What Model did Morgan introduce?
Images of Organization
94
What do Moran's organizational theories utilize?
Metaphors - to allow for the creation of a range of complementary and competing insights that brings a familiarity with the different perspectives (paradoxes).
95
What is the following metaphor?
i. Our lives are being taken over by automation
ii. Development of "M" explanations in psychology, philosophy, and science.
iii. The modern organization is a clear example of this: There are regular working hours, regular resting hours, shift changes, and systematic and "M" work content.
iv. This can be seen in fast-food chains: specifically in their sales and service calls which are very "M".
Machines
96
What is the following metaphor?
i. The organization as a live body – this pictures the organization as a system that works and is dependent on the environment.
ii. This metaphor enables organizational analysts to understand issues such as:
iii. Organizations as open systems
iv. Adjusting organizations to their environment
v. Different species of organizations
vi. The relationship these species have with the ecological environment
vii. Today the “biological” perspective is related to the survival of the organization, its ecology, and lifecycle
Organisms
97
What is the following metaphor?
i. In comparison to the machine perspective, as soon as you remove the "M", the entire system will stop functioning.
ii. This is based on the understanding that the "M" is made up of patterns which become more and more sophisticated
iii. The metaphor of the organization as a "M" is based off of the assumption that thought processes take place in the organization and are essential for its’ existence and prosperity.
iv. Examples: Decision making processes, organizational learning processes, and thinking processes.
The Human Mind
98
What is the following metaphor?
i. Looking at organizations as a "M" is a unifying metaphor which connects the environment to members of the organization.
ii. The organization itself is a "M" phenomenon which varies according to the degree of development within the company.
iii. The company has no objectives outside of this consciousness, it exists and is realized only through interactions between members of the organization.
iv. "M" vary from one company to another which helps to understand the difference between organizations in different countries.
Culture
99
What is the following metaphor?
i. "M" has a negative connotation, however it is basically intended to provide a means which will allow individuals to resolve their differences via dialogue and negotiation.
ii. Organizations are "M" if you consider the fact that they are working to find a way to bring order and direction among people with different and conflicting interests.
iii. All corporate activities are based on the interests: organizational goals, structure, technology, defining roles, leadership style, performance and other formal aspects of the organization. They all have a "M" dimension
Political Systems
100
What is the following metaphor?
i. Organizations, and members of the organization are captured in a self-constructed view of reality which gives them imperfect perceptions of the world.
ii. This metaphor explains to us that not everything that we perceive is reality, but reality and truth do exist externally.
iii. This metaphor helps us to go beneath the surface to uncover the unconscious processes that imprison us, and it encourages us to try to change.
Mental Prisons
101
What is the following metaphor?
i. We live in a dynamic and constantly changing world. (We’ll never cross the same river twice, because the water that "M" through varies at every second)
ii. The apparent reality of the organization is based on set fundamental processes which each have their own order and logic.
iii. This metaphor examines the nature and origin of changes in order to decode the logic of it, when we understand the reasoning behind the change , it will be easier for us to operate within the organization
Flow and Transformations
102
What is the following metaphor?
i. Organizations are characterized by obedience and exploitation, there are things that are the product of exploitation and coercion.
ii. Of course, over the years there are differences in this process. An employee is now entitled to leave, labor is not seen as coercion, but the general idea is that organization works on its own interests and does not necessarily take into account the minority.
iii. With this metaphor, we understand that an action may seem from one perspective as an act of survival, whereas another position may see it as an act of exploitation.
Instruments of Control
103
What are five methodologies for organizational diagnosis?
* Analysis
* Conducting observations
* Conducting interviews
* Administering questionnaires
* Learning from experts
104
What model did Cameron & Quinn introduce?
Competing Values Model
105
According to what model, does there exists a constant tension between the 4 models of effectiveness: the open system, rational goals, interpersonal relations, and internal processes?
Competing Values Model
106
Culture differs on what two dimensions?
1. Structure and org processes (valuing flexibility and discretion as opposed to stability, order and control)
2. Org focus (valuing internal affairs as opposed to what's going on in the external environment)
107
Name 4 forms of Org Culture
Hierarchy, Market, Clan and Adhocracy
108
Name the culture:
• internal focus + value stability and control
Example: government agencies
Hierarchy Culture
109
Name the culture:
•external focus + value stability and control
◦The core values of these organizations emphasize competitiveness and productivity, while focusing on the bottom-line (results based that emphasizes finishing the work and getting things done)
Example: banks and insurance companies
Market Culture
110
Name the culture:
•internal focus + flexibility and discretion
◦Extremely cohesive organization (unity) and a fun place to work (similar to large extended family)
◦The relationship between people is central
◦A friendly working environment, where most employees have a lot in common and the leaders are seen as mentors
Example: “Tom’s of Maine” company, who’s founder focused on building respectful relationships with employees, customers, suppliers and the environment itself in order to build the company
Clan Culture
111
Name the culture:
•external focus + flexibility and discretion
◦In these organizations, innovation and risk taking is KEY and the desire to remain visible in the market
Example: Google
Adhocracy Culture
112
What is an Organizational Diagnosis Report?
