OD Practitioners Research Articles

Lost in Translation? A Social Media Characterization of Organization Development

Social media is increasingly becoming a dominant venue for communicating and exchanging knowledge in several academic disciplines. One question of recent interest is to what extent characterizations of a discipline on social media hold true to its traditional characterizations. Are they congruent or incongruent? Are they sufficiently broad or insufficiently narrow? In this study we set out to examine the characterization of OD, particularly its construal in the Twitter domain, a prominent social media platform, and how similar or dissimilar this construal is compared to more traditional characterizations of OD. An analysis of over 5.7 million tweets scraped from Twitter during the period May 1, 2018 to June 26, 2018 indicates that the Twitter based construal of OD shares very limited characteristics with traditional characterizations of OD drawn from both contemporary and historical OD literature. It extends the call for a broader cadre of OD scholars and practitioners to participate in research and practice in the arena of social media both as a novel platform and as a way of enriching OD’s characterization and prominence in this knowledge forum.

Workplace Spirituality and Psychological Capital (PsyCap) of the Employees: A Cross-sectional Study

Grounded on the broaden-and-build theory, the study examines whether spirituality at the workplace is a significant antecedent of psychological capital. The study uses single-source data from 347 employees employed in several industries in India. Data are analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) v.3.3.3. Both measurement and structural models are evaluated. The findings reveal that workplace spirituality evokes psychological capital (PsyCap) resources of hope, optimism, efficacy, and resilience. It demonstrates how employees in collectivist cultural settings embrace spirituality to conserve positive psychological resources at their workplaces. Hence, business leaders, OD practitioners need to instil and arouse spirituality-based interventions through work, climate, and organization settings. The study has many implications for business managers, HRs and OD practitioners. It highlights the significance of spiritual mind set and practices that need to be emphasized at the workplace to utilize the psychological resources embodied in their employees fully. This study is one of a kind in which the researchers have nailed down to what leads to the creation and sustainability of PsyCap at workplace.

Organizational Implications of Pope Francis’ Integral Ecology

We explore Pope Francis's “integral ecology” in the encyclical Laudato Si (Francis, 2015) as it provides us with an agenda for a planetary virtue ethic that should inspire the field of Organizational Development to reconsider the moral implications of our work. We begin by offering the framework of virtue ethics as a way of understanding Laudato Si (LS). We then summarize the argument in LS as it focuses on four ecological issues—climate change, pollution, water, and the plight of the poor as we tease out the document's implicit virtue ethic. Finally, we propose how OD practitioners can become more aware of the lens through which they approach their task, thereby coming to regard organizational change initiatives and moral-identity development as a single, undifferentiated, act.

Perceived stress and psychological well-being of working mothers during COVID-19: a mediated moderated roles of teleworking and resilience

PurposeThe present study examines the mediating role of teleworking and the moderating role of resilience in explaining the relationship between perceived stress and psychological well-being of working mothers in India. Conservation of resource theory (COR) is taken to support the present study.Design/methodology/approachThe data of 326 respondents has been collected from working mothers in various sectors of Delhi NCR region of India. Confirmatory factor analysis was used for construct validity, and SPSS Macro Process (Hayes) was used for testing the hypotheses.FindingsThe results of the study found an inverse association between perceived stress and psychological well-being. Teleworking acted as a partial mediator and resilience proved to be a significant moderator for teleworking-well-being relationship.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is based at Delhi NCR of India, and future studies may be based on a diverse population within the country to generalize the findings in different cultural and industrial contexts. The present work is based only on the psychological well-being of the working mothers, it can be extended to study the organizational stress for both the genders and other demographic variables.Practical implicationsThe study extends the research on perceived stress and teleworking by empirically testing the association between perceived stress and psychological well-being in the presence of teleworking as a mediating variable. The findings suggest some practical implications for HR managers and OD Practitioners. The organizations must develop a plan to support working mothers by providing flexible working hours and arranging online stress management programs for them.Originality/valueAlthough teleworking is studied previously, there is a scarcity of research examining the impact of teleworking on psychological well-being of working mothers in Asian context. It would help in understanding the process that how teleworking has been stressful for working mothers and also deliberate the role of resilience in the relationship between teleworking and psychological well-being due to perceived stress, as it seems a ray of hope in new normal work situations.

