Rationale of the Research Work Statement of the Problem Objectives of the Study Hypothesis Competency Mapping Intervention Hypothesis Customers

Transcription

1 Rationale of the Research Work Statement of the Problem Objectives of the Study Hypothesis Competency Mapping Intervention Hypothesis Customers Delight in Services Intervention Hypothesis Micro-planning Intervention Hypothesis Multi-skilling Intervention Operational Definitions of Variables

2 3. 1 RATIONALE OF THE RESEARCH WORK The purpose of this research was to assess comparatively the pre and post evaluation of the real outcomes achieved after implementing Organizational Development (OD) Interventions in Bhilai Steel Plant A Maharatna Company, under Steel Authority In India Limited. In recent years, the utilization of Organizational Development Interventions has grown at an exponential rate. This issue has, challenged the scholars in the OD area, how to evaluate the effectiveness of such OD Interventions. Neilsen and Kimberly (1976) have so aptly noted that most of the evidence regarding the efficacy of OD as a change modality is anecdotal. Even in those cases where more systematic efforts have been made, the results are open to serious methodological criticism. Thus, much of what is available in the literature is philosophical or testimonial in nature and neither, provides a satisfactory basis for decisions about the advisability of further investment in this particular change strategy for the managers nor enhances understanding of the process of organizational change for those interested in the theoretical implications of OD. The field of OD is continuously developing over the years and organizations are reaping huge benefits by strategically and

3 3. 2 systematically implementing OD Interventions. But, it seems that only through methodological sound evaluation practices this measure of outcomes can be calculated. Effectiveness and outcome analysis of OD Interventions have become a key issue in modern manufacturing and service industries. Several articles are published (White & Mitchell, 1976: Pate, Neilson & Bacon, 1977: Porras & Berg, 1978) that have assessed various aspects of OD evaluation methodologies. While the studies mentioned above have added greatly to our knowledge of the methodological rigor in evaluating outcomes yielded from OD Interventions. White and Mitchell (1976), on the basis of their review of OD research from 1964 to 1974, concluded that most OD research uses poor research designs. Porras and Berg (1978), having reviewed OD research conducted from 1959 to mid-1975, concluded that although OD is young, there nevertheless exists a reasonably large number of scientific investigations of the effects of OD Interventions. The need for clarification regarding the state of the art of OD research in general, there would seem to be a need for comparative analyses of the evaluation methodologies typically utilized by major OD Interventions. It may well be the case that the degree of methodological rigor associated with different OD Interventions varies substantially. It

4 3. 3 would not seem advisable to group together the major OD variants for the purpose of generalizing as to the state of the art of OD research. Researches are still continuing in the said field in different dimensions, like how people and organizations function and how to get them function better, the major thrust given by Organizational Development Practitioners is on how to improve functioning of individuals, teams, and the total organizations and the other thrust is on to teach the organization s members how to continuously improve upon their own functioning. The systematic approaches adopted in framing the Organizational Development strategy have given multiple benefits to the organizations, but the exact outcomes were supposed to be known, and an attempt is made in knowing it in this research. Organizations throughout the world need the unique help to achieve effectiveness for which development of organizations is essential. Paradoxically there are not too many case studies on Indian organizations, which is perhaps the need of the hour due to rapid globalization of the Indian economy. In the above back drop, this study at this stage may focus on the current status of Organizational Development practices in Indian organizations, which will further enable to conduct in-depth study across organizations within and across the industries.

5 3. 4 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The title of the research undertaken is as follows: ANALYSIS OF EFFECTIVENESS AND OUTCOME OF ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT INTERVENTIONS IN BHILAI STEEL PLANT Beckhard, (1969) states that Organizational Development (OD) is an effort, planned, organization-wide, and managed from the top, to increase the organization s effectiveness and health through planned Interventions in the organization's 'processes,' using behavioral-science knowledge. Cummings and Worley, (2001) states that OD as a system-wide application of behavioral science knowledge to the planned development and reinforcement of organizational strategies, structures, and processes for improving an organization's effectiveness In this research an attempt has been made for understanding and evaluating effectiveness and outcomes of the OD Interventions conducted by Bhilai Steel Plant. In Bhilai Steel Plant four OD Interventions were chosen to be studied out of many OD Interventions conducted. The Interventions were Competency Mapping, Multi skilling, Micro planning and Customers Delight in services remote and personal.

