Interventions for Change in Organisation

The term intervention refers to all the planned programmatic activities aimed at bringing changes in an organization. These changes are intended to ensure improvement in the functioning of the organization- in its efficiencies and effectiveness. The changes are brought through the employees in the organization while consultants facilitate the change process. Any OD intervention, therefore, involves close interaction between the consultants and the client organization.

 

Intervention refers to an intended activity to bring change in the organization and the consequent activities within the organization.

Who makes the interventions?

The intervention can be brought by an external consultant who acts in consultation with the client members. A member within the organization, acting as the in-house consultant can also intervene. The organization itself could plan the intervention without employing either an internal or external consultant. Where a consultant is employed, any intervention is a collaborative activity between the client and the consultant.

Where does an intervention take place?

An intervention can take place at the task, process, and system levels and their interface or any hierarchy levels of an organization.

For example, it can be at a task level as to how a decision is made or at the level of a series of tasks to improve their interconnectivity, to identify an underlying problem, or at a team level to create a better synergy at work. The intervention can also relate to the whole organization as to how to achieve better vertical integration /horizontal integration among all the different levels.

Interventions are carried to improve an organization from its current position to the desired position and to achieve the desired change several techniques are used.

To quote, French & Bell Jr (1994), “ intervention are sets of structured activities in which selected organizational units (target groups or individuals) engage in a task or a sequence of tasks where the task goals are related directly or indirectly to organizational improvement. Interventions constitute the action thrust of organization development; they “make things happen” and “what is happening”.
 

As suggested above several interventions can be carried out. They may be classified as to their focus and purpose and the intensity or depth.

The focus of intervention could be individual, interpersonal, group, or team(intra and inter-group), system or subsystem, organization, and the external environment.

The purpose of intervention could be to improve the process (for ex. Process reengineering) Action (ex. performance) and provide feedback (ex. Has the system produced the intended results?).

The depth of intervention could be less intensive (setting up of a task force) or more intensive (dealing with individual self and emotions)

Specific reasons for intervention could be :

• To provide feedback about task, individual, team, and other aspects of organizational dynamics.

• To provide awareness of changing norms, to confront and deal with issues constructively

• To develop positive attitudes openness and improve interaction among people,

• To educate employees, improve their knowledge and skills

• To bring constructive and desirable changes to improve individual and organizational performance.

INTERVENTIONS USED IN ORGANISATION :

1. Focus on Intervention :

The most frequently used interventions in our organization are person-focused, a role focused, action research-based, process feedback based, and training based.

A person focused intervention: these focus on individuals, and can be classified in different ways:

• Who does the intervention? –Individuals themselves, a group or organization, or facilitators.

• The form of intervention-self introspection and reflection, self-study, or a consultant or facilitator who provides feedback, coaching, or does mentor

• What is the theoretical basis or school of thought? Depending upon one’s theoretical approach could be Psychoanalytical, transactional analysis, Operant Conditioning and behavior modification, Achievement Motivation, Sensitivity analysis or t-group, field forces and group dynamics, socio-psychological and anthropological approach to role theory.

• Who takes the active role- the person himself or the consultant/facilitator? Pareek 1998 classifies the intervention mechanisms/techniques.

Team Intervention :

 OD interventions are the techniques and methods designed to move an organization form ‘here’ to ‘there’ or ‘from where it is’ to ‘where it wants to be’ the interventions are aimed at improving individual and team activities and efforts so that they may better accomplish their targets/ goals in accordance with the organization’s envisaged vision and strategy. The interventions also assist to change the culture of the organization.

Work teams exert influence on individual work behavior. In turn, individuals also influence. OD is concerned with the different types of techniques or interventions that contribute to “team effectiveness”.

The most important single group interventions on OD are team-building activities, the goals of which are the improvement and increased the effectiveness of various teams within the organization. The interventions focus on different types of groups: those that are more enduring and more permanent such as the role-set (superior-subordinate and colleagues), the others which are created for a specific purpose and hence are less enduring (such as specific task teams constituted to facilitate mergers, acquisitions or organizational restructuring).