Collaborative Network of OD Practitioners in Africa: Insights, Interventions and Innovations

Collaborative Network of OD Practitioners in Africa: Insights, Interventions and Innovations

The Superlative Leadership � A Catalyst

Mr. Hiremath confirmed second big intercession “Samarthya” This development targeted at fusion of processes of various departments leading to the development and execution of “Systems Model” in the company. The objective of Samarthya was to ministering employees to make decisions, captivating the whole system into account, instead of centering exactly on the snags of their own department. Samarthya was advanced and executed after the remarkable feat of the first notable intervention ‘GURI’ (the first big intervention), by OD practitioners. Mr. Hiremath, with his crew associates realized the importance of being more nimble and economical in milieu of cut throat competition that SACL was stumbling upon. He proclaimed “PCGO” Providing Career Growth Opportunities’ to modify the core situation and defiance of the employees towards work. This comprised divulging leadership training and vesting employees to build decent interpersonal affiliation between managers and shop floor employees. According to his point of view, this would not only substitute healthier relationships amongst the staff but would also brand workstation an extra favorable setting to work. With prominence on shared vision, mutual respect and teamwork, the entire workforce was enthused to work with the concept “ Victories to Eveyone”. The efficacy of mediations - GURI which means Aim in Kannada (2012– 2013) and SAMARTHYA (2013–14) became apparent when the attrition rate came down dramatically to 6% from 30%. This also proved great employee engagement and extraordinary organizational obligation.

Challenges in Process Consultation Across and Within Cultures

This study investigates multidimensional aspects of process consultation to integrate diverse individuals and groups in post-modern organizations while considering how process consultants deal with challenges across and within cultures. The rapid globalization of recent years has meant that process consultants have more opportunities to work with clients who have multicultural backgrounds. The existing model of process consultation does not consider cultural diversity or the socioemotional dynamics of diverse workgroups. This paper explores process consultants’ verbal and nonverbal behavioral communication patterns based on the cultural mosaic framework. The study contributes to the literature regarding OD interventions and process consultation by suggesting how OD practitioners can support multicultural clients.

Structural determinants of psychological well-being for knowledge workers in South Korea

Purpose– Employee well-being has been an under-researched area in the field of human resources (HR) and organizational behavior. The purpose of this paper is to investigate personal (learning goal orientation (LGO)), contextual (empowering leadership), and job-related (psychological empowerment) antecedents of psychological well-being (PWB).Design/methodology/approach– Individual perceptions of knowledge workers in nine Korean consulting firms in South Korea were obtained using a cross-sectional survey. HR managers distributed paper versions of a survey questionnaire to 400 employees, and 334 usable questionnaires were collected, giving the authors a final response rate of 83.5 percent.Findings– As a result of structural equation modeling analysis, the level of employees’ psychological empowerment turned out to partially mediate the relationship between LGO and PWB, while fully mediating the relationship between empowering leadership and PWB. LGO and perceived empowering leadership accounted for 54 percent of the variance in psychological empowerment and the three antecedents explained 47 percent of the variance in PWB.Research limitations/implications– This study relied on a cross-sectional survey method with potential common method bias. As a result of the single-factor test, however, it is unlikely to confound the interpretations of the results. Another limitation of this study is that the sample of this study was restricted to knowledge workers with relatively high cognitive ability since they were mostly junior male managers with four-year college or graduate degrees.Practical implications– To enhance perceived empowerment and PWB, HR, and OD practitioners can support employees and their managers by providing relevant HR practices and services including developing supportive empowering leaders with effective coaching skills, hiring, and developing employees with higher LGO, and redesigning jobs for employees so they feel more empowered.Originality/value– This study linked four emerging subjects in management and positive psychology: goal orientation, empowering leadership, psychological empowerment, and well-being research. The theoretical contribution of this study lies in that it is one of the first attempts to investigate the relationships among LGO, psychological empowerment, and PWB specifically for knowledge workers in South Korea.

