Starter Question

Think of a messy room. What are the advantages of organizing it?

Complete the silverware activity

OD Practitioners As “Organizational Doctors"

OD practitioners are "organizational doctors" who try to improve the effectiveness of people and organizations by:

Establishing relationships with key personnel in the organization (aka, entering)

Researching and evaluating systems in the organization to understand dysfunctions and/or goals (aka, diagnosing)

Identifying approaches to improve effectiveness of the organization and its people (aka, interventions)

Applying approaches to improve effectiveness (aka, planned change)

Evaluating the ongoing effectiveness of the approaches and their results (aka, assessment)

Organizations

Organizations are dynamic systems in which individuals engage in collective efforts in pursuit of common goals

Organizations share five common features:1. Collective of people2. Shared direction (vision, mission and goals)3. Coordinated activities (processes)4. Structure or relationships5. Environmentally and culturally embedded

Organizations vary by type:• For profit• Non-profit• Social/Affinity• Political

Organizations vary in form:• Relationship-oriented• Change-oriented• Status quo-oriented• Task-oriented

Organizational Tensions

Mechanistic vs Organic Mechanistic organizations are efficient, rigid, predictable, and

standardized organizations that thrive in stable environments. Organic organizations are flexible, adaptive, outward-focused

organizations that thrive in dynamic environments.

Centralization vs Decentralization Centralization means that the authority for most decisions is concentrated

at the top Decentralization represents authority that is delegated through all levels of

the organization

Fundamental tension of organizations: To thrive and survive, organizations must control and coordinate the actions of

their members. But, control and coordination frustrate individuals needs for autonomy, creativity, and sociability.

Organizational/Business Communication

Understanding what an organization is and how it works requires an understanding of the communication that exists within it.

Communication is a rules based transaction that conveys meaning to another via verbal and/or nonverbal behavior.

Fidelity is often the goal of most communication. Fidelity is the clarity and accuracy of communication Strategic ambiguity, however, may also be a goal

Communication Networks

Within collectives, communication occurs within networks

Communication networks are regular patterns of person-to-person interactions through which information flows Formal networks are designed by leaders to dictate who should talk to

whom (e.g., an organization chart) Informal networks are the patterns of communication that develop

organically based on proximity, expertise, affinity, etc. People often rely more heavily on informal networks to understand what is really going on

Within a hierarchy, directional communication becomes important: Downward communication – the messages superiors deliver to subordinates

(e.g., job instructions) Upward communication – the messages subordinates deliver to superiors

(e.g., status reports) Lateral communication – the messages peers deliver

Characteristics of Mechanistic vs. Organic Structures

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