Week 1: book chapter 5

Question 1

What is diagnosing?

Answer 1

Diagnosing is the process of understanding how the organization is currently functioning and it provides the information necessary to design change interventions.

Question 2

How is diagnosing within OD different from other forms of diagnosing? (2)

Answer 2

1. It is collaborative; both members of the org and practitioners work together
2. Diagnosis can be both problem oriented, but also solution or positively oriented

Question 3

What are diagnostic models? (3)

Answer 3

Conceptual frameworks that are used to understand organizations
2. They describe relationships between different features of the organization, environment and effectiveness
3. They point out areas to examine

Question 4

What does the open-systems model of organizations entail? (3)

Answer 4

1. Organizations exist in the context of larger environments that affects them
2. Organizations acquire specific input and transforms then using social and technical processes into output
3. Output is returned to the environment, info about consequences of about is feedback to organizations’ functioning

Question 5

Draw the open-systems model

Answer 5

Question 6

Organizations can be diagnosed at 3 levels, explain them

Answer 6

1. Organizational level: whole organization including strategy, culture and processes
2. Group/department: including group design and methods for structuring interactions such as norms/schedules
3. Individual/job: including how jobs are designed to elicited required task behavior

Question 7

What are the 3 inputs on an organizational level?

Answer 7

1. General environment –> all external forces that can direct/indirectly affect org
2. Task environment: supplier power, buyer power, threats of substitutes, threats of entry and rivalry among competitors
3. Enacted environment: org members perception and representation of general task environment

Question 8

What are the 4 main design components on an organizational level

Answer 8

1. Technology
2. Structure (division into subunits and coordination)
3. Human resource systems (select, develop,reward and appraise members)
4. Management processes (info/decision/control)

Question 9

What are the 3 types of output on an organizational level?

Answer 9

1. Financial outcomes
2. Efficiency
3. Stakeholder satisfaction

Question 10

When diagnosing inputs on an organizational level, what 2 questions are important?

Answer 10

1. What is the general environment
2. What is the task environment

Question 11

What are the inputs on a group level

Answer 11

1. Organizational design
2. Culture

Question 12

What are the 5 main design components on a group level?

Answer 12

1. Goal clarity
2. Task structure
3. Group composition
4. Team functioning
5. Performance norms

Question 13

What are the 2 outputs on a group level

Answer 13

1. Performance (control/reduce cost, increase productivity or quality)
2. Quality of life (work satisfaction, cohesion and org commitment)

Question 14

What are the 4 inputs on an individual level?

Answer 14

1. Organizational design
2. Culture
3. Group design
4. Personal characteristics

Question 15

What are the 5 design components on an individual level?

Answer 15

1. Skill variety
2. Task identity
3. Task significance
4. Autonomy
5. Feedback

Question 16

What are the 2 outputs on an individual level?

Answer 16

(1) Performance (quantity, time, cost and quality of producing outcome)
(2) indicators of experience (job satisfaction, absenteeism and personal development)