HRD Role in Organizational Development (A Case of Corporate Thinking at ETISALAT, UAE)

The paper reports on the role of HRD towards the changing practices of OD in the companies. OD practitioners always utilize HRD processes to speed up the success based on the OD practices. The best corporate thinking is to lead company towards success with simplified models & processes. This paper submits a basic approach of four steps that elaborate the role of HRD and justifies the practices of OD as required in modern companies. There are various processes that are used as company development but HRD; OD & CMP are the dominant factors for companies’ success. Organizations are not interested in evaluating and adopting complex processes but looking for simplified tactics to achieve the results as desired. This paper will describe the practical framework based on the four steps that are basic parameters of OD with required explanations of HRD roles. Top companies have maintained such strategic role in sequential way by putting organizational management as initial point that builds the strategic lines for organizational development. There are many things that keep changing the shape of an organization but HR & OD remains same. The innovations in technology, the development of employees or organizational hierarchy depends on the trends of workforce. Workforce can put company into different shape in order to lead for success. This is the corporate approach that is linked with the practices of HRD & OD in modern organizational times. All different specialized managers seek different opportunities in the modern practices. HR managers utilize the development opportunity from organizational management perspectives and this can be possible due to the combined activities of HRD & OD in modern companies. This paper is mainly concerned to HRD role in OD that is termed as corporate thinking and evaluated on the success of ETISALAT.

Waking ourselves up! Re-examining the role of OD practitioners – a challenger perspective

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the changing role of OD practitioners. Given the many significant challenges faced by organisations and their leaders, never has the role of OD been more important; it is vital that OD practitioners are able to identify the paradigm shift that is required if they are to provide the relevant challenge and support that organisations and leaders need. Design/methodology/approach – The OD role is explored through the Challenger pattern of behaviour known as Witnessing the Establishment – the ability, and the willingness, to see things as they really are, not as we wish them to be. The authors are often so much a part of the organisational system ourselves that the underpinning assumptions, beliefs, routines and rituals that exist are so transparent we can not see them for what they are. Findings – This paper focuses on one of the six patterns of behaviour identified in Challenger leaders in the book “Challenger Spirit: Organisations that disturb the status quo” by Khurshed Dehnugara and Claire Genkai Breeze, LID Publishing, 2011. Research limitations/implications – This is not an academic paper but instead a consultant/practitioner perspective grounded in day-to-day work with leaders and OD professionals in client organisations. Originality/value – A number of suggestions are given for applying the perspectives discussed, through a series of questions, diagnostic processes and models. These are directly applicable to OD practitioners themselves and can also form the basis of further conversations with the leaders and colleagues.

When Words Matter Most: Stories of Values-Driven Leadership in Critical Context

A senior leader’s values, reflected in everyday words and actions, are brought into sharp focus and often put to the test during critical moments. Understanding the values that underlie leadership is critical to both management consultants and OD practitioners as they work to understand and implement change. Unfortunately, there are many examples today of leadership gone wrong and few examples of leaders who lead with their values to create an organizational culture that optimizes financial performance, ethical practice, social contribution, and environmental impact. To help address this gap, our panelists offer examples of values-driven leadership in three critical contexts: global peacebuilding, healthcare management, and crisis management. As scholar-practitioners, all presenters bring keen insights from the front and help us understand practically and theoretically: how leaders hold on to and communicate their values; how they draw on the power of words to mobilize organizational and global change; and how they use social media in the sensemaking process during crisis.

