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Date
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Topic/Resources
(Click on underlined web links for readings
and information)
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Session 1
Mar. 18 |
Introduction & Overview. This
session will provide a context for change, overview the discipline of OD,
and form class teams. (Some of the information on change drivers
and behavioral sciences you may have covered before in MGT6100--please
review in the context of organizational change).
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Change
Drivers. What are
the large scale forces that are impacting teams and organizations and requiring
them to change? You may have covered this in a previous
course, but refamiliarize yourself again. A new link at the bottom covers
CD's for teams.
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Behavioral
science approach: Fads & Flaws. What is the
behavioral science approach to understanding organizations; what are its
strengths and weaknesses? In these links, note
the unexpected consequences of good intentions.
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The
"Learning Organization" (LO). What
is a learning organization and why is interest emerging in it at this time?
How are changes in the marketplace requiring organizations and individuals
to change the way they work?
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Overview
of OD.
Brief history of OD, focus & role of
planned change, stages of intervention, role of change agents, techniques
used.
Activities
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Discussion: How
does change occur in organizations? What are your experiences in organizational
change-- how "planned" is it? What made it work or not work? What should
have been done differently?
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Formation of OD Teams for the class.
Team
building. New teams will be formed: acquaintance,
scheduling & meeting format, discussion of potential cases for presentation,
and team processing. Use the team building procedure.
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Session 2
Mar. 25 |
Team-Building. Team
building and development is one of the most frequently requested OD services.
In this session we will design a team-building program with consideration
given to the history of TB, principles of training design, and context
of larger organizational strategy.
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Principles
of Team-Building
Activities
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Teams will reflect on their own
team experiences and team theory and use these as a basis for designing
and presenting a team-building workshop. Emphasis will be on discussing
rationale for sequencing and using various tasks and activities.
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Session 3
Apr. 1 |
Innovation diffusion, the change process,
and transition management
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Innovation.
Why
is innovation so important currently? What are stages of diffusion of an
innovation ? Some interesting examples of unexpected discoveries
when people & organizations are open to it. How can you use this information
to respond more appropriately to various groups of stakeholders in an organization?
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Change
Process-- what is it and how does it occur? What are
the stages of change?
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Resistance
to change.Why do people resist change? How are
managerial styles (esp. Kiersey) related to change & resistance? How
can it be better managed?
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Transition
Management-- what is needed at each stage?
Activity
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Teams will identify a case situation
involving change and several stakeholders. Using the Shoemaker adopter
groups and stages of transition, they will identify the groups for their
organization, what they need, and propose interventions for each group
at each stage of transition.
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Session 4
Apr. 8 |
OD Diagnosis. How
do you know when a team/organization is not working well? What should you
look for, how would you describe it, and what implications would your diagnosis
have for intervention? In this session we will examine the process of diagnosis,
various models, and apply the concept to cases.
Activity
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Teams will identify a case situation
involving needed organizational change and use diagnostic models to describe
relevant processes and explore potential intervention issues and leverage
points.
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Session 5
Apr. 15 |
Dealing with Conflict. What
are sources, types and stages of conflict? What are the effects of conflict
and how can it be resolved? How can problem behaviors in teams be handled
before they get out of hand?
Activity
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Teams will identify a case situation
in which some degree of conflict is present and causing/reflecting problems.
They will use readings to diagnose probable causes and types of conflict,
level of conflict, amenability to change and leverage points, and explore
strategies for intervention.
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Session 6
Apr. 22 |
Overview of OD Techniques. OD employs a rich collection
of varied techniques designed to help the client system examine and modify
its own processes. Many of these techniques will be examined experientially
in detail in MGT6201 Process Consultation.
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Session 7
Apr. 29 |
Organizational culture and culture change.
Culture
is often described as "the way we do things here." What
is culture and what are useful dimensions
for describing it? Be able to describe your corporate culture using several
of the dimensions and theories. If your organization culture needed changing,
how would you go about it?
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Organization
culture
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Readings-- The
following three situations often create culture problems. You should read
all and select one as the culture change case you explore in class
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Readings
on Downsizing . So--when should it be done, how
would you introduce the option as a consultant to a client system, and
how would you recommend it be carried out?
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Virtual
Teams. What happens when a traditional organization shifts to being
team-based--or worse-- virtual team based? What does it need to consider
in preparing and facilitating the workforce to this new mode of working?
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Mergers
& Acquisitions. Looks like they'll continue, so what can be done
to ensure that they work? How can CA's help people through them with a
minimum of turnover, loss of morale, and loss of productivity?
Activity
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Teams will use cultural models to
describe a case situation, and discuss the implications of that culture
related to organizational needs and problems. They will use culture change
concepts and strategies to explore how such a culture might be changed
in that case.
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Session 8
May 6 |
Change Agent (CA).
People
who promote and support change in their organizations are agents of change
regardless whether they are leaders, managers, consultants, or internal
facilitators. In this session we will examine the role of the CA including
the skills and competencies required, the differences between internal
and external CA and the advantages and disadvantages of each, the stages
of contracting and establishing ligetimacy, and your role in your organization.
Integration: You're Hired! Assume
that you are interviewing/being interviewed for a position as consultant
or change specialist with an organization. Be prepared to discuss the areas
below. Each member of a pair will be interviewer & interviewee. The
interviewer should prepare some challenging questions, and pose situations
for response.
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OD brochure. This is a promotional
brochure (one sheet ) describing your skills and range of services as a
consultant/CA.
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Your model/approach to planned change.
Be
able to explain how you would work with a client system
Ethical issues. What
have you encountered (or expect to), what is the principle involved, and
how would you deal with it?
Evaluation-- Course
evaluation, team member evaluations, and final papers due
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