The team-building interventions are typically directed towards major substantive areas: diagnosis, task accomplishments, team relationships, and team and organization processes.

Varieties of team-building interventions:

The role focused intervention :

These aim at bringing/improving the compatibility between a job incumbent and the role demands and expectations associated with his / her job.

Role analysis: Role analysis is a structured exercise to provide

• Why the role exists?- the rationale

• What the role it is supposed to achieve?

• How the role contributes to the achievement of the group/department/unit goals?

• How the goal is related to other roles in the department and the organization.

Role Analysis Techniques (RAT) has been developed by Dayal (1969) for redefining the managerial roles in an organization. The techniques as followed has the following steps (Pareek, 1998)

• Analysis of the role by the occupant as to the main function of the role, its location in the organogram, why it should be there – or its relevance in the organization, and how does it contribute to organizational goals

• Discussion by the group as to what does the role occupant expects from the other roles in their role set to arrive at a consensus.

• Building the consensus regarding the expectations of other roles in the role set for the sole occupant.

• Developing role profile by the role occupants of their roles, classifying what are the prescribed and discretionary elements of the role, the obligation of one role to another in the role set, and the expectation of this role from the others in its set.

Role Efficacy Lab: Role Efficacy refers to the psychological factor underlying role effectiveness and the potential effectiveness of an individual occupying a particular role or the potential effectiveness of a role. Role Efficacy Lab (REL) used to develop work commitment.

REL is a short process-oriented program aimed at :

• Sharing of thoughts and an individual as well as group commitments with the top management.

• Get moral support and reinforcement form the top management, and

• Providing an opportunity for the top management to examine why certain expectations are unrealistic or unattainable and suggest their won action plans to take to account other suggestions.

Force Field Analysis: Force field analysis is a management technique developed by Kurt Lewin for diagnosing situations. It is useful when planning and implementing a change management program and also in ‘team-building’ efforts

Any change implies movement-movement towards something or away form something.

Force field analysis enables listing, discussing, and evaluating the various forces for and against a proposed change. The analysis includes identifying the driving forces- which give change momentum, and restraining forces- which inhibit change. Force field analysis helps us to look at the big picture by analyzing all of the forces impacting the change and weighing the pros and cons. By knowing the pros and cons, we can develop strategies to reduce the impact of the opposing forces and strengthen the supporting forces.

2. Intergroup Intervention :

Often two or more independently working groups have to coordinate tasks, on either a temporary or permanent basis, to achieve the required organizational goals. This could give rises to disagreement and conflict among groups affecting group morale and productivity. Where there is competition among groups, it may give rise to tension and conflict and each group may perceive the other as an ‘enemy’

To resolve such intergroup conflicts many strategies are adopted in our organization :

• Increasing the interaction and communication among the groups (increased interaction under favorable conditions enhances positive feelings and sentiments )

• Identifying a ‘common enemy’ (another group that both groups dislike, which brings the groups closer together).

• Finding a superordinate goal (a goal that both groups desire to achieve but that neither can achieve without mutual support)

• Rotating the members of the groups and instituting some forms of training.

3. Personal, interpersonal, and group process intervention :

The central theme of these interventions is learning through an examination of the underlying process. In Process consultation, which is generic to OD intervention, the focus is exclusively on the diagnosis and management of personal, interpersonal, and group processes. Third-party peacemaking focuses on interpersonal conflict and the dynamics of cooperation and competition among groups. Sensitivity training typically yields learning’s about self, interpersonal relations, and group dynamics. Transactional analysis (TA) can be a form of psychotherapy. TA has also been used as a technique for team building. Behavior modeling is a training technique designed to increase the effectiveness of problematic interpersonal situations. Life-and career planning interventions are less process-oriented than the other interventions and reflect more a systematic approach to a substantive area.

Process Consultation Intervention: Process Consultation (PC) is a method for intervening in an ongoing system. In this approach, a skilled third party (consultant) works with individuals and groups to help them learn about human and social processes and learn to solve problems that stem from process events. This is an often-used approach by many OD consultants and practitioners.