6 3. 5 In all the four OD Interventions different aspects were studied. In Competency Mapping Role Efficacy aspect was studied. The second Intervention studied was Customers Delight in services in which the area researched was on the aspect of employees Dealing with Emotions (Rumination and Flow). Third OD Intervention was Micro Planning Intervention and the focus was in knowing, what was the impact of this Intervention in enhancing Organizational Learning. In the fourth Intervention, which is Multi skilling Intervention, the focus of study was the impact of this OD Intervention in reducing Role Stress. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The following are the major objectives of the study: 1. To find out Role Efficacy of Participants in Competency Mapping Intervention in Bhilai Steel Plant. 2. To find out the effectiveness of Multi-skilling Intervention in Bhilai Steel Plant by studying Role Stress. 3. To find out the outcomes of Customers Delight in Services Intervention by conducting a study on Rumination Analysis of Participants. 4. To find out the effectiveness of Micro Planning Intervention conducted by Bhilai Steel Plant by studying Organizational Learning Diagnostics.

7 3. 6 Following HYPOTHESIS were tested: I. COMPETENCY MAPPING Competency Mapping Intervention will have a positive impact in enhancing Role Efficacy. Hypothesis I (A) Competency mapping Intervention will lead in enhancing Centrality. Hypothesis I (B) Competency mapping Intervention will lead in enhancing Integration. Hypothesis I(C) Competency mapping Intervention will lead in enhancing Pro-activity. Hypothesis I (D) Competency mapping Intervention will lead in enhancing Creativity. Hypothesis I (E) Competency mapping Intervention will lead in enhancing Inter-Role Linkage.

8 3. 7 Hypothesis I (F) Competency mapping Intervention will lead in enhancing Helping relationship. Hypothesis I (G) Competency mapping Intervention will lead in enhancing Super ordination. Hypothesis I (H) Competency mapping Intervention will lead in enhancing Influence. Hypothesis I (I) Competency mapping Intervention will lead in enhancing Growth. Hypothesis I (J) Competency mapping Intervention will lead in enhancing Confrontation handling. II. CUSTOMER DELIGHT IN SERVICES REMOTE & PERSONAL Customers Delight Intervention in services will have a positive impact in Dealing with Emotions (Rumination and Flow).

9 3. 8 Hypothesis II (A) Customers Delight Intervention in services will have a positive impact in Dealing with Emotion by reducing Rumination. Hypothesis II (B) Customers Delight Intervention in services will have a positive impact in Dealing with Emotion by increasing Flow. III. MICRO PLANNING Micro Planning Intervention will have a positive impact in enhancing Organizational Learning. Hypothesis III (A) Micro Planning Intervention will lead to enhancement of Innovation phases of Organizational Learning. Hypothesis III (B) Micro Planning Intervention will lead to enhancement of Implementation phases of Organizational Learning. Hypothesis III (C) Micro Planning Intervention will lead to enhancement of Stabilization phases of Organizational Learning.

10 3. 9 Hypothesis III (D) Micro Planning Intervention will lead to enhancement of Experimentation mechanisms of Organizational Learning. Hypothesis III (E) Micro Planning Intervention will lead to enhancement of Mutuality mechanisms of Organizational Learning. Hypothesis III (F) Micro Planning Intervention will lead to enhancement of planning mechanisms of Organizational Learning. Hypothesis III (G) Micro Planning Intervention will lead to enhancement of Temporary Systems mechanisms of Organizational Learning. Hypothesis III (H) Micro Planning Intervention will lead to enhancement of Competency Building mechanisms of Organizational Learning.

11 3. 10 IV: MULTI SKILLING Multi skilling Intervention will have a positive impact in reducing Role Stress. Hypothesis IV (A) Multi skilling Intervention will lead in reducing Inter-role distance. Hypothesis IV (B) Multi skilling Intervention will lead in reducing Role stagnation. Hypothesis IV (C) Multi skilling Intervention will lead in reducing Role Expectation Conflict. Hypothesis IV (D) Multi skilling Intervention will lead in reducing Role Erosion. Hypothesis IV (E) Multi skilling Intervention will lead in reducing Role Overload. Hypothesis IV (F) Multi skilling Intervention will lead in reducing Role Isolation.

