Module Code: HRM502

Module Title: Organisational Life Cycle Management

Module Leader: Dr. Sandhya Iya
E-mail: sandhyaiya.ms.mc.@msruas.ac.in

Session 8: OD Interventions

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Faculty of Management and Commerce

M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

Session Objectives
At the end of this session, students will be able to:

Explain the meaning and importance of an OD

intervention and its strategies
Discuss the various types of interventions

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Faculty of Management and Commerce

M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

Session Contents
OD intervention and strategies

Human Process interventions

Role focused interventions

Techno-structural interventions
Human resource interventions

Change interventions
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Faculty of Management and Commerce

M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

OD Interventions

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Faculty of Management and Commerce

M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

Intervention Design/Action Planning

An OD intervention is a sequence of activities, actions, and
events intended to help an organisation improve its
performance and effectiveness
Intervention design, or action planning, derives from careful
diagnosis and is meant to improve particular areas of
organisational functioning identified in the diagnosis
OD interventions vary from standardized programs that have
been developed and used in many organisations to relatively
unique programs tailored to a specific organisation or
department
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Faculty of Management and Commerce

M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

Effectiveness of Interventions
Interventions purposely disrupt the status quo; they
are deliberate attempts to change an organisation or
subunit toward a different and more effective state
Three criteria define an effective intervention:
1. The extent to which it fits the needs of the organisation
2. The degree to which it is based on causal knowledge of
intended outcomes
3. The extent to which it transfers change-management
competence to organisation members

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Faculty of Management and Commerce

M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

Extent of Fit to Organisational Needs

Accurate diagnosis yields valid information
Provides organisation members opportunities to
make free and informed choices
Gain members internal commitment to those
choices
Internal commitment means that organisation
members accept ownership of the intervention and
take responsibility for implementing it
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Faculty of Management and Commerce

M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

Causal Knowledge of Intended Outcomes

Valid knowledge that outcome can actually be
produced

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Faculty of Management and Commerce

M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

Transfer of Change-management Competence

to Organisation Members
Active participation in designing and implementing
the intervention equips members with the ability to
carry out planned change activities
Competence in change management is essential in
todays environment, where technological, social,
economic, and political changes are rapid and
persistent

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Faculty of Management and Commerce

M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

Designing Effective Interventions

Two major sets of contingencies can affect
intervention success :
1. Those related to the change situation (including the
practitioner)
2. Those related to the target of change

Both kinds of contingencies need to be considered in

designing interventions

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Faculty of Management and Commerce

M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

Contingencies Related to the Change Situation

Individual differences among organisation members
(for example, needs for autonomy)
Organisational factors (for example, management
style and technical uncertainty)

Dimensions of the change process itself (for

example, degree of top-management support)
Other situational factors: the organisations
readiness for change, change capability, cultural
context, and the change agents skills and abilities
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Faculty of Management and Commerce

M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

Contingencies Related to the Target of Change

Organisational Issues: certain issues to operate
effectively
Strategic issues: called strategic interventions; recent
additions to OD; what products, services, markets,
relationship with environment

Integrated strategic change

Mergers and acquisitions
Trans-organisational development
Organisational learning
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Faculty of Management and Commerce

M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

Contingencies Related to the Target of Change

Contd.

Technology and structure issues: called technostructural interventions; division of work and
coordination to support strategy; OD activities
relating to
Organisation design
Employee involvement
Work design

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Faculty of Management and Commerce

M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

Contingencies Related to the Target of Change

Contd.

Human resources issues: called human resources

management interventions
Attracting competent people to the organisation
Setting goals for them
Appraising and rewarding their performance
Ensuring they develop their careers and manage
stress

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Faculty of Management and Commerce

M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

Contingencies Related to the Target of Change

Contd.

Human process issues: called human process

interventions; social processes occurring among
organisation members, such as communication,
decision making, leadership, and group dynamics
Conflict resolution
Team building (most

common

OD

interventions)

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Faculty of Management and Commerce

M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

Types of OD Interventions

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Faculty of Management and Commerce

M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

Organisational Issues in OD Interventions

Consistent with system theory, organisational issues
are interrelated and need to be integrated with each
other
Intervention design must create change methods
appropriate to the organisational issues identified in
diagnosis
Interventions aimed at one kind of organisational
issue will invariably have repercussions on other
kinds of issues
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Faculty of Management and Commerce

M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

Overview of Interventions
Human process interventions:
related
interpersonal relationships and group dynamics

to

T-group
Process consultation
Third-party intervention
Organisation confrontation meeting
Inter-group relations
Large-group interventions
Grid Organisation Development
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Faculty of Management and Commerce

M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

Overview of Interventions Contd.

