Category: Organization Development

Management

Mary Parker Follet has been one of the famous and prominent experts in the management sector. According to him, people are the most effective tools for the implementation of planned things, which has been referred as Management by him. The kind of functional management is one when the initial plan is put to action to reach the pre-set target. In a business, different people work in different perspectives under shade, but for the fulfillment of one objective. Thus, a group of people are directed and controlled by the involvement of management, which has been considered as another important definition of this term. Management comprises the proper deployment of:

1. Human Resources
2. Financial Resources
3. Technological Resources, and
4. Natural Resources

The most important attribute of a manager is his or her ability to control, direct and mange people so that the project works smoothly and successfully.

Management’s Basic Elements

Some of important functions through which a good Management operates are:

• Planning: foreseeing the future needs and deciding upon the action plan.
• Organizing: making maximum utilization of all resources for executing the plan.
• Motivating: first exhibiting the skills yourself for others to follow suit.
• Coordinating: matching things to fit in and making people work together for a common goal.
• Controlling: intermittant checking and monitoring progress against original plan (Barrett, p. 50)

Personal Management

Personnel management, in quite sometime past, was simply considered as an activity concerning the hiring of employees. But with the passage of time as business grew more complex, personnel management gained more importance and became more intricate than it was before in the 1800s. It was in early 1900s when employers and business entrepreneurs began to realize that it is the workers morale that affects productivity and that workers need reasonably sufficient amount of wages so as to be happy and content in their job. It was also a part of awakening and realization when a natural human instinct was considered in employees’ affairs. It was also realized that it is employees right to get acknowledgement and recognition of their work and hence a feeling of achievement, and that the employees too require an opportunity to participate in decisions that affect their work. The personnel managers then started caring for such needs of the employees by various programs such as company newsletters, recreation programs, and suggestion systems. In mid 1900s the labor unions were formed which soon became very powerful, resulting into the expansion of industrial relations. More responsibilities for personnel managers were created from the coming of Social Security Act of 1935. By virtue of this Act, the personal managers had to supervise employees’ retirement and unemployment benefits, in addition to their normal responsibilities. (Quinn, n.p.)

Planning

A Plan, in the broader sense, is a typical, well-thought-out procedure to achieve a goal. But when it comes to execution of the plan, it is the planning that assumes a more important dimension. According to Winston Churchill: “Plans are of little importance, but planning is essential “- Winston Churchill.

Planning is a term that implies the figuring out the details of a plan down to the level of its sub-components. Literally, planning simply means the formulation of a plan; it can be both simple as well as complex. In the modern times it has acquired a more technical meaning, covering the below areas that have relationship to resource utilization:

1. Government
2. Legislation, and
3. Regulations

Planning is referred to the best and maximum use of resources, as in the case of a series of five-year-plans. However, the term is often used in connection to the planning for the best use of resources like land, capital and labour especially in the Transportation and Urban planning etc. Planning, therefore, encompasses both the thinking and psychological process and the organizational process of creating and maintaining a plan about the future activities to be carried out on a specific scale. Thus, it is a result of intelligently deploying the resources which is of utmost importance for the creation and refinement of a plan. or its integration with other plans,

The term planning also refers to the formal procedures used in efforts as the creation of documents and diagrams; the holding of meetings to discuss the important issues that require to be addressed on the basis of time priority, the goals to be met, and the tactics and strategy that is to be followed. It has been observed that different perspectives, such as social, political, as well as, economic conditions influence the real meaning of the planning, which is quite unclear due to its different utilization around the globe.

Planning Process

The planning process constitutes of a number of different procedures, which are influenced and done on different grounds. In this regard, during the abovementioned process, usual plans are developed under a framework. In specific, some of the bases have been mentioned below:

1. Ecology
2. Economy
3. Society, and
4. National policy

After the plan framework is chalked out, comes the implementation stage. In addition, mechanical, instructive, and monetary aid programs can be utilized for the facilitation that may support the execution, as well as, implementation of these plans. In addition, different activities are required to complete each step of the planning process. Usually, the conservation plan is prepared by an individual, which plays the role of a decision maker in the planning process. One of the major features of a conservation plan is that the future state of an area is reflected by the conservation plan, which is often referred as an assessment. Moreover, an important role is also played by the customer, as well as, the stakeholder in the preparation of the management plan.

[Note: It is not necessary that stakeholders essentially be the decision-makers for the implementation of the planned activities.]

Development Administration & Planning (DAP)

What, in your view, are the major challenges posed to development planning and administration by the interaction between civil society, state and markets?

In recent decades, the globe has grown economically, as well as, socially at a faster speed, and international trade has played an important role in the expansion, as well as, progression of the humankind. During recent times, the history has witnessed an abrupt change in its growth, which needs proper planning and management for its maintenance, as well as, steady and stable growth. In addition, a major and crucial role has been played by the governments and private sectors in the continuation of the worldly growth. Moreover, urban, as well as, rural population has contributed significantly in the same aspect. Yet, poor and rich societies confront a major gap between each other. In many cases, increment has been observed in the inequalities between the abovementioned social classes. Thus, world is becoming smaller and smaller, and turning into a global village. On the other hand, poverty is increasing, and some nations and societies are lagging behind in darkness.

It has been observed that governments, as well as, private organizations confront a crucial challenge regarding the global development in the new century. In this regard, different countries are implementing different strategies according to their available resources. For instance, natural, cultural, and especially, human resources are being utilized effectively by the developing countries. On the other hand, an equitable and continuous development by the formulation of a framework has been the major concern of the developed countries, as well as, some of the international organizations. In this regard, achievement of these goals has become the responsibility of trained professionals around the world. Specifically, one of major and important concern of the expertise is the proper understanding of the factors that are responsible for the development, and vice versa. Thus, appropriate policies should be formulated by the experts, in order to provide better development goals to the global world.

In this regard, a number of organizations have been established for the ensuring of continuous global development. In this aspect, the Development Planning Unit is one of the international centres that are working for the abovementioned purpose. Some of the major objectives of the DPU are the provision of academic teaching, as well as, opportunities of practical training. Moreover, different fields have been chosen by the DPU of which, the development planning and management on the regional, as well as, urban level is one of the major fields of action of the DPU. In this regard, twelve staff members have been recruited by this department, and a research degree programme has been offered for the provision of postgraduate education. Furthermore, six MSc courses, as well as, a number of certificate programs have been offered by the department. Thus, approximately hundred students are provided with the abovementioned programs every year, which is a huge contribution by this department.

Strong interdisciplinary postgraduate course has been offered as Diploma Development Administration and Planning, which has been focused significantly in terms of teaching. Specifically, the growth and expansion of developing countries has been positively contributed by the provision of systematic, mechanical, as well as, practical knowledge and expertise by this course to the participants from around the world. In particular, diverse variety of confrontations can be responded appropriately by the formulation of required policies by these students after these courses. In the result, economic and social opportunities are provided to the populace in the developing countries. Moreover, export, as well as, production performance is improved by the implementation of implications that are practiced during the training. In other words, the basic objective of reduction of the poverty and inequality is fulfilled at some extent.

In addition, carrying out of exploration, education, and management in the DPU has been one of the main purposes of the course. In particular, the development, administration, and planning field have been preferred by the department.

Interaction between Civil Society, State and Markets

Very little was heard of a civil society in the past, but now the subject of global citizen action resounds so often from the corridors of power. The development and expansion of civil society has been influenced by a number of reasons. In this regard, the actions and efforts of global citizens have significantly contributed in this regard. However, recognition that has been given to the individual states, as well as, trade markets has played an important and crucial role in the development of civil society. Moreover, economy has also been influenced and benefited by the alteration in the health, success, as well as, polity that has become possible due to the abovementioned efforts. These include:

1. The society matters,
2. The social institutions count, and
3. The citizens

In spite of the mushroom growth of non-government organisations (NGOs) and other civic associations in most of the countries, the civil society debate is yet confused, fragmented and hangs on the altar of contradictory interpretations. In this regard, an important question has been emerged in recent decades, which roams around the existence and identification of civil society as a traditional label, in terms of development of the developing world. Also, according to Michael Edwards,”Civil society has emerged as a major influence on development thinking”

The definition of civil society contains all associations and organisations that exist between the family and the state, but without the mention of business. Hence there is ardent need to discuss civil society from the business point of view. The economic role of civil society focusses on securing jobs and providing services in areas where states and markets are weak, and are merely eating up the “social capital”.. In their social role, civil societies can be a big store of co-operative values, caring, cultural life and intellectual innovation. (Thomas, n.p.)

Civil Society, State and Markets Interaction in Health Sector

The new institutional, technical, political and financial resources to health have been brought forth by the involvement of civil society organizations (CSOs) in the health sector. How these resources can best be utilized towards local, national and international health goals? The plans, policies and programmes that seek to engage and utilize the resources within civil society for health need to be translated by experience and evidence. In this regard, a range of circumstances has been indicated by the World Health Organization. Specifically, the interactions and relations of state with the organizations of civil society that have primarily focused on health related goals have been occurring in the situations that have been noted by the WHO.

Civil Society Interaction Features in Health Sector

The following are some of the common features of civil society’s intervention in health that emerged from the facts under consideration. The study under review indicated that the civil society organizations (CSOs) provide innovative insights and approaches to the affected people and to participatory development (Loewenson, n.p.).

The CSOs initiate the provision of services to the poor communities hardly reached by the state or market. In addition, transparency, as well as, accountability is promoted by them, which is quite important in the process of decision-making. Moreover, job opportunities are created by them, which in other words, alleviate and reduce poverty. In broad perspective, advancement of human rights is another objective that is achieved by the CSOs. Subsequently, positive changes are made in the policies in different states, as well as, societies that support the needs of the people, and in the result, social status and economic conditions of the poor is improved. They have helped to generate formal and informal cultures of candidness, trust, communication and co-operation. There are certain services of some CSO, which include religious organisations that provide quality care at low cost. Recently, CSO methods and approaches were assessed in a comparative study. It was evaluated in the study that valid and transparent means were utilized by the CSOs for the identification of poor people. Also these methods were able to build more community and staff support. In the result, utilization of transparent methods encouraged the trust of community, and distrust was reduced. (Loewenson, n.p.)

In the result, a major and important role has been played by the expertise of CSO for the development of the society. On the other hand, demands from the CSO have advanced a lot, and a challenge has been confronted by them to contribute similarly in the future. In this respect, a number of efforts have been made by them for a sustainable healthy environment. Moreover, the delivery of services was encouraged by the CSO, and traditional involvement of CSOs was increased by the alteration in a policy. Thus, CSO has emerged as a powerful organization that can take any challenges and contribute accordingly. (Loewenson, n.p.)

Salient Features

Similar relativity has been observed in the internal characteristics of the CSO, as the welfare of states was considered by them. It has been indicated by most of the studies that health care needs of the populace are met by the imposition and implementation of concerned authorities, as well as, regulations. Thus, similar significance and potential has been observed in the state relations, as well as, community relations of the CSO. In this regard, potential enhancement has been observed in the role of CSO for its contribution in the health sector, as insufficient health resources were backed up by the planned mechanisms of the CSOs in the needed locations. (Loewenson, n.p.)