◦Interpretive report.
◦Directed towards the client.
◦Presents a systematic picture of the organization, including root causes of phenomena and symptoms that are revealed on the surface.
◦Shows challenging insights which are valuable to the client.
◦ Clarifies the rational for the recommendations in the end.
113
In terms of results, a good report is one which includes what 3 elements?
A. Makes the Client want to read it
B. The Client understands what is written within
C. The client is motivated to act on the recommendations
114
According to Cameron, the Organizational Process i made up of what 4 steps?
Gathering Primary info from multiple sources
Analyzing findings
Writing the findings of the report
Formulation of conclusions and recommendations
115
Recommendations occur with systematic interventions at what two levels?
* Micro Level (ie. casual Fridays, fire this person, etc.)
| * Macro level (ie. change strategy/structure, train people in this direction.)
116
Name three Characteristics of a well-worded finding
1. Displays integration of materials that are meaningful to the organization and that touch upon a uniting idea and turn it into a consolidated statement.
2. Corresponds to the issues raised by the client.
3. Often worded in "as opposed to" (comparison between procedures, desired state; logical perception)
P.s. A finding which succeeds to contrast between a stated condition versus a perceived state; notes perceptual contradictions that were discovered during the analysis, could make the issue at hand more prominent.
117
When comparing between an org. diagnosis and qualitative research what three discoveries may be noted?
◦The process of material analysis is very similar
◦The findings section includes categories you extracted
◦The conclusions chapter includes an interpretation of the themes
118
Describe some guiding principles of the org. diagnosis report.
◦Focus on strengths as well as weaknesses
◦Consider the stage in the lifecycle that the organization that you are diagnosing is located in
◦Examine the gaps between the visible and the hidden, between the desires and reality
◦Note the compatibility of different elements in the system
◦Remember to address the different level: organization, group and individual (depending on the objectives of the diagnosis)
◦Examine your personal paradigms about what an effective organization is.
119
Describe various methodologies of the org. diagnosis report.
◦A thorough reading of all material collected several times. Including allowing the material to “interact” with us.
◦ Asking general questions while reading - who? what are? how does? where? what is the meaning? So what? And what next? ... Burrowing the material.
◦Coding*/Categorizing the data in order to find meaning
*Encoding / Categorization = Joining groups of data segments that appear to belong to the same phenomenon
120
Methodologies: Provide an example of labeling
1. Concise, intriguing
2. In practice (vs. research) can be more flexible bc needs to relate to client/natural language, as well as consultant language.
3. Changes over the course of the analysis
4. Often times not saying something new about an organization, but we are presenting it in a different way, we are putting a mirror up to their face that they can't run away from. The way that we are presenting it though causes a discourse of change in the organization.
5. The ability to contain emotionally - ie. not, send and talk about it. Bc often times ppl are blocked emotionally and can’t process it cognitively.
* An example of labeling during the diagnosis of the Israeli police
* “X, Y, and Z have entered the mobile” (inter-generational gap)
* “The person who runs the country and the police is Yonit Levy” (the influence of the media on the perception of the police)
* “A good commander is a commander who...”
* “Tensions between the private life and work..”
121
Please provide 4 guidelines for when using quotes in org. diagnosis report.
* 1 -3 Quotes
* Should perfectly illustrate the findings
* Gives an authentic experiential sense of the phenomena in the organizational language
* Does not reveal the real speaker
122
What is described by the content below:
◦Analysis based on models
◦Content analysis
◦Analysis based on professional knowledge / intuition
◦Use of metaphor
◦Analysis of marginal voices / inspirational voices
Basis for analysis
123
What ethical considerations must be given to the Diagnosis Report?
◦Quotes and examples
◦Confidential corporate information
◦Who else gets the report
◦Interpretations versus valid information
◦The validity of the findings
◦The ability to contain emotionally
124
Describe the four types of roles that make up an organization (P, A, E, I)
P - Performer - run around, want to have
A - Administrator - organized, tidy, protocols for meetings, after meeting send summary, have notes for meeting, finances are organized
E - Entrepreneur - have ideas/dreams, excited, energy around new ideas, generate lots of new ideas
I - Integrator - HR/OD, but it should be apart of management role - puts together mission + people, btwn ppl, ideas + ppl
125
What did Katz and Kahn introduce?
Theoretical Diagnosis of Organization
126
Define Process Introspection
Identifies trends beyond specific events on a developmental continuum. (what happened? how’d we get here? where are we going?) every event is part of a larger context.
127
Describe the process of how to find a “finding”:
1.Collect Data. How?
Asking questions:
What do you know about the market? How is it changing?
What are the strengths AND weakness of organization that will interrupt/help our progress?
Strengths are important, but need to be balanced and show the weaknesses and the gaps.
If all strengths, what is happening? Is it about the type of questions I am asking? Is it my rapport with the client? Are they afraid; of me? Of their managers? Is it not a theme of the organization so they don't say? Nothing about org culture, org style - nothing about the “softer” things.
Change the questions as you go because you want to validate the data.
