W1 - Chapter 1 - General introduction to OD

Question 1

Differences between OD and change management

Answer 1

• OD (Organizational Development) is about helping people in the organization grow, work better together, and solve problems as a team. It focuses on improving how people work
• Change Management is about making sure changes happen efficiently, within budget, and on time. It focuses more on getting results like saving money, meeting deadlines, and ensuring quality.

Question 2

Three trends in shaping change in organizations

Answer 2

1. Globalization: It connects the world more closely, making businesses depend on each other, but it also increases the risk of harming the environment
2. Information Technology: It changes how businesses work, how they use knowledge, and how they calculate costs.
3. Managerial Innovation: Managers came up with new ways to run businesses because of globalization and technology, and these new methods make the changes from those factors happen even faster.

Question 3

Key developments in the history of OD

Answer 3

1. Laboratory Training
2. Action research applied to managing change.
3. Normative approaches
4. Quality of work life
5. Strategic change

Question 4

Laboratory training background

Answer 4

T-groups: which are small, informal groups where people learn by interacting with each other and observing how the group changes over time.
These groups focus on things like improving relationships between people, personal growth, leadership skills, and how groups work together.

Question 5

Likert’s participative management program

Answer 5

1. Exploitive authoritative system: authocratic, top-down approach to leadership
2. Benevolent authoritative system: paternalsitic, limited employee interaction
3. Consultative systems: moderate interaction, good productivity
4. Participative group systems: high degree of involvement

Question 6

Quality-of-work-life contributions to OD

Answer 6

1. First phase: focused on integrating technology and people more effectively
2. Second phase: Defined QWL as improving work through techniques like job enrichment and self-managed teams.

Question 7

Strategic change background

Answer 7

The strategic change perspective focuses on aligning an organization’s strategy, design, and environment to address global complexity, driven by globalization and information intensity.