Techno-structural
Structural design
Work design

Human resources
Goal setting
Performance appraisal
Reward systems
Managing workforce diversity
Employee wellness
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Faculty of Management and Commerce

M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

Overview of Interventions Contd.

Strategic
Self designing organisations

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Faculty of Management and Commerce

M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

Human Process Interventions

1. T-Group:
This traditional change method provides
members with experiential learning about group
dynamics, leadership, and interpersonal relations
Brings ten to fifteen strangers together with a
professional trainer to examine the social
dynamics that emerge from their interactions
Members gain feedback about the impact of
their own behaviors on each other and learn
about group dynamics

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Faculty of Management and Commerce

M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

Human Process Interventions Contd.

2. Process consultation:
Focuses on interpersonal relations and social
dynamics occurring in work group
A process consultant helps group members
diagnose group functioning and devise
appropriate solutions to process problems, such
as dysfunctional conflict, poor communication,
and ineffective norms
Aim is to help members gain the skills and
understanding necessary to identify and solve
problems themselves
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Faculty of Management and Commerce

M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

Human Process Interventions Contd.

3. Third-party intervention:
Aimed at interpersonal conflict
Interpersonal conflict may derive from disputes
over work methods, or from interpersonal issues,
such as miscommunication
The third-party intervener helps people resolve
conflicts through such methods as problem
solving,
bargaining,
and
conciliation

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Faculty of Management and Commerce

M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

Human Process Interventions Contd.

4. Team building:
Helps members diagnose group processes and
devise solutions to problems
Includes examination of the groups task,
member roles, and strategies for performing
tasks

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Faculty of Management and Commerce

M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

Human Process Interventions Contd.

5. Organisation confrontation meeting:
Mobilizes organisation members to identify
problems, set action targets, and begin working
on problems
Management needs to organise resources for
immediate problem solving
Generally includes various groups of employees
in identifying and solving problems
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Faculty of Management and Commerce

M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

Human Process Interventions Contd.

6. Inter-group relations:
Designed to improve interactions among different
groups or departments in organisations
Involves a small group of people whose
backgrounds closely match the organisational
problems being addressed
This group addresses the problem and develops
means to solve it
Faculty of Management and Commerce

26
M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

Human Process Interventions Contd.

7. Large-group interventions:

Involve getting a broad variety of stakeholders into

a large meeting to

Clarify important values

Develop new ways of working
Articulate a new vision for the organisation
Solve pressing organisational problems

Powerful tools for creating awareness of

organisational problems and opportunities and for
specifying valued directions for future action
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Faculty of Management and Commerce

M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

Human Process Interventions Contd.

8. Grid organisation development:
This normative intervention specifies a particular
way to manage an organisation
A packaged OD program with standardized
instruments for measuring organisational
practices and specific procedures for helping
organisations achieve the prescribed approach

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Faculty of Management and Commerce

M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

Summary
An OD intervention is a sequence of activities,
actions, and events intended to help an organisation
improve its performance and effectiveness
Intervention design, or action planning, derives from
careful diagnosis and is meant to resolve specific
problems and to improve particular areas of
organisational functioning identified in the diagnosis
OD interventions vary from standardized programs
that have been developed and used in many
organisations to relatively unique programs tailored
to a specific organisation or department
Faculty of Management and Commerce

M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

29

Summary
Three criteria define an effective intervention:
1. The extent to which it fits the needs of the organisation
2. The degree to which it is based on causal knowledge of
intended outcomes
3. The extent to which it transfers change-management
competence to organisation members

Two major sets of contingencies can affect

intervention success :
1) Those related to the change situation (including the
practitioner)
2) Those related to the target of change
30
Faculty of Management and Commerce

M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

Summary
The major types of OD intervention are human
process, techno-structural, human resources, and
strategic interventions
Types of human process interventions are T-group,
Process consultation, Third-party intervention,
Organisation confrontation meeting, Inter-group
relations , Large-group interventions, and Grid
Organisation Development

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Faculty of Management and Commerce

M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences