Technostructural

Leadership, team development

 

 

 

How would you address the issues Sigma is facing? What would be your approach as a consultant?

 

2. While you have not had a chance to do any detailed analysis, at this point what do you think some of the problems are? What type of information and what will you need you need to implement an effective change intervention and make a detailed analysis?

In reading the background information about the Sigma Corporation, it is clear that the founders bit off more than they could chew in the organization’s expansion.  The plants are spread out over California and Mexico and have no structural management processes. Training is inadequate and inefficient.  I believe a technostructural invention would be necessary in order to affect organizational change. 

 

3. How would you approach this from an action research approach?  Be specific.

 

The action research model uses initial research about the organization in order to provide further information to guide subsequent action (Cummings & Worely, 2015, p. 24).  It also stems from Lewin’s theory that there should be “no action without research and no research without action”; meaning you cannot institute a series of changes and expect them to be successful without first gathering data about the organization. Also, once data has been gathered, it must be put to use in order to formulate a concrete plan of action. Using the background information provided from the case study, an O.D. Consultant, would be able to use the main, continuous steps of the action research model (diagnose, planning, action, and evaluation) to diagnose and resolve the issues that Sigma is facing.  

The first step is problem diagnose.  The founders already recognize their problems; including, “bad hires” due to inadequate job descriptions, outdated procedure manuals, and inconsistent policies throughout the company’s multiple locations.  As a result of this poor management, profits have continuously declined and and employee turnover is high, leaving the owners unclear about how to proceed and thus the need for an O.D. consultant.  As the O.D. consultant, I would first interview the founders to discuss their vision for their organization and to hear their viewpoints on the organization’s current status. Also, I would interview members of management, who would be considered long-term employees since managers are promoted from within, to get their opinion on what it is like to be both an employee and a manager. Finally, I would distribute questionnaires and also observe employees of each of the manufacturing plants and administrative offices. 

In the planning stage, I would provide feedback of the employee interviews, questionnaires and observations with the owners, because action research requires collaboration in which the “diagnostic data are fed back to the client” (Cummings & Worely, 2015, p. 24). An in-depth discussion would be had regarding the positives, areas of concern, and problem areas within the organization. 

 

 

Are there any change management theories, training concepts or organizational development models we have read about or been presented that would be useful in this situation? If so, which ones and why? Support your answers.

 

 

 

 

Cummings,T.G. & Worely, C.G. (2015). Organizational Development & Change,10ed. Cengage Learning, Stamford, CT.