In cases where improvement and continuity has been observed in the healthcare services, the delivery of healthcare services has been considered more attentively, as compared to the previous activities. In the result, the important role of the private sector and similar organizations has been encouraged and appreciated by the governments. Thus, healthcare services are being mobilized by the interactions with the private organizations for the improvement and advancement of quality healthcare service. (Loewenson, n.p.)

CSO-State Interaction

A number of papers have been studied in this paper, and thus, it has been evaluated that the enhancement of service in the urban and developing areas has been primitive interest and objective of the government. On the other hand, wider interests have been expressed by the CSOs during their interactions within their organization, as well as, during their governmental interactions. Therefore, CSOs seeks to broaden the ambit and scope of the citizen rights. It also seeks to check the state power and hold policy-makers or the decision-makers accountable.

For instance, urban households with low income are provided with services from CSOs in the Philippines. On the other hand, pro-poor policies and approaches of mayors are also upheld by them, and thus, activities of the elected politicians are investigated closely by them. (Loewenson, n.p.)

In fact, less development has been observed in the approaches for the facilitation of the abovementioned role while comparing the tools for the support of services in the urban areas. For instance, Brazil is a good example of this role, where adolescent and child rights are protected by the councils of CSO that only works for the child rights in the country. On the contrast, there are a number of studies that document duality of the state towards CSO roles in community organization, monitoring rights and holding policy-makers and the decision-makers accountable. The state response to such roles ranges from cooperation, to indifference or non-responsiveness to hostility. (Loewenson, n.p.)

This duality, to a greater extent can be ascribed to the absence of clear mechanisms in the studies that might enable this kind of relationship between the state and CSOs. The significance of the formulation of legal and transparent frameworks was highlighted by a study that reviewed the initiatives related to the decentralization in around six countries. Moreover, managerial capabilities for the required needs have been investigated and associated with the frameworks in a relationship. In addition, the approaches for the strengthening of political objectives and delivery of financial services to the outreach have also been highlighted in the study. On the contrast, a study-review of sixty-seven (67) CSOs working with the poor urban people in India found connections with the state to be varied; to have formally weak mechanisms for partnership and co-ordination, and animosities over differences in CSO and state standpoints on the urban poor. (Loewenson, n.p.)

Major Challenges to Development Planning & Administration

Besides the outline plan for the economic and social concerns of residents, there are other issues that need to be addressed and emphasized. Some of the major challenges posed to Development Planning and Administration include:

1. Community Safety
2. Environmental Issues
3. Highway and High Street Security
4. Care for the Elderly
5. Transport Issues
6. Youth Issues

Challenges posed to China’s 11^th Five Year Plan

Economic Challenges

The growth rates in China over the years have persistently exceeded the targets, for a bunch of reasons. The state mechanism suffers from a growth bias, whereas the investment especially at the low level tends to grow without a check. Until recently

The economic statistics have begun to show growth and the investment rate came to well above the target.

At the time when consumption is most needed, Chinese people tend to save rather than spend simply because of insecure circumstances and high costs related to social provision, an occurrence which may take years to get corrected. Although recently there has been a slight shift of central government resources towards rural areas, yet this increase is not big enough to bring the much needed result. This programme also included ways and means of reducing the burden from the country-dwellers’ shoulders

Social challenges: (stability maintaining factor)

The measures, which China adopted to meet its economic challenges, have a direct effect on social stability. The government officials have very clearly identified inequalities in the income as a cause of social chaos and turmoil. So they have moved, in the Five-Year-Plan at macroeconomic level, to address the issue of inequalities by improving social provision in the rural areas and by enhancing the scales at rural incomes. The development of the “new Socialist countryside” is clearly directed at fortifying social synchronization.

At the same time action is being taken to strengthen the physical capacity to control the social unrest and chaos on the streets by creating new units of the People’s Armed Police that is equipped with latest arms and weapons, the intention being to keep the rural mob under command and control.

Too many observers in China, there are also systemic deficiencies within the system and the plan itself that is a cause of this chaos and unrest. One, among many causes, is the lack of effective independent channel through which complaints of the aggrieved parties can be communicated to the protestor’s representatives. The other important reason for a feeling of insecurity and unrest is the absence of any effective system of check and preventive measures on the corruption and the pursuit of special interests within Party and government, especially at the local level, which triggers many of the protests and demonstrations. Without this change and preventive measures checking and controlling of the growth in unrest is simply unimaginable.

A research institute under China’s State Council very recently held a long meeting to discuss the reforms meant to give rise to sincere ideas for the leadership. According to the minutes of the meeting, which were confirmed to have been real, some high-ranking officials at the forum argued that the only solution to growing tensions lies n putting the government and the Communist Party on a firmer legal footing, while permitting the ordinary person, a layman in the street a greater access and louder say in the public affairs. This, in fact, is the biggest challenge, which China faces today, and which is very crucial for her next phase of development planning and administration.

Works Cited

Hodgetts, Richard M. Management Information Systems, 2007. Web.

Bernthal, P.R. (2005). Management Development.

Cannell.M. Management Development (rev 2007).

Desai V (1999) Anatomy of the Bombay NGO sector. Environment & Urbanisation 11:247—65.

DPU. MSc Development Administration and Planning –Introduction. Web.

Planning. Web.

Rene Loewenson. Civil society – state interactions in national health systems. Web.

Richard Barrett (2003) Business & Economics. Web.

WHO/TARSC Annotated bibliography, n.p. Web.

Scenario planning is one of the most effective system tools of strategic management in general and strategic analysis in particular. As it is implied from designation, scenario planning constructs alternative options of the future development of the external environment of the organization, which allows the managers and the heads of the organization to conduct an analysis and make strategic decisions in the conditions of uncertainty. In that regard, the article “Applying Organization Development Tools in Scenario Planning” by Gary N. McLean and Toby Marshall Egan is devoted to the methods of facilitating scenario planning as organizational development’s interventions. This paper critically reviews the aforementioned article in terms of its arguments and contributions for the theoretical framework of organizational development and strategic management.

The basic idea of the article is concerned with analyzing the basic concepts of scenario planning as an intersection with organizational development (OD) interventions. The intersection is based on the latest definition of OD and scenario planning, specifically the intuitive approach, and the particular conditions in which scenario planning can be the most beneficial. Accordingly, the intersection can be assessed from the perspective that OD’s definition mainly concerns a process or an activity to achieve particular goals such as enhanced knowledge, expertise, income, productivity and etc, while scenario planning can be seen as one of the processes, which according to OD definition are abstract terms.

Additionally, the article follows with specific steps which are implied in the process of scenario planning, although, as stated earlier, they are in the context of OD interventions. In that regard, the authors selected OD tools that are the most relevant to the case of scenario planning. The steps are also processes through which the organization must come up with certain outcomes, which in this case are the scenarios and their responses. Thus, the authors follow with guidelines on how to establish the priorities among the received feedbacks.

Assessing the article it should be noted that the authors attempted to put the perspective on how this should be done at the beginning of the article, quoting Schein, who stated that “the biggest impact on the evolution of OD as a field… was the result of the actual experiences that individuals had as consultants to managers in real organizations.” (McLean and Egan, 2008) Thus, the presented aspects should be view as merely guidelines, which they are, because of their abstractness. That is to say, scenario planning is not only intersecting with OD, but also with other aspects of organizational management. For example, system thinking, which is one of the five disciplines presented by Senge in his theory of the learning organization, which is now also a part of OD. Accordingly, many aspects such as group process and team building can be seen as parts of HR management, which was stated by the authors, as “OD has, for some time, been viewed as a subset of human resource development”(McLean and Egan, 2008)In that regard, the abstractness of the presentation can be explained by the similarity of many aspects in that field, whereas it does not explain the little attention paid for the scenario planning, which is a major part in the article.

Accordingly, one of the beneficial areas for strategic planning, which specifically should be considered at the time when technological advancements can be seen as a competitive advantage while operating in dynamic and unpredictable environment, is the promotion of innovation. The article might have referred to such area pointing to “internal challenges perceiving or creating new opportunities” and “anticipated or recently occurring organizational change.” (McLean and Egan, 2008) Nevertheless, the context in which scenario planning can be used to promote innovations might have a wider implementation, specifically with the possibility of exogenous shocks. Examples of exogenous shocks that might affect the organisation include, but not limited to “Unpredictable supply chain interruptions, abnormal weather events, major global economic disruptions, cyber security failures, and the risk of physical attacks on high profile company assets.” (Worthington et al.) In that regard, scenario planning can be seen as proactive measure to recognise and exploit new opportunities to find innovative ways to reposition the strategy of the company.

In other sections the authors succeeded in providing the core of any organizational interventions, which is learning. In that regard, the integration of learning in scenario planning is based on that “a core goal of any planning system is to re-perceive the organization and its environment”…as “[t]he ability to re-perceive requires that individuals and groups learn something new about the organization and its environment as well as to raise up the present and past perceptions of the organization”. (Chermack, 2005)

Accordingly, the definition of scenario planning implies some controversy regarding its methods, where it does not point to the way scenario planning should be implemented and the methods of its utilization. In that regard, the origins of modern scenario planning, the examples of which is the USA and France centres for scenario techniques development which emerged in 1960s(Bradfield et al., 2005), outlines the form of scenario planning that can be defined more as a simulation. Thus, taking the examples of the first scenario planning implementations, in addition to Chermack’s research, an important aspect should be mentioned which goes beyond predicting the possible future outcomes for the organization’s external environment., i.e. making a decision regarding which course to follow. Thus, the challenge is “providing the decision maker with an adequate amount of the right information at the right time.” (Chermack, 2005) In that regard, McLean and Egan’s article showed that the context of OD is not in the process of decision making, rather than the process of providing the right information so that the decision maker can choose the right course for the company’s further development.

Additionally, it should be stated that there are many cases of low predictability, which can be caused by inappropriate framing, cognitive and motivational biases, and inappropriate motivation of causality. In that regard, the process of making decisions in the conditions of low predictability requires that the methods should have characteristics among which avoiding overconfidence in a single scenario and identifying the uncertain characteristics that have the greatest potential impact. (Wright and Goodwin) The latter can be of great importance especially in the context presented in McLean and Egan’s article, i.e. value voting as a part of priority development. (McLean and Egan, 2008)

Dialogue, as a method of developing scenarios also has vital importance that might be underestimated in the context of OD. Dialogue, in that regard, can be considered as an informal strategic conversation, the perception of which was outlined by Chermack as an important factor in scenario planning efforts. In defining the dialogue, as a tool for explaining and justifying one’s position, other aspects should be considered such as the requirement of the effective strategic conversation. Van der Hejden outlined four of the requirements for the strategic conversation, such as: 1) a common language, 2) alignment of ideas, 3) willingness to engage in rational argumentation, and finally 4) the evolutions of ideas inside the organization.”(Chermack et al., 2007) Additionally, a research conducted by Chermack also pointed out to that participating in scenario planning might positively change the perception of own communicative skills.