12 3. 11 Hypothesis IV (G) Multi skilling Intervention will lead in reducing Personal Inadequacy. Hypothesis IV (H) Multi skilling Intervention will lead in reducing Self-Role Distance. Hypothesis IV (I) Multi skilling Intervention will lead in reducing Role Ambiguity. Hypothesis IV (J) Multi skilling Intervention will lead in reducing Role Inadequacy. OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF THE VARIABLES Competency Mapping: Marcus Buckingham (2001) states competency mapping is a process through which one assesses and determines one s strengths as an individual worker and in some cases, as part of an organization. It generally examines two areas: emotional intelligence or emotional quotient (EQ), and strengths of the individual in areas like team structure, leadership, and decision-making. Large organizations frequently employ some form of competency mapping to understand how to most effectively employ the competencies of strengths of workers. They may also use competency mapping to analyze the

13 3. 12 combination of strengths in different workers to produce the most effective teams and the highest quality work. Internal Customer: Joseph M. Juran (1989) mentions that internal and external customers as anyone affected by the product or by the process used to produce the product, in the context of quality management. Internal customers may play the role as supplier, processor, and customer in the sequence of product development. Customers Delight: Customers Delight is the result of delivering a product or service that exceeds customer expectations. Multi-skilling: A more common definition of multi-skilling is where labour organization is structured so that workers possess a range of skills appropriate for use on a project or within an organization. A multi-skilled worker is an individual who possesses or acquires a range of skills and knowledge and applies them to work tasks that may fall outside the traditional boundaries of his or her original training. This does not necessarily mean that a worker obtains or possesses high-level skills in multiple technology areas. However, the worker can

14 3. 13 be an effective and productive contributor to the work output of several traditional training disciplines. Some of the reasons for the introduction of multi-skilling include: to increase labour productivity cater for the declining number of trades people and cater for a critical skill shortage. create a more flexible labour force able to meet challenges, improve project performance and better utilize the current pool of skilled workers to utilize labour so that workers possess a range of skills suitable for more than one work process develop competency within the workforce and allow full deployment of qualifications across the industry assign workers tasks based on their ability to perform the needed skill and not restricted by traditional job descriptions or work boundaries. Problems that affect multi-skilling are both basic and practical. Basic problems are difficult to overcome and include limits on human skill retention and the difficulty of maintaining a multi-skilled workforce from a management and financial viewpoint. Practical impediments

15 3. 14 include the organizational requirements, production management structure, resistance to change, qualifications requirements and the acceptance of multi-skilling in both union and non-union work sites. (The Macquarie Concise Dictionary 1994). Rumination: Rumination is a process that involves deeply reflecting on a situation. When rumination becomes difficult to control, it can lead to negative psychological effects including depression and phobias. The inability to stop ruminating on a particular thought is a hallmark of obsession. Flow: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1996) states that the concept of Flow is the mental state of operation in which the person is fully immersed in what he or she is doing, characterized by a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity Organizational Learning: Organizational Learning as the process of "detection and correction of errors." In his view organizations learn through individuals acting as agents for them: "The individuals' learning activities, in turn, are facilitated or inhibited by an ecological system of factors that may be called an Organizational Learning system". (Argyris 1977)

16 3. 15 Learning Organization: Senge (1990) remarks: Learning Organization as the organization "in which you cannot not learn because learning is so insinuated into the fabric of life." Also, he defines Learning Organization as "a group of people continually enhancing their capacity to create what they want to create." I would define Learning Organization as an "Organization with an ingrained philosophy for anticipating, reacting and responding to change, complexity and uncertainty." The concept of Learning Organization is increasingly relevant given the increasing complexity and uncertainty of the organizational environment. The rate at which organizations learn may become the only sustainable source of competitive advantage. Role Ambiguity: Role Ambiguity is a lack of clarity on the part of an employee about the expectations of colleagues concerning his or her role within an organization. Role ambiguity may occur in newly created posts or in positions that are undergoing change. When role ambiguity extends to responsibilities or priorities it can lead to role conflict. (The Macquarie Concise Dictionary 1994)