Introduction
Improving the efficacy of a given company requires the implementation of an appropriate intervention strategy. The Organization Development (OD) approach allows for improving the organizational outputs according to the corporation’s mission and OD values, tackling specific issues that impede the desired developments (Bierema, 2020). With the help of OD consultants, business executives may be able to establish beneficial organizational goals and incorporate the ideas of humanism into the working environment, which ultimately allows them to achieve the necessary results.
However, as the discussed method deals specifically with OD-related concerns, it cannot be applied as a universal instrument for organizational complications (Smither et al., 2016). The current paper will discuss the intergroup collaboration problem presented by X company, clarifying the problem’s validity and suggesting a potential solution within the OD framework.
X Company Intergroup Processes’ Complication
The X company approached an OD consultant following the significantly reduced intergroup collaboration measures observed for several months. Although the executives implemented leadership strategies and cooperation initiatives that they considered beneficial for improving teamwork, the quality of communication between the employees and involvement in team processes continued to decline. Such tendencies have been reported in different departments, and after several failed attempts at mitigating the problem using internal resources, the leaders were forced to recognize that the issue might be bigger than it seemed. At this point, the executives’ objective was to improve the interaction between the employees and departments, ensuring that the workforce and the customers receive the necessary services. The company was ready for a long-term commitment and was interested in a deep assessment of its case that would create a strategy beneficial for this stated problem.
Assessing the Organizational Issue: The OD Approach
Organizational development can be highly beneficial for enhancing the efficiency of corporations that experience a defined set of problems. Generally outlined as an intentional process of change that involves the whole organizational structure in transforming the current levels of functionality, productivity climate, or culture, OD is implemented based on an evidence-based strategy (Bierema, 2020). Nevertheless, it is also vital to consider that misconceptions about the OD processes are often present in the business and management environment, contributing to the wrongful understanding of OD implementation.
Even though OD might significantly advance the standing of a specific organization, it also requires the existence of an OD-related issue that can be resolved through the strategy’s utilization (Smither et al., 2016). From this perspective, to estimate company X’s organizational condition, it is necessary to understand the core values of OD and how the aspects of the problem might correlate with the OD concern requirements.
One of the core requirements for recognizing a specific issue as an OD-related concern is its connection to the enterprise’s system as a whole. Considering that OD is a systematic process that must be appropriately planned to yield successful results, it is deeply linked with the organizational structure and considers the changes to the overall business structure (Smither et al., 2016). For instance, if an outlined complication hinges on the lack of productivity from a particular department and does not require the overall structure to be involved in the change process, it cannot be considered OD-relevant.
Another factor essential for determining an OD-related concern is the incorporation of humanistic values. Considering that OD is based on humanism and adopts its principles to promote change within organizations, it cannot be utilized as a tool to increase a corporation’s financial benefits (Church, 2017). The goal of the change process must include the improvement of the working conditions and the organizational outputs and such a way that the enterprise may benefit all involved individuals, from employees to potential customers (Church, 2017). In this regard, an OD process often requires a significant amount of time and involves performing adjustments on a multitude of levels and strategically conducting various types of interventions.
Finally, it is essential to know the uniqueness of each OD intervention process and its customization, given the particular circumstances. The OD consultant must consider the organizational needs and demands during the problem analysis and solution development, tailoring the OD strategy according to the emerging difficulties (Bierema, 2020). Therefore, in addition to the long-term involvement, OD necessitates that each intervention approach is distinct and situation appropriate, which suggests that it is impossible to utilize the same approach as a universal method.
Given the discussed requirements for outlining an OD-related issue, it becomes possible to apply these aspects to the X corporation’s issue as a process of determining the need for an OD intervention. As such, the complication encompasses multiple organizational levels and affects the effectiveness of group processes and internal communication. Furthermore, the leaders focus on improving the organizational services for the employees and the customers, preserving humanistic values. It is also notable that the executives are prepared for a long-term commitment and are interested in receiving a customized improvement strategy. Following this evidence, it is clear that the X company is a good candidate for OD counseling and strategy implementation.
The Core of the Problem and Solution Pathways
In order to approach the stated inter-collaboration issue, it is possible to follow the action research OD strategy. This approach follows a specific set of criteria, allowing for the development of a beneficial plan for change and outlining an effective solution. First of all, a mutual agreement on the scope of the situation and the outcomes of the interventions should be established. During this step, the OD consultant and the client must present a similar understanding of the problem and the expected results (Smither et al., 2016).
After that, the OD consultant is required to gather the organizational data from potential shareholders, examining the possible causes for the established issue (Khewsomboon et al., 2017). Following this step, the data is to be analyzed, establishing a plan of action that determines how specific interventions will be performed (Khewsomboon et al., 2017). Finally, as the solutions are being implemented, the OD consultant must perform consistent evaluations, gathering additional data and ensuring that the expected outcomes can be achieved.
The Response to the Organization
Given the conducted issue assessment, it is evident that the inter-collaboration problem is an OD-related concern, and it can be addressed using the OD approach. The presented complication is observed on multiple organizational levels, affecting the X corporation as a whole. Thus, the OD strategy is an excellent method for resolving the outlined difficulty, as it is specifically focused on addressing issues that affect the overall company system (Rungruang, 2017). In addition, the focus on the well-being of the employees and the customers adheres to the OD values, allowing the consultant to propose solutions that could benefit numerous potential shareholders. Moreover, the preparedness to engage in a long-term change process is also crucial for the OD implementations efficacy, suggesting that the X organization can utilize OD to improve teamwork.
Conclusion
To conclude, the specifics of the OD strategy and the criteria for determining a problem’s OD validity have been discussed in detail in this paper, applying the outlined principles to the case of company X. Given that the OD method relies on systematic change, humanism, strategic approach, long term commitment, and customized interventions, a given issue should comply with these requirements to be recognized as an ODI related complication. As shown in the paper, the X corporation’s problem can be identified as a concern appropriate for OD implementation.
References
Bierema, L. L. (2020). Organization development: An action research approach (2nd ed.). Bridgepoint Education.
Church, A. H. (2017). The art and science of evaluating organization development interventions. OD Practitioner, 49(2).
Khewsomboon, W., Tayko, P. R. M., & Mullin, V. (2017). Utilizing Organization Development Interventions (ODI) on organizational culture of collectivism to enhance employee engagement: the case study of a human resources service company based in Bangkok, Thailand. Organization Development Journal, 35(4), 61–80.
Smither, R., Houston, J., & McIntire, S. (2016). Organization development: Strategies for changing environments (2nd ed.). Routledge.