Finally, one of the weaknesses of the article can be seen in limiting the challenges of scenario planning to those mutual with OD. In that regard, considering the nature of the article in presenting general guidelines, an expansive overview would have been beneficial to the flow of author’s arguments. Although other challenges that might be additionally stated are also related to the aspect of uncertainty, which were mentioned by the authors, the expansion of their analysis might point out to the common pitfall’s that might arise when assessing scenario planning. For example O’Brien, the author of “Scenario planning – lessons for practice from teaching and learning “, identified five pitfalls for teaching /learning scenario planning, which are: “(1)predictability of factor choices, (2) predictability of theme selections (3) focus on current/high profile issues, (4) typical implicit assumptions, and (5) unimaginative presentation.” (Wright et al., 2009)

In conclusion, it can be state that the article discussed in this paper presented a comprehensive insight on the way scenario planning and organisational development can interact. In that regard, the comprehensiveness of the narration can be seen in presenting the material with an abstract approach, and thus omitting various points. The importance of such points might be argued, especially considering the different approaches presented in the literature regarding scenario planning, but nevertheless other points lies in the essence of scenario planning. In that sense, the presented guidelines might serve as an introduction for understanding OD interventions for scenario planning, whereas further investigation in that subject will require reviewing the literature related to both scenario planning and organisational development. Additionally, one of the finest points quoted in the article is the contribution of the experience in developing a theoretical framework. It could be said, that in the light of the dynamic changes in the business environment, there might be different individual factors which are individual to each organisation. In that regard, each company, assuming the availability of a solid theoretical background can derive their own contribution to the field organisational development and scenario planning, and in such way creating case studies for practical study.

Organisational Development interventions

Addressing the aspect of the organisation development, a particular question might contribute to understanding the essence of that notion. Why different companies with approximately equal conditions achieve completely different results: some companies prosper, some have average success, and other companies fail. In order to understand the answer to such question, the role of the organisation development should be examined. In that regard, this paper analyzes organisation development and its role in terms of its interventions, addressing the contextual issues that should be considered during planning, conducting and evaluating these interventions.

Overview of OD

The essence of organization development, its role, means and tools can be understood through one of its many definitions, where organisation development (OD) is an effort that is planned, organization-wide, and managed from the top, “to increase organization effectiveness and health through planned interventions in the organization’s “processes,” using behavioral-science knowledge.” (Beckhard, 2006) From the definition it can be implied that OD represents a long-term work to raise the organisation’s capability to innovate and resolve occurring internal and external changes. In that sense, behavioural-science knowledge can be implemented through established groups during planned arrangements in which these ‘efforts’ will be managed. Additionally, it should be noted that organisation development can be sometimes used synonymously with the term organisation change. (Cooperrider and Sekerka, 2006)

Organizational Setting

The organizational setting will be given through the example of a company “X” working in the working in the sphere of logistics with many affiliations in the major cities in the country. The company “X” is a fast growing company which natural development resulted in an increase in staff resulted in opening new departments. In that regard, the planning process is concerned with problems rather than opportunities. In that case the old management system, where all the business processes were handled by the top management started to malfunction due to the increase in the operational tasks. The results might be reflected in the quality of the products, complaints of the service quality, and employees’ dissatisfaction. In that regard, in addition to establishing the goals of the changes, the efforts directed toward these changes have to include the whole organisation, rather than the HR department, and they should be “related to the organization’s mission.” (Beckhard, 2006)

Main Steps

The first main step in OD is planning, i.e. “a systematic diagnosis of the organization, the development of a strategic plan for improvement, and the mobilization of resources to carry out the effort.” (Beckhard, 2006) In that regard, one of the issues to consider is “the recognition of a performance problem or opportunity” (Joan Ernst van, 2007), according to which a corresponding direction of development will taken.

The process of assessment is also important, as it is the process where information is being collected and feedback is given regarding the possible domains. Assuming that OD is performed by an external consultant, an important issue to consider is building a good relation with the internal change agent.

Following the planning process, another issue to consider is selecting an appropriate model for change. Paralleling models with conducting the change, a model for change can be considered as a “simplified representation of the general steps in initiating and carrying out a change process.” (Rothwell et al., 2005)

Additionally, it should be noted that the cornerstone of any organisational changes is the initiatives of the top management. As it was stated in the definition of OD, “managed from the top”, it should be said that based on the congruence, clearness, and the regularity of the top management’s guidelines, it depends to what degree the changing process will be purposeful.

Finally, the evaluation of the intervention is one of the most important steps occurring in all process models, as it serves as a justification of the investments in OD interventions. “Evaluation provides the evidence on which to base decisions about maintaining, institutionalizing, and expanding successful programs, and modifying or abandoning unsuccessful ones” (Thomas and Peter, 2005)

OD in Practice

Organizational Issues

The first issue relevant to OD interventions that might affect the change process is centralization. Whether the company is high or low on centralization can be seen as an influential factor on the process of implementing OD interventions. The centralization might affect the interventions in terms the autonomy of each department in the company, i.e. planning, warehouse, communication and etc. The provided setting imply high centralization where each department is dependable on headquarter. Thus the directions of the interventions should be managed from top to bottom. Accordingly, an organization with high centralization will be dependable on the hierarchy of the management and accordingly on the type of interventions applied, i.e. strategic or operational interventions.

The second issue relevant to OD interventions that might affect the change process is formalization. Whether the company is high or low on formalization accordingly might imply the company’s growth level and its stage of development. The formalization can be seen through the process of following specific rules and procedures through it working process. In the provided setting of the company “X” the formalization is low, where each department is rather flexible with each manager of department being responsible for managing employees. Accordingly, the centralization of the company and its low formalization, is apparent through the influence of powerful figure, i.e. the head of the company, where coordination is informal, dictating the flow and the goals, leaving managers to utilize their own rules in their departments. In that regard, such approaches imply that the company is still relying on the model that was utilized at the company’s foundation. Thus, OD interventions can be affected by such factor, where there will be difficulty in implementing formal interventions, in informal environment.

The third issue relevant to OD interventions that might affect the change process is communication. The setting of the company implies that the communication between the companies various departments being performed through electronic means. In that regard, the company utilizes a corporate portal, where all documentation exchange is occurring through a computer interface, forming a network without attachment to geographical location. In that regard, the lack of personal interaction affects the ability for the change agent to control the changing process. Accordingly, such factor will subsequently lead to that the evaluation of the change implementation will also be general relying mostly on financial statements and statistical data. In that regard, changes related to HR satisfaction and control will be difficult to assess.

The fourth issue which is derived from the previous one is the information system. The setting of the company “X” provides an efficient information system which not only serves as a portal for customers and partners, but also stores all the information regarding the document exchange in the company, forming a knowledge base. The information system can be related to OD interventions in terms of its provision of a necessary data to assess the problem, assess its urgency, and accordingly select proper model for change. In that regard, this factor will facilitate the diagnosis process, where high-level view of the company’s problem will be obtained. Additionally, the availability of the knowledge base right from the company’s foundation will help monitoring the performance of the company in chronological order for the past period, along with real-time monitoring during the process on implementing the interventions. In that regard, a higher level of flexibility will be added to the transformation process, allowing for the intervention to be corrected and adapted accordingly.

The fifth issue relevant to OD interventions that might affect the change process is the resistance to change. Mostly a factor associated with the employees, including top management, the resistance to change might be caused by several factors such as the following: 1) the attachment of the employees to the existent organizational design and culture, 2) Skepticism regarding the reasonability of the change, 3) the fear of not fitting into the new organizational design (e.g. staff reduction, position replacement, salary and etc) In that regard, during the pre-transformational change the issues of resistance should be addressed. In the setting presented through the example of the company “X”, despite the fact that the company has been in the market only for two years, the company has already established a certain culture for the employees and thus there is a possibility for facing mostly cognitive resistance at the first stages of implementing OD interventions.

The last issue relevant to OD interventions that might affect the change process is the leadership of the transformation leader. Such factors affecting the leadership of the transformation leader is the fact that that the leader was promoted from outside of the company and replaced an existent executive manager. Additionally, a factor influencing the leadership is the skills of the transformation leader reflected through the experience and the success of previous OD efforts with other companies. In the presented setting of the company ”X”, the transformation leader was promoted from outside of the company, while his credentials include working in such companies as “Y” and “Z”, in which in addition to successfully implementing OD interventions, the aforementioned companies, belong to the same sector of the industry, which imply his understanding of the specifics of the business. In that regard, the replacement of a manager from within the company with an “outsider”, resulted in short-term resistance, but nevertheless, during the pre-transformation period it was possible for him to motivate and mobilize the company behind the transformation effort by gathering a supportive group around him.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it can be said that OD interventions are an essential part of any organisation. In that regard, answering the question asked in the introduction of this paper, it might be said that companies with equal starts differ in the achievement level due to various small details that should be considered during the company’s development. In that regard, companies might be similar in the finances, industry, and entry to the market. Nevertheless, different factors, as the ones indicated in the paper positively and negatively affect further development of the company, and accordingly affect the OD practice and its intervention. Finally, it should be stated that in current conditions, there are no company that is capable to successfully function without organisationally developing.

References

BECKHARD, R. (2006) What is Organization Development. IN GALLOS, J. V. (Ed.) Organization development. John Wiley and Sons.

BRADFIELD, R., WRIGHT, G., BURT, G., CAIRNS, G. & VAN DER HEIJDEN, K. (2005) The origins and evolution of scenario techniques in long range business planning. Futures, 37, 795-812.

CHERMACK, T. J. (2005) Studying scenario planning: Theory, research suggestions, and hypotheses. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 72, 59-73.

CHERMACK, T. J., VAN DER MERWE, L. & LYNHAM, S. A. (2007) Exploring the relationship between scenario planning and perceptions of strategic conversation quality. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 74, 379-390.

COOPERRIDER, D. L. & SEKERKA, L. E. (2006) Toward a theory of Positive Organizational Change. IN GALLOS, J. V. (Ed.) Organization development. John Wiley and Sons.

JOAN ERNST VAN, A. (2007) Design Science and Organization Development Interventions: Aligning Business and Humanistic Values.

MCLEAN, G. N. & EGAN, T. M. (2008) Applying Organization Development Tools in Scenario Planning. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 10, 240-257.

ROTHWELL, W. J., SULLIVAN, R. & MCLEAN, G. N. (2005) Practicing organization development: a guide for consultants, John Wiley and Sons.

THOMAS, C. H. & PETER, F. S., JR. (2005) The Evaluation of Organization Development Interventions: An Empirical Study.

WORTHINGTON, W. J., COLLINS, J. D. & HITT, M. A. Beyond risk mitigation: Enhancing corporate innovation with scenario planning. Business Horizons, In Press, Corrected Proof.