An organisational change approach based on Gestalt psychotherapy theory and practice

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to expand understanding of how Gestalt psychotherapy theory and practice can support the facilitation of change management efforts in organisations.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology is based on action research approach in which the author has applied Gestalt principles to her work as a change management practitioner. Case study material is used to support the development of an emergent model for change management based on Gestalt psychotherapy theory and praxis.FindingsThis paper emphasises the need to attend in change management efforts to three interrelated capabilities: Sensing, Supporting and Sustaining. Together these emphasise the need to track and stay responsive to the organisational environment; to ensure the right amount of support and challenge is present in the change effort and finally, to provide a focus on experimentation and the embedding of learning for sustainable change.Research limitations/implicationsThis contribution is limited by looking at only four cases in the private sector and the current paper should be considered as a preliminary/exploratory research.Practical implicationsThis study has two key implications for scholars and practitioners. First, it shows the usefulness of continuous sensing into the phenomenological experience of the organisation throughout the lifetime of a change project. Second, this study shows that learning and experimentation with new ways of being is crucial to an organisation that wants to grow and remain fluid and responsive to its environment.Originality/valueThis article offers a conceptualisation of how the theory and practice of relational Gestalt psychotherapy theory can shape the practice of organisational development practitioners. Its uniqueness lies in that it offers to Gestalt practitioners a sense of the applicability of Gestalt theory to large‐scale organisational interventions; and for non‐Gestalt informed OD practitioners it offers new insights into a theory base that promotes a relational, holistic and emergent view of change.

Values and Belief Structure of OD Practitioners in the GCC region

This paper is intended to define OD practitioner’s values and belief structure in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) including attitudes, motivators, and rewards. A comparison is made across OD practitioners set of beliefs in the GCC region versus United States (U.S.) and global OD practitioners. Furthermore the research addresses the future of the OD field in the studied region and identifies the most used OD interventions.

OD OR NOT AN OD - A CASE STUDY ANALYSIS OF ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PRACTICES IN GOVERNMENT SECTOR ORGANIZATIONS IN PAKISTAN

Purpose-Purpose of this case study and its analysis is to highlight the structural and functional changes in the government sector organizations in Pakistan undertaken under the name of organization development. Whereas, in fact, there is a great mismatch between the theory and practice of organizational development as far as the government sector organizations in developing countries like Pakistan go. Methodology-The study is based on comprehensive literature reviewed critically and the diverse factors affecting these two activities as tools of employee development identified including their prerequisites and possible barriers in the way of their introduction and application. Findings-In theory and practice both, Organizational development is aimed at improving an organization's performance and individual development of its employees. It focuses on the health of an entire organization rather than a particular group or certain individuals. This process requires the organization be viewed as a consistent system composed of many subsystems, the human resources being the most important one. Involvement of the people in the process of organizational development is hallmark of this process. Practical Implications-Findings of the case study have professional implications for the OD practitioners. They, perhaps, may not follow the OD good practices in certain OD interventions that are context specific like team-building, participatory management style, MBO, job enrichment, reward administration etc. similarly, nor can they suggest long term OD interventions keeping in view the ad hoc nature culture and system of such departments.

The organization development consultancy agenda for development programmes in Ghana

Despite its humanistic values, organisation development consultancy practice appears to be facing implementation challenges, especially regarding development programmes in the public and private sectors. OD's agenda for development programmes is to ensure its values yield benefits that could be translated into effective programmes. This is because all the development programmes involve change, which in one way or the other had not been managed effectively in the past, given the many fads of change management. The main objective of this study was to assess the benefits and challenges of OD as a consultancy practice, and create the needed awareness to enable consultants; policy makers and managers encourage its use in development programmes. This case study, through snowball sampling procedure, recorded the perceptions of 35 respondents, 16 of which are OD practitioners and 19 non OD practitioners. The findings confirmed that OD as a consultancy methodology has enormous potentials to facilitate development programmes in Ghana. However, challenges such as reliance on 'expert' consultants and opposition by policy makers need to be overcome through education and awareness creation ifOD is to survive as a consultancy practice. Far reaching implications for OD practice were provided.