The process consultant helps our organization to solve its problems by making it aware of organizational processes, of the consequences of these processes, and of the mechanisms by which they can be changed. It is to enable the organization to address its problems by itself.

In this, the consultant works with the organization, in work teams and helps them to develop the skill necessary to diagnose and solve the process problems that arise. The organizational processes that are important to be dealt with, include- communications, clarifying the roles and functions of group members, group problem solving and decision making, group norms and group growth, leadership and authority, and inter-group cooperation and competition.

Sensitivity Training Laboratories: A T-group is an unstructured., agenda-less group session for about 10 to 12 members. A professional “trainer” acts as a catalyst and facilitator. The data for discussion arises from the interaction of the group members as they strive to create a viable society for themselves. What is discussed and analyzed etc are the actions, reactions, interactions, and feelings arising out of the member interactions. Conceptual material relating to interpersonal relations, individual personality theory, and group dynamics also form a part of the program. The ‘group experiences’ form the fulcrum of learning.

This T-group is a powerful learning laboratory that facilitates learning more about oneself as a person, learning how others react to one’s behavior, and learning about the dynamics of group formation, group norms, and group growth. It assists to improve one’s interpersonal skills.

These insights are coupled with the growth of skills in diagnosing and taking more effective interpersonal and group actions that provide the participants with the basic skills necessary for more competent action taking up in the organization.

4. Comprehensive Interventions :

The confronting meeting: The confronting meeting, developed by Richard Beckhard, is a one-day meeting of the entire management of an organization to take stock of the organizational health. In a series of activities, the management identifies the organization’s major problems, analyzes the underlying causes, develops action plans to correct the problems, and sets a schedule for the remedial work. The confrontation meeting is a quick, simple, and reliable way in which to generate data about an organization and to set action plans for organizational improvement.

Strategic management activities: Strategic management refers to the development and implementation of the organization’s “grand design” or overall strategy about its current and future environmental demands. According to Schendel and Hofer, six major tasks comprise the strategic management process: 1) goal formulation; 2) environmental analysis 3) strategy evaluation 4) strategy implementation and 6) strategic control.” These six components of the process are related to each other.

5. Structural Intervention :

This refers to intervention or changes efforts aimed at improving organizational effectiveness through changes in the task and structural and technological subsystems. This class of interventions includes changes in the division of overall work of the organization into units, reporting relationships, workflow and procedures, and role definitions, methods of control, and spatial arrangements of equipment and people, etc.

Job design: job design refers to the way that a set of tasks, or an entire job, is organized. Job design helps to determine: What are the tasks that are done, how they are done, and what is the order in which they are done, etc.

It takes into account all factors, which affect the work, and organizes the content and tasks so that the whole job is less likely to be a risk to the employee. Job design involves administrative areas such as job rotation, job enlargement, task/ machine pacing, work breaks, and working hours.

A well-designed job takes into account the basic principles of ergonomics that will encourage a variety of ‘good’ body positions, have reasonable strength requirements, and a reasonable amount of mental activity. A well-designed job also contributes to feelings of achievement and self-esteem.

Job design principles can address problems such as work overload, work under load, repetitiveness, limited control overwork, isolation, shift work, delays in filling vacant positions, excessive working hours, and limited understanding of the whole job process. Job design also assists in minimizing job stress.

6. MBO :

MBO is essentially based on a very simple fact- wherever people work in an organization together there will be a wide variety of objectives. Each individual has his or her own goals (e.g. better working conditions, better training, better pay); each department has its business targets ( higher output, better equipment, more funding) and the top management, too has its strategic aims (organizational success, corporate identity, corporate image). MBO is the art of getting all these varied interests to correspond to one common goal. Talks can also be conducted collectively with the departmental teams. The main object of MBO is to make the individual goals voluntarily coincide with the goals of the organization. MBO only works when management and staff agree to support mutual goals in an atmosphere of confidence and trust, commitment, and motivation. The concept is based on the assumption that employees are, by nature, willing to perform. MBO succeeds where there is a dialogue on objectives between the employees and the management founded on fairness and clarity.