WRIGHT, G., CAIRNS, G. & GOODWIN, P. (2009) Teaching scenario planning: Lessons from practice in academe and business. European Journal of Operational Research, 194, 323-335.

WRIGHT, G. & GOODWIN, P. Decision making and planning under low levels of predictability: Enhancing the scenario method. International Journal of Forecasting, In Press, Corrected Proof.

I have previously worked for a small chain of stores in a position that involved a lot of intercompany paperwork. I would prefer to keep the name of the organization and position anonymous as it does not pertain to this task. Although my first few weeks at that position were relatively problem-free, I have noticed a large communication gap between the different departments even though they were located on the same floor. Sometimes it resulted in documents getting lost after I sent them to be approved, and in other situations, I would be late to get the message about a report I needed to write because no one knew that I was not informed about it.

When I confronted my manager, she tried to resolve this issue by introducing me to some of the more knowledgeable people of the company who knew the established operations. Unfortunately, some of them already left the company by the time I started working, so those connections were lost. My manager was not aware of the full chain of operation because the person I replaced did all the work for years without telling her the process. After a week of trying to establish all the required communication connections she gave up on it and left me to find them on my own which eventually led to the larger loss of documents and efficiency for the company. I believe she had such difficulty because of two reasons: the company had a poor system of communication, and the manager relied too much on the previous worker.

Although I got a very negative impression of the inner workings of that company I believe that its problems could be fixed through the work of an organizational development consultant. The system of steps presented by Weiher puts the most emphasis on the on the data collection step (2014). This would be appropriate in the case of my past organization as the issues affected documents and communication the most. Through the process of data collection and its diagnosis, the organizational development consultant should be able to find the exact points of communication breakdown. For me, it was clear that people were working there have already adapted to the system despite its inefficiency, so they have not considered changing it.

This is where the problematic step might come in. Lurey and Griffin describe the feedback phase as a cooperative one, where the organizational development consultant would have to work together with the team to direct the process of accepting change (2013). Through my experience with the company, which lasted about six months, I saw a major pushback against change among both the team and the manager of my department. The work process was hectic, and people often considered things only in the short-term. One possible solution in this situation would be strong support from the upper management as the whole department was very careful in following any mandate that came from them. Then the next problematic step might come from the intervention phase. Since the client becomes more accountable at this stage, the chances of proper implementation of plans could be put in jeopardy (Lurey & Griffin, 2013). The team was very slow to implement any changes during my work time, and without constant supervision, I do not believe they would be able to commit to changes.

Large Group Interventions

Large group interventions include such techniques as Open Space Technology and Future Search. Both of the methods involve group communication in order to solve a common problem or establish a plan for the future. One of the issues that could have easily been solved through future search in my past organization is the lack of a scheduled day to provide all the weekly reports needed for the department. My team consisted of 24 store managers responsible for three to seven stores each. Their work involved a lot of travel around the city which did not permit them to visit the office every day. This resulted in a staggered paperwork flow. Some basic papers like travel budgets would sometimes be delayed for weeks due to two or three people who worked in very remote locations.

This issue could be solved through Future Search because it would involve the participation of the whole team. They would be able to discuss this issue as it not only affected the paperwork but their schedules as well. I believe that one or two days could be selected to gather all the required data for the bi-weekly paperwork. In the ideal situation, managers would be able to visit the office on the morning of the selected day, drop off all the required paperwork, and then leave for their other business. I am sure that the issue could have been slightly more complicated, but a compromise could have been found through the use of Future Search (Kaapz, 2010).

Despite the fact that Future Search is intended for use by very large groups with 60 or more members, this issue can definitely benefit from its use (Rogers, 2010). For preparation, I would like to ask the department manager to join me as she was both respected by the team and knew when such an event could be organized so that everyone could come. She would also be able to discuss this intervention with upper-management to secure funding for the event as it would mean a loss of a free day for the team members. The whole department would be invited to the event, which means 27 people. 24 of them would be store managers, one person responsible for paperwork, and one department manager. Everyone needs to be present for the discussion because it needs to be a date that everyone would be comfortable with.

Open Space Technology is a slightly more freeform technique where everyone is free to create a talk on an issue that they want to address. Communication is relaxed, and no one is obligated to do anything specific besides scheduling of the talks (Pashley, 2012). Usually, multiple issues are addressed through it, one of which could be the standardization of spreadsheets. Store managers were not able to provide constantly formatted spreadsheets because of the lack of standard format for the people operating the stores below them. It was common for the managers to stay in office just to fix the mistakes made by the store teams. Open Space could be beneficial because different members of the team could discuss what they need the most out of the format and find a coordinated way to implement it.

Because this type of intervention does not require extensive planning, I would not ask anyone to join me in preparation (Rogers, 2010). All the store managers would be invited, meaning 24 people. Department manager or any other members of the team could come too as they might have their own issues to bring up but to solve the spreadsheet issue I would need the store managers specifically. To facilitate a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere, refreshments, coffee, tea, and snacks would be available to the team.

Job Redesign

My current workplace is a much more stable organization, but there are times when downtime affects my productivity and motivation. On certain days of the week, there can be multiple hours of downtime that can negatively affect my workflow. I believe that job enrichment would be a great way to redesign my job. I find job enrichment to be a more substantial approach due to its focus on the two-factor theory of motivation. I have a varied set of skills that I acquired through job experience and education that I would like to use more often. I believe that the sense of achievement would be more beneficial than boredom. However, Griffin reports that there are possible issues with job enrichment that would have to be considered (2007). Perhaps the Job Characteristics approach would be more appropriate.

Out of the five job characteristics, I would like my manager to enrich the skill variety of my job (Griffin, 2007). As mentioned previously, I have a number of skills that are not engaged during my work hours, and I would like to put them to use. It would help me develop them further, as well as show that I am capable of more varied tasks than I currently perform. In theory, by seeing these skills improve, I should feel a greater sense of achievement from my work. I am usually finished with all the urgent tasks by the middle of the workday which leaves me to wait for any issues that might need to be addressed after. Often, these issues only come at the very end of the work day, and in a quite sudden fashion. The urgency of these end-of-day tasks comes right after a long period of aimless sitting during which I lose any sense of preparedness I have had at the beginning of the day. By increasing the variety of my tasks, I should be able to keep my motivation throughout the day, while also feeling more satisfied with my job because I would be able to use more of my skillset than I can right now.

Out of the intervention options presented by Amy Wrzesniewski, I believe the most appropriate would be task crafting. It is the most straightforward approach, but for my specific case, it would suffice as I only need to have a more selection of tasks to feel more satisfied with my job (2014). I feel like I have satisfying work relationships within my organization, and I have a coherent idea of the meaning of my tasks. Despite those facts, I still require a job redesign to solve the issues I currently have at my position. This is why task crafting is the type of intervention I would choose.

Appreciative Inquiry

After the relatively negative experience with my previous work, my current team has greatly impressed me. One of the main positives lies is the culture of transparent communication within the new organization. Through coherent communication within the team, I was able to avoid many problems and have improved my workflow. My current organization uses a proprietary database that I have to use on a daily basis. Unfortunately, I was slightly slow to adapt to it, but when I asked a colleague to help me understand it, he not only tried his best to show me the proper procedure but also connected me with a person in IT who was willing to answer any of my questions. Within the week I was able to do all the required operations with the database. What is more impressive is that he listened to my suggestions and proposed them for the future improvement of the system. Another example of the positive work experience came when two of the team members were unable to be at the office at a critical moment in the project. The manager and the team quickly discussed the situation, and the tasks of absent members were quickly divided among the team with minimal increase in stress. Appreciative Inquiry could be used to emphasize the communicative and adaptive qualities of the team in these situations to further improve the team.

My current organization measures performance through a number of mistakes made during the month, the pace of the project, and the positive or negative results that the project achieved on completion. I believe that a traditional development approach would be sufficient to find any issues that my team experiences as well as find a solution to them. A consultant that utilizes the traditional organization development approach could address the issues of my organization through the open space technology. The team is highly communicative which would benefit the discussion of any issues that could be brought up during the intervention. Even just normal socializing outside of the talks could prove fruitful as the team would be able to strengthen their bonds and exchange ideas on how the work could be improved. However, I do not think it would be as effective as the use of Appreciative Inquiry.

Appreciative Inquiry would be the most beneficial to my team because they have already shown a great response to positively charged feedback and actions. When Kelm describes the five principles of Appreciative Inquiry, she shows that a lot of them are based on dreaming and contextualizing events in forms of stories (2011). By focusing on the positive stories, people are able to be inspired to further improve themselves and their workplace. My current team suffers only from minor issues, but this is precisely why Appreciative Inquiry could be such a beneficial intervention for it. I believe that a consultant who utilizes Appreciative Inquiry would be the best hire for our company. This is due to the generative approach of Appreciative Inquiry. The focus of consulting would be not on resolving issues within the team to get to the sufficient levels of operation, but on achieving greater success through improving the team operation. Another factor that leads me to believe in Appreciative Inquiry is its grounded nature. The previously discussed methods had multiple issues that were not yet addressed through academic research when Appreciative Inquiry was created from academic principles of positive psychology and have already shown a variety of positive results from teams that would otherwise be dismantled or just trained to the minimal acceptable levels of operation.

References

Griffin, R. (2007). Principles of management. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co.

Kaapz. (2010). Kaapz and future search. Web.

Kelm, J. (2011). What is Appreciative Inquiry.mov. Web.

Lurey, J. & Griffin, M. (2013). Action research: The anchor of OD practice. In Vogelsang, J. (Ed.), Handbook for Strategic HR: Best Practices in Organization Development from the OD Network (pp. 46-52). Saranac Lake, NY: AMACOM Books.

Pashley, S. (2012). Open space. Web.

Rogers, J. (2010). Large group interventions. Facilitating Groups. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education

Weiher, A. (2014). Artifact: Organization development. Web.

Wrzesniewski, A. (2014). Job crafting – Amy Wrzesniewski on creating meaning in your own work. Web.

“We have a clear vision of success through

a balanced approach towards our corporate culture,

a set of enhancing support activities and good intentions“. (The Savola Group, 2009)

Introduction

E-business activities provide new opportunities for medium and small enterprises in their attempts to bring economic prosperity to the world through their enormous potential. E-business sphere forms new standards for systems emergence ensuring public confidence and establishing new e-commerce networks stimulating international cooperation. (Schneider, 2008) One of the most important steps in successful business running is to develop appropriate strategies and steps to follow; e-business can widen the company opportunities and become the beneficial method of cooperation with the partners. (Turban & King, 2000)

The Savola Group is referred to the leading Saudi Arabia’s industrial companies being well known on the international level through its cooperation with African and Asian regions. E-business activities of this company are on the developing stage being considered additional field of its business operations.

The Savola Group Overview

The company was established in 1979 as the first leader in oil industry; its initial capital was about SR 40 million and it subsequently grew up to several billion. The company is one of the most well developing and successful business leaders among multinational food groups being specialized in such businesses as packaging, sugar, franchising, edible oils and real estate.