128
Create an overall picture of the organization, which is the organizational report. A good report includes the following:
1. A product that the client wants to read (short, precise, with examples/findings from the field, which come from phenomena)
2. The client wants to read it AND understands what is written within
3. The client is motivated to act on the recommendations (show them that it is something that can be fixed)
4. Presents a systematic picture of the organization, including root causes of phenomena and symptoms that are revealed on the surface
5. Shows challenging insights which are valuable to the client
6. Clarifies the rationale for the recommendations - makes it feel like an “aha” - leads the client to the recommendations, not surprising.
129
What should findings include:
1. Findings (ie. theme) - analyzing the information into findings/themes = Fact Related Materials
1. Describes central themes analyzed by raw material
2. Needs to integrate material
3. Correspond to issue raised by the client
4. Gap between aspiration and finding
5. Relate to three levels of org: org as a whole, groups, and persons
130
What is the Recommended Structure for Organizational Diagnosis?
◦ Executive Summary
◦Goals
◦Background
◦ Main Theoretical models
◦Methodology
◦Findings
◦SWOT (optional)
◦ Conclusions
◦ Recommendation
◦Optional:
Personal feedback
Appendix
131
Please describe the conclusions chapter:
* The conclusions chapter offers an integrative meaning to the findings
* The chapter is the heart of the report – it transitions from describing the phenomena to an integrative conceptual explanation for them
* It is possible to give a metaphor from organizations (with caution)
* It is recommended to use theoretical knowledge (models of systemic diagnosis and additional literature)
* A good conclusion leads directly to recommendations
132
What is an integrative conclusion?
◦It is about illustrating a web of phenomena that interact with each other, and presenting the reasons behind them, unlike the findings chapter that described several clusters and their consequences.
◦A description of how the findings are related to each other and how they talk to each other. This process grants a new meaning to the picture presented in the findings chapter – “composition”
◦A certain phenomena, which exists on a higher- order, abstract level. From this perspective, it is not necessarily about results or causality. We actually give a theme that organizes the findings, not necessarily under causal relationships, but as a general expression of a certain phenomena. (The relationship of the ocean with the waves, the forest with the trees)
Funnel of causality. Describe a phenomena that is the cause of the findings as a whole. Sometimes one of the clusters could be the root problem, which indicates to the reason due to which the problems presented in the findings occurred.
133
Describe The Recommendations Chapter
* The recommendations chapter describes the change targets and directions for interventions, as they surface mostly from the conclusions chapter.
* This chapter points to a general direction for action in dealing with the discussed phenomena, for strengthening and empowering advantages; filling in gaps; creating infrastructure for necessary amendments validated by the diagnosis's conclusions
* It is possible that some of the interventions will address certain symptoms that have a significant impact on the organization.
134
What are four basic assumptions of writing a Diagnostic Report?
◦This manager is a busy person
◦ He / She doesn’t usually deal with documents
◦Sometimes there is an opposition to criticism
◦ It is our responsibility to make sure our report is read
135
Describe recommendations for writing an organizational diagnostic report:
1. Write a relatively short report
2. The report should be eloquent and readable
3. Get to the point
4. Integrate data
5. Write interestingly
6. Adjust your writing style for your client
7. Be focused – give the client what is important to him/her and no more
8. Choose a data presentation method that clearly illustrates the findings
136
What is the goal of a Diagnosis Report?
To Motivate the Client to Action
137
Assumptions of Diagnosis Report?
◦For the consultant, writing the report is only the beginning of the work.
◦Most of the reports were quickly forgotten and nothing followed.
◦The written report should create motivation for the continuous action.
138
Name Four channels of feedback to the manager and management
◦Written Document
◦Appendix is for reading only
◦ Oral feedback
◦Presentation for wider forum with directors etc.
139
What is the main purpose of feedback?
To make the organization / customer take ownership of the data and information.
140
What does the success of providing feedback depend on?
The ability to stimulate organizational action and direct energy to the effort required and to solve the problems that arose. Achieving these goals depends on both the content of the feedback and the process of its transfer
141
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What does the following describe?
•Diagnosis and tagging
• Focusing on problems
•Top down
• Diagnosis–design–implementation
•Communicate pre-prepared messages
•Energy consuming
•Raises negative reactions
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Linear Thinking
142
What does the following describe?
•Collective wisdom
•Dialog
•Trust the people
• Knowledge is whole with everyone aboard
•This breeds engagement
•Space where we make meaning and become who we are
• Learn from the past and from the future
•The organization as a living organism
•Reality is multi-faceted (multiple realities)
•Innovation happens at the edge of chaos
•Innovation breeds in when diversity is contained
Co-Creating
143
What does the following describe?
•The whole is bigger than its sum
•The qualities of a system stem from the interaction between its parts
•First understand the system and then study the parts
•Systems behave within a context
•The system’s performance depend on the alignment between its parts
•Organizational diagnosis should point to the Archimedes point in the interactions
•Each part can be a cause and effect at the same time
•Process orientation identifies trends beyond phenomena
• Each system contains contradictory parts that complete one another (both and)
Systemic Diagnosis
