Organizational Diagnosis: Its Role in Organizational Learning

Abstract

Diagnosis can be a process that helps organizations enhance their capacity to assess and change dysfunctional aspects of their culture and patterns of behavior as a basis for developing greater effectiveness and ensuring continuous improvement. The authors set forth a framework for understanding what can be called a “learning diagnosis” in which the diagnostic process is part of a large‐scale organizational revitalization effort. In particular, they explore how the diagnostic intervention is affected by the diagnostic consultant, by the top management sponsors of the intervention, and by the process of collecting and acting on data. They conclude with a discussion of both the opportunities and challenges of institutionalizing the learning diagnosis process.