It is important to underline the fact that the company has about 80 retail outlets in Saudi Arabia and one supermarket in Dubai, UAE. The Savola Group provides about 68% of sugar and 62% of edible oils for the Kingdom. Besides, the company is considered to be a pioneer in the spheres of CSR, Corporate Social Responsibility, Values and Ethics.

The company business operations are preserved in the way to encourage its employees behaving in the ethical manner and considering the stakeholders’ interests in company activities development; the company opportunities in the sphere of e-business operations can become the strong background market enlargement with its products and services.

The Savola Group and E-Business activities Development

The development of e-business activities is an integral part of future strategic plans of the company. It should be noted that the Savola Group performs its business operations through the functioning of four principle sectors:

• Foods Sector (sugar, foods and edible oil);
• Real estate sector;
• Plastics Sector;
• Retail Sector.

The business running of the Savola Group is basically concentrated around balanced cooperation of its key sectors combined with Franchising Unit activities; besides, the company has more than 160000 shareholders and 16000 employees. The Savola Group is referred to the list of 20 top companies according to its business growing and products promotion.

The sphere of e-business activities is not properly developed though it is an integral part of strategic operations. The principle goal of the Savola group in e-business practice is aimed at value creation in order to reach privileged relationships with new clients and partners. The strategy of e-business activities development will be fulfilled through the company positioning on new trading fields of market and increase of customer loyalty. The practice of e-business will contribute to the new clients’ prospects and profits increase.

Current company practices in e-business are fulfilled through the following business divisions websites:

• Afia International Website;
• Savola Packaging System;
• Azizia Panda United;
• The Franchising Division.

Besides, there are two web sites of non-managed companies, such as Al-Marai Company and Herfy Food Services. It should be noted that company business activities are merely focused on the principles of ethical values.

Developing business strategy will be focused on the promotion of the Savola Group products on the international market through e-business operations. The basic steps for strategy fulfillment are based on the following stages:

The target group definition

The first part of the strategic plan development is based upon the identification of the target company group in order to determine their web activities. It is important to concentrate on the suppliers’ experience and take advantage of their interests in order to select appropriate approach and alternative in e-business specifications description. The successful identification of the target group may become the background of profitable business running; the company is to develop strategies in accordance with potential customers’ interests and demands through the necessary supply prsentation. (Winn, & Mann, 2002)

Specification

The Savola Group is to determine the principle goal of the strategy and describe it in the new application. It should be noted that e-business approaches are to be clarified in the way to be completely understandable for the potential customers, colleagues and company suppliers. The distinct description of the strategy goal can help in avoiding grave mistakes; business steps are to be made in accordance with developed plan in order not to miss any minor stages. (Turban & King, 2000)

The system maintenance

One of the most important aspects is closely connected with the system maintenance which should be constantly updated and well organized. The company is to focus on appropriate system analysis for effective data organization on web pages. This aspect will influence the affection of a-business operations on customers’ products and services perception.

Functionality

E-business activity is to be formed on the basis of its functionality allowing understanding the real aims of the strategic plan and its chances for success. Sometimes it is necessary to take into account technical solutions though in such cases some options can be missed.

Responsibilities division

It is necessary to identify the roles of activities fulfillment taking into account professionalism and skillfulness of specialists. The strategy should cover the creation of flow charts which are to reflect the duties; otherwise the company can suffer unexpected delays and friction.

Time

Each step of strategy activities should be clearly identified through well planned time periods; one should create special schedules with the reflection of activities and expected time points of their fulfillment. (Successful E-Business Activity Requires a lot of Effort, 2007) Clearly identified time periods for steps fulfillment will allow following developed campaign in the most appropriate way.

Appropriate strategy analysis and steps fulfillment will lead to rapid changes in e-business operations of the Savola Group. The suppliers of the international brands and determination of potential customers will enlarge the opportunities of company operations.

Taking into account the fact that the Savola Group specializes in food products promotions in Saudi Arabia, the area of its cooperation is to be considerably widened through e-access to consumers of the world market. Active cooperation with international companies through e-commerce operations will give an opportunity to increased sails profits and attract more investor into business cooperation. The Savola Group is interested in building new hypermarkets and supermarkets in the developing countries which can be reached through the initial stages of retail trade by means of e-business activities development. (The Savola Group, 2009)

Conclusion

The analysis of e-business role for the company stabilization and widening of its activities has shown that further steps of the Savola Group business running is to be focused on the determination and development of e-business activities. Initial stages in this sphere have already been made by the group; the creation of the number of web sites shows company’s cooperation with the number of partners. It is important to stress that stabilization of e-business cooperation can give an opportunity to promote brands of partners by means of Savola Group proposals; this step will fix the company position on the market and widen its chances as a growing corporation. (Bidgoli, 2002)

Nevertheless, the principle point in further company development should be focused on the international trade stabilization and involvement of greater number of customers, investors and business partners. Changes reached through e-business running will positively influence the position of the company as a business giant not only in Saudi Arabia but on the international level.

References

Bidgoli, H. (2002). Electronic Commerce: Principles and Practice. Academic Press, 487 pp.

Schneider, G. (2008) Electronic Commerce. 8^th Edition. Course Technology.

Successful E-Business Activity Requires a lot of Effort. (2007). E-Market Services. Web.

The Savola Group. (2009). Web.

Turban, E. & King, D. (2000). Electronic Commerce: A Managerial Perspective. Prentice Hall.

Winn, J. & Mann, R. (2002). Electronic Commerce. Aspen Law & Business. 670 pp.

Throughout the evolution of the concept of the organization, the definition of organizational development changed accordingly. The most widely used and recognized one is a definition by Richard Beckhard which outlined five crucial components of OD. The components include its planned nature, organization-wide scope, the vertical top-down direction of management, improvement of organizational effectiveness and health as a goal, and utilization of behavioral science for intervention facilitation (Gallos, 2006). This definition aligns well with most OD activities and can be traced to related concepts. For instance, the formulation of organizational development objectives by Block (2011) includes the improvements of interface management between different plant segments and increased cooperation between product directors and the market research group, which are consistent with the increased organizational effectiveness. Besides, the creation of a culture of strong commitment and accountability likely requires behavioral science knowledge and results in improved organizational health (Block, 2011). However, it should be noted that while this definition is robust and diverse which ensures its relative relevance, the recent changes in the understanding of the principles of successful organizational function demand an update of this definition. For example, change management is becoming recognized as an essential component of the organization’s success. On the other hand, Beckhard’s definition treats an organization as a stable, well-established, and rigid mechanism which can be definitively operated with predictable and measurable results. Besides, the experience of individuals involved in an organization’s functioning is considered vital for ensuring the success of the overall development results. Therefore, I suggest the following definition: organizational development is a planned effort of improving the efficiency and health of an organization through influencing its members by encouraging responsibility and involvement in both vertical and horizontal directions.

The two questions that need to be clarified when engaging with the new clients are the initial problem they have and the expectations regarding the results of the collaboration. The former is important because on certain occasions clients can search for new opportunities rather than aim to address the existing issues. In this case, further contracting is likely to take a completely new direction and incorporate a wider scope. The latter needs to be detailed since the consultant may view the solution and the desired outcome from a different perspective, which may result in misunderstandings and dissatisfaction regarding the results.

The identification of the initial need has several important details that need to be acknowledged and, on some occasions, inquired in detail. For instance, it is necessary to determine the underlying causes of the issue brought up by the client. In this way, the consultant will be able to determine the amount of work to be done as well as the level of responsibility of the firm for the encountered problem. This approach will also give the consultant an advantage of acting on par with the client, thereby assuming a certain amount of responsibility, displaying the determination of active involvement, and fostering trust.

As can be seen from my definition, change is an important component of successful OD. It is also an inevitable element of the consulting process, involved as early as on the stage of negotiations. It is necessary to outline the perspectives of implementing change to the client, define its value, and agree on its presence in the project. In addition, it must be incorporated in the implemented design to ensure the establishment of the change-predisposed culture.

The strong reaction I have quite often – and expect to have again in the future – is annoyance with certain traits of an interlocutor. According to my observations, such feeling most often originates from poor language skills and inappropriate use of certain constructions. I can remember several occasions when it occurred during an interview with clients and forced me to conclude that they somehow lacked leadership skills. Fortunately, I am well aware of the effect this reaction has on me and try to avoid bias by assuming as neutral a stance as possible. However, it reveals a weak point that hurts both the consultancy services and organizational development in general. While the drawn conclusions may not be completely unsubstantiated, it is important to recognize the risks of incorporating them into the final project or using them to communicate with the client. Even more importantly, the reflection upon this effect reveals that the client might be subject to the same effect. In the cases when the person holds an important managerial position within the organization, such a possibility must be considered as one of the underlying causes of the initial problem. While there is no definitive and easy way to conclusively identify the exact bias of such kind, one must remember that this factor can be an additional variable unaccounted for in the project and, on some occasions, either undetected by the customer or perceived as an advantage. Therefore, it is recommended both to account for the risk of bias emerging from such strong reactions in the professional area and consider it a possible part of the system that is both elusive and influential.

References

Block, P. (2011). Flawless consulting: A guide to getting your expertise used (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Gallos, J. V. (2006). Organization development. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.

IT Department: Introduction

What are we?

IT Department of a Company that works with clients directly and offers various products.

What are we doing?

Provide governance, infrastructure, and functionality of all operating systems.

When is our work necessary?

Not many people understand the importance of technologies in their work and interpersonal relations.

Today, the work of every organization depends on the work of its IT department. IT department is the area where numerous innovations and achievements are used to promote the use of operating systems. A properly developed network is one of the keys to organizational success, and the task of IT managers is to investigate the latest achievements and offer the technologies that can be used in the development of professional and interpersonal relationships.

Sectors in Organization

There are eight main departments in our organization:

• Marketing:
  • Management.
• Human Resources:
  • Sales;
  • Finance;
  • IT;
  • Manufacturing;
  • Administration.

In our organization, there are eight main sectors where people have to work and complete their duties. Each sector has its own responsibilities, and we should analyze the work of each department to understand what area can be improved at the moment.

• Marketing – advertisement and promotion of products to customers;
• Management – organization of employees’ work;
• Human Resources – support of employees in an organization;
• Sales – cooperation with customers and generation of orders through various technologies available;
• Finance – ensure financial stability;
• IT – network and operation system organization;
• Manufacturing – the development of all working processes and product services;
• Administration – control of all departments in an organization.

Marketing and Human Resources are the two areas chosen for improvement with new technologies.

Marketing Department

• Goal: business promotion and sales driver;
• Activities: reach customers, consider prospects, and coordinate people and material;
• Importance: Face of an organization. Its work and achievements influence the whole company because it introduces the image all customers observe;
• Reason to Be Improved: Progress cannot be stopped, and our customers should have access to all new technologies and use all opportunities.