Understanding implicit models that guide the coaching process

PurposeThis paper seeks to provide readers with a better understanding of four theory models that inform coaching practice, and to reflect on how the theoretical approach that one adopts is likely to shape one's coaching practice.Design/methodology/approachThis article is based on the authors' combined 30 years of experience as internal and external executive coaches. Organizational examples are provided to illustrate key concepts.FindingsThe authors conclude that, although coaches tend to be eclectic in the methods that they employ, they tend to center their craft on one of four prevailing coaching models: the clinical model, the behavioral model, the systems model, and the social constructionist model. These models inform the practice and shape the approaches that OD practitioners take in directing coaching assessments and interventions.Practical implicationsThis article serves as a “think piece” to help OD practitioners understand the theoretical assumptions, constraints, and caveats that are associated with each model. The authors strongly believe that having this knowledge enables practitioners to introduce a higher level of discipline and effectiveness into the coaching process.Originality/valueThis article represents a unique attempt to bridge theory and practice by encouraging readers to reflect on how each individual's practice is developed from, and informed by, a particular theory position. It represents one of the few papers that have tackled this particular management development topic.

Witkin's Cognitive Styles and Field Theory Applied to the Study of Global Managers and OD Practitioners

There has been an upsurge of publications based on Hermann Witkin's ground-breaking work on cognitive styles and human perception differentiated into field-dependent and field-independent styles (Winerman, 2006; Nisbett & Miyamoto, 2005; Nisbett, 2003). This paper builds on current and past research of Witkin (1969) and applies his concepts to the study of global managers and OD practitioners. The goal is to describe core aspects of culture-related challenges, which global mangers and OD practitioners have to overcome, and ends with proposing future research on the possibilities of training global managers and OD practitioners in order to develop integrated perceptual-cognitive ability (IPCA). Such an IPCA competence would allow them to master both field dependent and field-independent perceptual-cognitive skills.

Managing complex team interventions

PurposeTo provide readers with a better understanding of the organizational conditions that lead to complexity in team structure, operation, and dynamics, and introduce guidelines for facilitating complex team interventions.Design/methodology/approachThis article is based on the author's 20 years' experience as an internal OD executive, external consultant, and associate professor in the areas of organizational change and teambuilding.FindingsThe article concludes that team‐building failures frequently occur when facilitators operate from team archetypes that are radically outmoded, and severely underestimate the complexity of certain team‐building issues. Readers are introduced to six guidelines for managing complex team interventions.Practical implicationsThis article is designed to help OD practitioners plan extremely complex and difficult team‐building interventions. The article should serve as a useful tool to experienced OD consultants who are attempting to tackle more advanced team‐building interventions. An organizational example is provided to illustrate key concepts.Originality/valueThe author believes that this article provides a unique perspective, by examining issues of organizational complexity that must be faced by experienced team facilitators.

THEORETICAL ORIENTATIONS OF ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PRACTITIONERS

The aim of this study was to systematically survey the use of various theoretical approaches by OD practitioners. To this end, members of the International Registry of Organization Development Professionals were surveyed. The results were based on questionnaire data from 58 OD consultants with an average of 17.3 years' experience. The theoretical approaches of Schein, Lewin, Weisbord, Argyris, and Maslow were, in rank order, the most frequently endorsed. The findings indicate that OD practitioners are largely eclectic in orientation and stress both micro and macro theoretical viewpoints in their consulting work. The implications and limitations of this investigation were noted.

Three contemporary challenges for OD practitioners

Contemporary organisational realities challenge consultants to develop: more up‐to‐date motivational knowledge; the ability and willingness to work with change agents unsympathetic to applied social science; and, facility with methodologies for both cultural and structural change. Changes over the last two decades have resulted in a more diverse motivational picture than the 1950s to 1970s humanistic motivational theories that underlie most organisational development theory and practice. In response, consultants need to develop a portfolio of consultancy methods that enable them to address not only cultural changes (e.g. attitudinal and change) but also structural changes (e.g. organisational design). Today, most clients who hire organisational consultants do so to complement technological and strategic changes anticipated or already undertaken. OD practitioners need to increase their ability to understand and work with change managers, and their consultants, who see the world predominantly through technological and economic eyes.