Wk5 - Diagnosis/systems approach Flashcards
What is organisational diagnosis?
A systematic approach to understanding and assessing the present state of the organisation.
What are the aims of organisational diagnosis?
- discover problems and areas for improvement
- help organisations improve their capacity to assess and change inefficient patterns of behaviour
What does organisational diagnosis provide in terms of data analysis and interventions?
- data analysis: rigorous analysis of client system - e.g. departments, products etc
- organisational processes: communication networks, teamwork, decision making, goal setting etc
- a basis for structural, behavioural or technical interventions to improve organisational performance
Explain the elements of weisbord’s six box model? What is the additional factor?
- purposes
- structure
- rewards
- helpful mechanisms
- relationships
- leadership
Additional factor - environment
Explain the following element of weisbord’s model: purpose
purposes - what business are we in
Explain the following element of weisbord’s model: structure
structure - how do we divide up the work
Explain the following element of weisbord’s model: rewards
rewards - do all needed tasks have incentives
Explain the following element of weisbord’s model: helpful mechanisms
helpful mechanisms - have we adequate coordinating technologies
Explain the following element of weisbord’s model: relationships
relationships - how do we manage conflict amongst people
Explain the following element of weisbord’s model: leadership
leadership - does someone keep the five boxes in balance?
What are the two levels of diagnostic questions?
- gap between organisational and individual
- gap between organisation and external environment
What are five common methods of collecting data during diagnosis?
- questionnaires
- interviews
- observations
- projective techniques
- secondary sources
What are the pros of: questionnaires
- quantifiable
- large sample size
- inexpensive
What are the pros of: interviews
- adaptive
- source of rich data
- empathic
- builds rapport
What are the pros of: observations
- data on behaviour rather than reported behaviour
- real time not retrospective
- adaptive
What are the pros of: projective techniques
gain interesting insights
What are the pros of: secondary sources
- non-reactive - no response bias
- high face validity
- easily quantifiable
What are the cons of: questionnaires
- non-empathic
- missing key issues
- overinterpretation
- response bias
What are the cons of: interviews
- expensive
- interviewer bias
- coding and interpretation difficulties
- self report bias
What are the cons of: observations
- coding and interpretation difficulties
- sampling inconsistencies
- observer bias and lack of reliability
- expensive
What are the cons of: projective techniques
- lack validity
- lack reliability
- may be misinterpreted
What are the cons of: secondary sources
- access and retrieval difficulty
- validity concern
- coding and interpretation difficulty
What are the characteristics of effective feedback?
- relevant
- understandable
- descriptive
- verifiable
- timely
- limited
- significant
- comparative
- unfinalised
What are some red flags in diagnosis?
- confidentiality issues
- over diagnosis
- crisis diagnosis
- consultant’s favourite diagnosis
- only diagnosis the symptoms
Explain the force field model?
Driving forces - positive forces for change
Restraining forces - obstacles to change
Have to remove obstacles before change can take place. Increasing driving forces only increase resistance to change.
ie. current state resisting desired state.