What should we know about the marketing department? Its main goal is to promote business and create appropriate sales drivers. Its representatives have to know how to reach customers, consider all prospects that can be used to improve the relations between customers and employees, and promote cooperation of people and materials. The marketing department is the face of a company because all images that can be used to introduce a company are developed by these people. It has to be regularly improved because progress is a constant process. It cannot be neglected, and our people should use the best sources.

Human Resources

• Goal: People are important, and employees’ well-being and satisfaction are crucial;
• Activities: hiring, firing, payroll, and keeping updated;
• Importance: If employees are not interests, no organizational progress is observed;
• Reasons to Be Improved: Services, as well as people’s abilities, may vary, and the best technologies are required to meet human needs.

Human Resources is the area that has to be improved from the IT perspective due to its goals and activities. HRs are people who work in this organization. To work effectively, they have to be provided with appropriate materials, learn their opportunities, and investigate the fields with the help of which they can offer the best services, be satisfied, and promote teamwork.

Marketing and IT

Emerging technologies help to update the work of the marketing department:

• Physical-digital integration;
• On-demand services;
• Data humanization.

Marketing is the area where the use of new technologies is usually a beneficial process because it discovers new opportunities and chances to attract customers, improve sales, and develop the conditions under which purchases can be a pleasure for clients and employees.

DeMers (2016) offers several marketing improvements on the basis of IT:

• Physical-digital integration: mobile devices can be used to support this type of integration. Customers should not only have access to available stores online and in a real world but choose between online and store purchasing.
• On-demand services: mobile apps have to be integrated to our regular and potential customers so that they can share their needs and expectations and establish the directions which are more appropriate to them
• Data humanization: many organizations have to work with big data. It is not always easy to organize and store it effectively. Therefore, the idea to gather mass quantities of information and humanize it through visualization is supported (Strong, 2015). Acceptance and quick access are the keys.

Human Resources and IT

Communication and understanding between employees and employers are crucial:

• Online forums and chats – Viber or WhatsApp;
• Real-time feedbacks – ReviewSnap;
• Goals and talents – WeekDone.

Work of employees may be improved in a number of ways. Two main goals that have to be supported are communication and understanding. The improvement can occur in three directions:

1. The promotion and control of online forums and chats. Viber and WhatsApp are the main applications that can be installed and permitted (Diaz-Llairo, 2017).
2. It is important to gather the opinions of employees and analyze their feedbacks on activities they are involved in. ReviewSnap is one of the possible options that can be offered to the company.
3. HR managers have to observe the progress of each employee, and WeekDone app is the idea that can be offered to the company as the possibility to combine employees’ knowledge and managers’ expectations.

Advantages in Marketing

• Fast exchange of information;
• Effective storage of information;
• Accessibility of information;
• Recognition of needs and expectations;
• Organizational development and progress.

The area of marketing can be updated through the implementation of emerging information technologies. Data is the core of a working process. Employees have to know how to gather, store, and use it effectively. The task of the IT department is to think about the programs that can be used in the marketing department. The goals and weak aspects have been identified. It is high time to cooperate with the representative of the department and investigate their background knowledge and skills that can be applied.

Advantages in Human Resources

• Improved communication in a company;
• Understanding of employees and their needs;
• Investigation of employees’ potential;
• Clarification or goals and abilities;
• Recognition of threats and opportunities in an organization.

HR department has to be developed and regularly improved because its goal is an employee. An employee has to be satisfied and provided with clear goals and opportunities. It is wrong to expect more than it is given. Therefore, some IT options can be offered to the company to support communication and understanding between employees and their managers. It is not always easy to gather the required information about or opinions of employees. The offered technologies are easy to use, and positive outcomes can be observed.

References

DeMers, J. (2016). 7 technology trends that will dominate in 2017. Forbes. Web.

Diaz-Llairo, A. (2017). Talent 3.0: Using the web and social networks to recruit talent and find jobs. LID Editorial.

Strong, C. (2015). Humanizing big data: Marketing at the meeting of data, social science, and consumer insight. Philadelphia, PA: Kogan Page.

Introduction

This is a training and Organizational Development (OD) proposal for senior management at W&RL.

The aim of the proposal is to improve diversity training within W&RL.

Several organizations have extended their managing diversity programs beyond HRD programs and processes by changing HRM policies and processes to meet special needs of the new workforce.

Organizations continue to hold HR managers accountable for diversity programs during performance evaluation processes.

New Training Programs and Processes to attract more minorities and Women

The HR department will adopt innovative recruitment strategies, retention and training approaches – W&RL Minority and Women Training Program and Process.

Training program and processes will be culturally sensitive to minorities (Werner & DeSimone, 2009).

The training program shall provide skills and knowledge that minorities and women require to succeed professionally.

W&RL will form partnerships with local minority organizations, local agencies, community leaders and worker unions to attract many minorities and women.

The program would include outreach and recruitment strategies that focus attracting women and minorities.

Training programs would ensure that minorities acquire employability and job skills, life skills and career guidance.

W&RL program would ensure effective case management and employee placement in relevant departments.

All potential candidates will acquire literacy skills during training programs.

W&RL believes that Minority and Women Training Program and Process should support the whole person and provide a chance for a better future rather than low skills and wage jobs.

Using HRD Methods to help Manage a Culturally diverse workforce

HRM should provide a broad definition of diversity that goes beyond race, color, sex, national origin and religion (Green, López, Wysocki and Kepner, 2012).

Organizations need to account for individual differences in terms of distinct generations, language, lifestyle, communication and work preferences.

Evaluate and confront primary assumptions, beliefs and attitudes that enhance prejudice and stereotyping.

HRM department should advocate for the minorities, women and victims.

The workplace must be safe for employees to communicate.

HR Manager should review organizational practices and policies with regard to socialization, orientation, career development, employee harassment.

It is imperative for senior management to understand discrimination and its outcomes.

HRM must create an environment that includes all employees (Kirton and Greene, 2005).

Individuals should understand their personal bias.

HRM department needs to develop and implement a training program that runs regularly to change employees’ behaviors.

HR manager must emphasize the importance of diversity and its opportunities.

All employees should understand that managing a culturally diverse workforce is a long-term objective.

Overcoming Language and Discrimination Issues

HR managers need to focus on inclusive approaches to diversity.

Evaluate potential sources of problems.

HR managers need to understand legal obligations and elements of cultural diversity.

Politically correct undertones are not appropriate in a culturally diverse organization.

HR policies should promote open communication, discussions and feedback.

Employees must understand that change is a gradual long-term process.

Respect for individual difference is imperative in an organization.

An organization should encourage social gathering and promote communication among diverse workforce.

HR managers need to ensure continuous mentoring programs for minorities to enhance opportunities and information sharing.

An organization must eliminate all forms of sexual and racial discrimination.

Training materials should overcome differences and language issues.

References

Green, K. A., López, M., Wysocki, A., and Kepner, K. (2012). Diversity in the Workplace: Benefits, Challenges, and the Required Managerial Tools. Web.

Kirton, G., and Greene, A. (2005). The Dynamics of Managing Diversity: A Critical Approach (2nd ed.). Oxford: Elsevier Butterworth‐Heinemann.

Werner, J., & DeSimone, R. (2009). Human Resource Development (5th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.

Is there a need for change?

HTC Corporation is in a precarious situation.

The corporation is challenged with three major problems.

The problems of HTC Corporation include weak organisational structure, misplaced objectives, and employee’s performance (Triggs 2013).

Strategic operations management influences a strong organisational structure.

A major turnaround will be determined by employee’s inclusion in change management.

The corporation must align its visions with market trends (Triggs 2013).

However, communication is the major tool in the decision making process.

Thus, there is a need for change in HTC Corporation.

Organisation development practitioner

• Organisational change can be structural, group, or individual.
• Organisational change can be internal or external.
• Internal change can be technical, political, and organisational.
• Technical change includes quality, innovation, and quantity.
• Political change includes succession, leadership change, and company policy.
• Organisational change includes culture, values, the socialisation process, and norms.
• External change is influenced by social, market trend, technological, and political stimulus.
• Thus, change management will improve performance and market growth.
• However, organisational change comes with resistance.

Practitioner and client relationship

As a development practitioner, I would ensure that the organisation meets five requirements.

• Define the strategic change.
• Employee’s inclusion in the decision making process.
• Feeling of the employee during change.
• Attitudes of employee during change.
• Perception of employee during change.

Organizational problems

• Bureaucracy in the firm’s internal and external operations restricted its growth potential.
• Lack of multidisciplinary skill affected the employees.
• Talented employees in HTC Corporation lost their relevance (Wagstaff & Jim 2013).
• Employee dissatisfaction led to mass resignations.

Organizational problems in HTC Corporation

Talent management was not a priority in the organization.

Inadequate marketing strategy affected product sale.

Thus, to facilitate change I will educate, communicate, negotiate, participate, and manipulate all the agents of the organisational change (Wagstaff & Jim 2013).

HTC Corporation had three major issues.

The corporation had an inefficient leadership structure.

The operations manager could not align the company’s objectives with daily transactions.

Consequently, a weak organisational structure will affect daily operations.

• Poor sales in HTC’s products reduced the company’s revenue.
• The inefficiencies cause several resignations and layoff by the management.
• The reduction in sales was influenced by component shortage.
• Shortages in HTC products reduced HTC’s client base by 13 percent.
• Consequently, the monthly revenue for the organisation fell by 23 percent (Capron & Chatin 2008).

Causes of organisational problems

HTC Corporation had three major issues. The corporation had an inefficient leadership structure. The operations manager could not align the company’s objectives with daily transactions. Consequently, a weak organisational structure will affect daily operations. For example, the shortage of HTC Smartphones in China meant that daily operations were not transferred to the management. When the information was related to the management, the response was slow and inadequate. Thus, HTC’s organisational leadership caused problems for the corporation. Poor sales in HTC’s products reduced the company’s revenue. The inefficiencies cause several resignations and layoff by the management. The reduction in sales was influenced by component shortage. Shortages in HTC products reduced HTC’s client base by 13 percent. Consequently, the monthly revenue for the organisation fell by 23 percent. The employee’s performance also affected the growth of the organisation. When other brand names were making sales, HTC’s performance was below average. HTC’s employees were not properly motivated to boost organisational performance. The organisational development practitioner must manage the company’s culture and learning structures. The change cycle include denial, defence, discarding, adaption, and internalisation. The organisational development practitioner should understand the change cycle to unfreeze, move, and refreeze the change process. The problems of the organisation can be summarised below:

1. Weak strategic alliance and brand value.
2. Poor inventory and operations strategy.
3. Inadequate economies of scale.
4. Market segmentation.

The action plan for change in leadership, culture, and employee motivation will ensure a strong strategic alliance with the firm’s objectives (Bergen & Peteraf 2002).

The action plan can combine of three variables.

The variables include structural, technical, and behavioural.

Action plan for change

The action plan for change in leadership, culture, and employee motivation will ensure a strong strategic alliance with the firm’s objectives. The action plan can combine of three variables. The variables include structural, technical, and behavioural. The structural action plan manages an organisational hierarchy using centralised and decentralised strategies. As a change agent, I will downsize organisational structures to reduce maintenance cost. The technical action plan manages changes in job description, organisation, production, automation, and performance. The behavioural action plan will integrate resource management with performance ratio. The action plan for change can cause employee resistance. Bureaucracy in the firm’s internal and external operations restricted its growth potential. Thus, Lack of multidisciplinary skill and talent affected employees in HTC Corporation lost their relevance. Employee’s resistance is influenced by job security, employee’s relevance, and the decision making process. Employee’s inclusion in the decision making process of the change management will influence the attitude, feelings and perceptions of the agents of change.

References

Bergen, M & Peteraf, A 2002, Competitor identification and competitor analysis: a broad based managerial approach. Managerial and Decision Economics vol. 23 no. 2, pp. 157-169.

Capron, L & Chatin, O 2008, Competitor’s resource oriented strategies: acting on competitor’s resources through interventions in facvtor markets and political markets. Academy of Management Reiew vol. 33 no. 1, pp. 97 121.

Triggs, R 2013, Is HTC a sinking ship? resignations, poor sales, and absent leadership suggest so. Web.

Wagstaff, J & Jim, C 2013, Insight: Peter Chou is he HTC’s savior or obstacle to revival? Web.

Introduction

Any organization is a complex entity characterized by multiple processes and interactions vital for its successful functioning and evolution. It means that effective management of any unit demands improved knowledge of structures within existing groups, how people interact, and what factors might influence results. Additionally, organizational learning and development (OL&D) become another critical aspect essential for an appropriate management as it helps to generate and retain knowledge. However, learning organizations depend on existing power patterns and organizational politics that create the basis for interactions and collaboration within a company. Such aspects as horizontal power and influence, as a part of organizational politics, can impact OL&D and stipulate different outcomes. For this reason, it is vital to devote critical attention to these two issues to avoid undesired consequences.

Body

The concept of power distribution in organizations is critical in the modern environment. Geppert, Becker-Ritterspach and Mudambi (2016) say that there are two models employed by managers, such as horizontal and vertical ones. The first one implies that authority and power are distributed among various departments equally. (Prado and Sapsed, 2016) states that in organizations with this model, more options are offered to employees who are encouraged to make decisions without the approval of top managers. This flat structure also influences most processes within an organization and preconditions behaviors and types of relations expressed by workers in different situations (Waring et al., 2018). In such a way, horizontal power distribution is expected to create the basis for enhanced collaboration and better outcomes. At the same time, it might help establish a positive collective atmosphere.

However, in some cases, this model of power distribution might stipulate undesired results. Smerek (2017) says that in all organizations, some people and departments are more important than others. For instance, the CEO is traditionally viewed as a more significant group compared to the remaining ones (Leong, 2021a). It might influence OL&D and the work of the learning organization. The disbalance and asymmetrical relations might affect the distribution of learning resources needed to acquire and generate knowledge, meaning that less essential departments will have lower chances to learn and improve their work (Whittle et al.,2016). It will result in reduced learning capability and the emergence of multiple barriers to learning and acquiring new information, which is unacceptable for learning organizations (Langer, 2017). This example demonstrates how power might influence OL&D in units and why it is vital to consider this aspect.

Influence is another aspect of organizational politics that can impact learning processes’ results and outcomes. In general, the second term states for activities that are not formally outlined; however, they lead to the generation of additional benefits by particular workers and their empowered position (Leong, 2021b). It is often associated with age, experience, gender, or other factors contributing to holding a more influential position (Eghenter, 2018). From this perspective, the ability to affect decision-making and people involved in the process becomes a significant factor that might promote the emergence of multiple effects that should be managed to avoid undesired outcomes. Schildt, Mantere and Cornelissen (2020) state that influence can also be associated with the tradition or specific views on how the authority should be distributed between team members. It will also influence any learning organization.

From the perspective of OL&D, organizational politics is a framework that can be employed to improve the process of generating and transferring knowledge. Thus, using informal patterns existing within groups, it is possible to ensure that workers share new data and implement innovative solutions faster (Schildt, Mantere and Cornelissen, 2020). However, in some situations, influence can serve as a barrier to the practical work of learning organizations, as individuals with strong authority might resist change (Macpherson, Breslin, and Akinci, 2021). It is associated with their fear of losing their position or the inability to accept new patterns. In this regard, the given element of organizational politics becomes an aspect slowing down the speed of positive change and cultivating the establishment of an undesired climate within groups. For this reason, managers should devote much attention to this concept to guarantee informal relations do not create barriers to successful learning and interaction.

In such a way, the success of any learning organization and its development depends on numerous factors, including power and organizational politics. The examples above show that both the horizontal model and influence can have various effects on results. On the one hand, they ensure better knowledge acquisition through involvement and increased motivation (Beyes, Costas and Ortmann, 2019). At the same time, they can critically limit the OL&D process and introduce barriers slowing down the speed of positive change (Buchanan and Badham, 2020). it means that the creation of the climate necessary for promoting the demanded alteration should be done regarding the existing power and political patterns. Otherwise, there is a high risk of failure or increased resistance to change. Being a place for numerous interactions between individuals, organizations demand effective tools and interventions to consider all factors and employ them correctly.

Conclusion

Altogether, power and organizational politics are integral parts of any modern organization. They influence the distribution of authority, relations between employees, and their readiness to engage in new processes. The horizontal model and the informal influence based on values and experiences might be both facilitators and inhibitors of the planned change and acquisition of new information, its transfer, and retaining. For this reason, it is vital to consider these aspects when planning educational activities and ensure employees with a strong influence on others or with official authority support the planned actions and contribute to the establishment of a new environment within a unit.

Reference List

Beyes, T., Costas, J. and Ortmann, G. (2019) ‘Novel thought: towards a literary study of organization’, Organization Studies, 40(12), pp. 1787–1803. doi:10.1177/0170840619874458.

Buchanan, D. and Badham, R. (2020) Power, politics, and organizational change. 3rd and, Thousan Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Eghenter, A. S. (2018) ‘Organizational creativity, play and entrepreneurship’, Organization Studies, 39(2–3), pp. 169–190. doi:10.1177/0170840617753093.

Geppert, M., Becker-Ritterspach, F. and Mudambi, R. (2016) ‘Politics and power in multinational companies: integrating the international business and organization studies perspectives’, Organization Studies, 37(9), pp. 1209–1225. doi:10.1177/0170840616656152.

Langer, A. (2017) Information technology and organizational learning: managing behavioral change in the Digital Age. 3rd edn. New York, NY: CRC Press.

Leong, L. (2021a) Power makes you more likely to cheat, steal, talk over people and swear at work. Why?

Leong, L. (2021b) “Power can be a sword or a torch”, women speak out about power at work.

Macpherson, A., Breslin, D. and Akinci, C. (2021) ‘Organizational learning from hidden improvisation’, Organization Studies. doi:10.1177/01708406211035509.

Prado, P. and Sapsed, J. (2016) ‘The anthropophagic organization: how innovations transcend the temporary in a project-based organization’, Organization Studies, 37(12), pp. 1793–1818. doi: 10.1177/0170840616655491.

Schildt, H., Mantere, S. and Cornelissen, J. (2020) ‘Power in sensemaking processes’, Organization Studies, 41(2), pp. 241–265. doi:10.1177/0170840619847718.

Smerek, R. (2017) Organizational learning and performance: the science and practice of building a learning culture. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Whittle, A. et al. (2016) ‘Sensemaking, sense-censoring and strategic inaction: the discursive enactment of power and politics in a multinational corporation’, Organization Studies, 37(9), pp. 1323–1351. doi:10.1177/0170840616634127.

Waring, J.et al. (2018) ‘Healthcare leadership with political astuteness (HeLPA): a qualitative study of how service leaders understand and mediate the informal ‘power and politics’ of major health system change’, BMC Health Services Research, 18(1), p. 918.

Review of Other Work

The current proposal was based on the idea that multiple infrastructures functioning on the basis of groundbreaking IT solutions were practically unrelated to the growing popularity of cloud and virtual communication. This idea offered the author of the proposal an extended outlook on how and why disaster responses based on IT would be much more effective than their conventional counterparts. After reviewing the evidence provided by FEMA (2020), the author of the existing proposal suggested that there could be a need for organizational strategies allowing for the facilitation of disaster responses and services that an organization could provide to its target audience.

The further simplification of processes was deemed essential because it would empower employees and make them more knowledgeable in the areas of disaster response and technology utilization (Gaire et al., 2020). Eventually, the key idea of the current proposal was that the outcomes of disaster management initiatives could be improved and made less complex with the help of streamlining strategies that would welcome the contributions made by the community and experienced connoisseurs in the area.

The lack of a clear outline in the industry allowed the researcher to redefine the existing expectations and established the mainstay for the government and related organizations intended to simplify further computerization of incident response management. The idea for the organizations engaging in similar practices was that they could gain access to vital real-time information and build commitment among employees (Yu et al., 2018). Emergency services were hypothesized to be provided as a combination of IT services and interpersonal communication between responsible employees. For example, it was stated (in accordance with Akter and Wamba (2019)) that there could be numerous social network venues to collect important information and share it with the most significant stakeholders.

It was also identified that the Internet of Things and similar technologies could be a major contributor to national security and emergency response effectiveness (Wellington & Ramesh, 2017). Therefore, the existing proposal might be seen as a project addressing the key advantages of IT instruments for real-time data collection and processing. It was also essential to highlight the growing awareness related to technological infrastructures worldwide. The core idea of the proposal was to explore technology and the necessity to gain more insight into such investment opportunities as virtualization and cloud computing.

Such background offered the author of the proposal an outlook on the qualitative and quantitative perspectives on disaster prevention and response. It was hypothesized that big data utilization could become the biggest disaster-related advantage, with multiple data sources making it easier for local organizations to identify potential threats and respond to them in the most appropriate manner (Anbarasan et al., 2020). Compared to the common information processing systems, IoT-based instruments tended to reach high data analysis speed and created room for enhanced scalability and performance.

The growing amount of data collected by practically any organization worldwide became another reason for the development of the current proposal, as databases on disaster responses continue to grow, and it would be irrational not to analyze all that data and compile a source intended to facilitate and speed up disaster response operations (Ray et al., 2017). The problem associated with Big Data and IoT usage in disaster management became a crucial delimitation over the last several years. Yet, Wellington and Ramesh (2017) suggested that the contemporary technical environment perfectly responds to the needs of disaster response managers, which was an essential finding among other less positive pieces of evidence from the literature on the subject.

The ultimate issue associated with the research problem that has led the author to develop the proposal and to implement it was the lack of disaster management techniques built on the approaches that included technology. With organizational practices remaining highly contingent on the effectiveness of human resources, it could not be stressed more that the disaster response sector could benefit from the implementation of innovative technologies and digital solutions that could further the development of disaster response facilities as well (Sarker et al., 2020).

Even so, it was also found that digitalized disaster response environments could benefit from improved community preparedness and a higher level of citizen and employee awareness. Settlement and sheltering opportunities are essential, so the key implication for the author of the current proposal was to see how critical decisions made within digitalized environments could boost the effectiveness of operations completed by human resources (Anbarasan et al., 2020). Therefore, it was concluded that the lack of resource allocation techniques and employee efforts could minimize the chances of implementing technology effectively.

Changes to the Project Environment

In order to prepare the project environment for the envisioned changes, it was decided to address the issues characteristic of the states of Colorado, Florida, and Texas to align them against specific standards that could augment their alignment against FEMA and NIST standards (Florida Department of Transportation, 2020). It was also identified that there could be multiple emergency services added to the current list of operations in an attempt to establish a more protective environment and make the best use of respective IT instruments (Akter & Wamba, 2019).

Therefore, the given location was equipped with surveillance options and a data room in order to collect all the required information in real-time and help the system process it in the fastest way possible. The project environment was expected to benefit from the changes proposed above, as there would be additional back-up storage introduced, paired with discrete servers and information management systems (Sarker et al., 2020). The researcher’s findings make it safe to say that the infrastructure could significantly benefit from satellite and microwave systems due to the broader number of alternatives helping the facility to respond to disasters quicker. Yet, the sporadic nature of disasters affects the value of IT-based solutions to this day, making it possible to outsource.

It was also decided to make Virtual Tech International (VTI) a part of the program as well, allowing for improved outsourcing solutions and stronger communication with the government. As a public company, VTI became a vital contributor to how the given facilities improved their risk management and optimization procedures. While collecting and processing all the relevant knowledge from the past, the team was also to identify the core advantage of VTI being the capability of globalizing cloud server access and benefiting from the SaaS architecture (Yu et al., 2018).

No operations would be negatively disrupted by the facility in the case where it would side with a cloud-based solution extended to a public domain, with a strong custom configuration on board. Overall, it gave the facility an upper hand because cloud servers established a digitalized environment where improved forecasting and analytics would provide the team with additional chances of predicting and preventing the majority of negative effects of natural disasters in the areas of Colorado, Texas, and Florida, respectively. From a more or less local to a completely globalized level, cloud technologies supported every operation conducted by the team.

It was found that an updated cloud-based disaster management toolbox could redefine the process of assistance management and make it easier for response teams to collect and process geographic information. The adherence to visual instruments allowed the facility to improve forecasting and even predict specific socioeconomic risks or consequences of given disasters (Sarker et al., 2020). The project environment was also transformed to an extent where the team would receive appropriate training to respond to disaster-related risks and identify them before they affect the local community in an irreversible manner.

Another solution was to implement remote cloud servers to store essential data and pull it from the storage only when necessary instead of exposing the facility to the risk of losing its physical assets to a strong natural disaster (Ray et al., 2017). Colorado, Texas, and Florida were expected to gain access to improved forecasts, and it was found that the environment could eventually become more secure with the help of digitalization. Eventually, it was decided to review possible vulnerabilities and assess the chances of transforming the environment with the help of digitalized emergency support.

Methodology

The author of the current proposal picked ADDIE as the intended solution for the most facilitated project execution. It played a crucial role for the organization because it was expected to improve performance and establish an improved process analysis where the biggest influence would be the need to implement employee training and evaluate its results after a certain period (Molenda, 2015). In addition, ADDIE became the best option for the current proposal because it turned out to be a rather effective approach due to the possibility of addressing both customer and end-user requirements. As an instructional methodology, ADDIE became a revelation for the organization since disaster management required stronger decision-making and an instructional system design.

After the implementation, it was also found that the biggest advantage linked to ADDIE was the high prevalence of digitalization among organizations making the best use of this change methodology (Molenda, 2015). As soon as the researcher picked and implemented ADDIE, it was clear that other government entities could also benefit from this particular methodology because the majority of projects simply cannot be implemented in isolation, just like the disaster management and prevention initiative.

Hence, throughout the analysis stage, the organization was interested in pointing out the biggest flaws related to the existing organizational setting and how VTI could collect vital data and then engage in a fully-fledged analysis. It was found that technology would quickly become the best predictor of disaster-related incidents due to the tons of specific information collected in the form of Big Data. During the design stage, the researcher pointed out the most important interaction between internal systems and external networks.

It was also identified during that stage that use-cases could establish an improved internal network intended to reconnect the majority of system elements and protect the most important interrelations from destruction. When it came to the development stage, VTI was expected to establish the best services that could contribute to disaster management initiatives. It was decided to link the existing operations with IT-based solutions in order to appeal to the target population and facilitate the disaster management process for the organization. The implementation stage included VTI deploying a new cloud-based server intended to protect organizational assets from destruction or dysfunction in the case of an emergency.

The ultimate stage of the ADDIE framework was the evaluation period that required the team to assess existing risks associated with the digitalization of disaster management. In order to complete this stage, it was decided to evaluate the effectiveness based on the ability to predict unexpected incidents in most cases and an employee survey intended to point out the weaker spots of the existing proposal.

Knowing that disaster management is recurrently affected by sporadic risks, it was clear from the beginning that the proposed solution would also have a strong influence on the market due to the evident popularization of digitalization in the case of successful implementation. Overall, it became an outstanding effort for the organization, as it allowed employees to gain more insight into the value of cloud technologies and see how the current operations could be maintained or revised in accordance with the real-time changes with no delays.

Project Goals and Objectives

The first project goal that the organization intended to achieve within the framework of the current proposal was a significant change made to the IT infrastructure in an attempt to reestablish the vector of organizational development. In order to do that, the team explored the probable areas of improvement and identified that the lack of technology-based solutions might have been the most significant challenge for the existing hubs in Colorado, Texas, and Florida. Therefore, it was essential for the team to establish change that would support the idea that cloud-based solutions are beyond useful and would lead the organization to solely positive outcomes.

After exploring the market, the team found that not all disaster management across the United States currently benefit from digitalization and Big Data, so it was decided to make the intended project changes in order to complete a much more meaningful picture of additional possibilities linked to digital management of the organization. After the implementation, the team gained access to both qualitative and quantitative information, suggesting that there could be an opportunity to follow FEMA requirements while also protecting data integrity with the help of technology.

After the budget was set and all the required tools were pointed out, the plan was executed, showing that the team should nonetheless track the progress in order to achieve the best possible outcomes. Therefore, the organizational infrastructure was altered in order to address the need for digitalization as well. The author suggested that some of the proposal elements could be outsourced (such as digital improvements or data analysis). That could have easily become the central finding, as it had been hypothesized previously that quality management could only be possible under the condition where there are relevant scenarios reviewed prior to any implementation initiative.

Based on the results, the organization turned out to become more transparent with technology and improved workflow, creating room for quick-time solutions. Given the current pandemic, an overall digitalization might also consider a positive thing because it establishes a viable alternative for disaster response managers who have been using conventional instruments to this day (The New York Times, 2020). In other words, cloud-based disaster management solutions could become an irreplaceable government asset in the future, which remains in line with all the rules established by the administration.

The ultimate goal established within the framework of the current proposal was to introduce specific changes to the infrastructure that would provide the team with outstanding technical support while also seeing how other organizational forces could affect the agility and response coordination. The first task completed by the team was a detailed server visualization assessment. The existing configuration of the infrastructure was slightly altered to respond to the needs of the organization and help the team gain access to essential instruments that could improve disaster responses in the future (e.g., hurricane predictions). Another idea for the team was to evaluate performance continuously so as to make sure that all the hardware is in perfect shape, and there are no challenges associated with network security whatsoever.

The network capacity was also improved in an attempt to improve security measures and develop an environment where hardware upgrades and a rebuilt infrastructure would not seem unnecessary, ineffective, and out of place. In order to complete that stage, the team upgraded their servers across all three facilities and reconfigured the equipment to support Big Data and the Internet of Things.

Ultimately, the project required the team to establish the key project- and product-related deliverables that would allow them to gain a better understanding of how the initiative actually works out and what could be the potential ways of improving the infrastructure. Some of the most important project-related deliverables included cost analysis, project charter, scope statement, WBS, and the final report. The managers were expected to define the areas of their activity and establish the possible areas of impact of technology on disaster response measures. In addition, the team has to take care of product-related deliverables where the configuration of the local servers had to be reset in order to allow for Big Data and IoT. The proposed virtualization initiatives turned out to work well for the organization, allowing employees and managers to conduct a better analysis of local Colorado, Florida, and Texas infrastructures and possible changes.

Project Timeline

Table 1. A detailed timeline of the project development and deployment.

Unanticipated Requirements

The first project creep that the team had to cope with was the lack of strong communication between employees, which led them to remain unclear on the scope of the project for quite some time. It basically slowed down the development and deployment stages owing to some of the deliverables being out of reach and employees remaining generally unaware of what could be done and how. Due to the scarce time, the team was forced to conduct just one kick-off meeting, and it could have been the key reason why some members of the team could not realize the essential objectives of the project. Also, in relation to the lacking communication, it may be mentioned that the team practically failed to keep the same update pace across all organizational units, making it harder for the team to maintain strong implementation measures and define future opportunities.

The second essential project creep was a multitude of decisions that were made by team members in a vacuum, meaning that some of the employees continued affecting the ultimate outcomes of the project while not remaining in line with the essential scope.

Poor time management forced the team into quite a few missed deadlines, as members of the team could not communicate their ideas swiftly. It took the management quite some time to address these issues and implement the required functionality without putting a strain on the budget. At one point, the project was on the verge of a failure due to the management not communicating with the developers, who were responsible for ensuring that the team works together and makes every step forward after a careful (even if short-term) investigation. Closer to the end of the project, the team was able to stabilize its efforts, but the project creep had already affected the team and impacted the project monetarily.

Conclusions

Based on the results of the current proposal, it may be pointed out that there are both positive and negative outcomes associated with the implementation of cloud-based solutions and a highly digitalized environment. The positive impact related to the increased ability of employees across the given facilities to point out potential threats related to disasters and act proactively when it was required to address certain challenges related to resource allocation and management.

Nevertheless, the problem with the current initiative was that not all employees were ready for the implementation of digitalization instruments, which has ultimately led to a great deal of confusion transpiring across the team over time. The lack of experience with IoT and Big Data also caused the project to slow down a bit, but the team was able to complete the proposal objectives and reach an improved state of resource allocation and management.

On the other hand, the potential future impact of the current project relates to the idea that the existing stakeholders would gain more knowledge in the areas of disaster management and digitalization. Even though the existing state of technology utilization is somewhat troubled, there is no doubt that the upcoming challenges will be resolved with ease, as most employees met the possibility of engaging with IoT and Big Data with great enthusiasm.

It should be crucial to continue investing in research on the topic of digitalization, as natural disasters are not going to disappear in the states of Colorado, Florida, or Texas. The hubs have been improved to a decent extent, but there is even more room for improvement now when the teams became aware of how technology could back up their operations and strengthen the preventive and forecasting abilities of employees. Without Big Data and IoT, it would be rather hard for the team to establish a similar infrastructure within any other facility.

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