ACHARYA INSTITUTE OF GRADUATE STUDIES

(NAAC Re Accredited ‘A’ Grade & Affiliated to Bengaluru City University)

Soladaevanahalli, Bengaluru-560107

DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT
ACADEMIC YEAR 2023-2024 ODD

FACULTY NAME : MANJULA BK

COURSE : BBA
SEMESTER : III SEM
SECTION : D
SUBJECT : ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVOIUR

LECTURE NOTES

MODULE NO. 5: OD INTERVENTIONS

Designing effective organizational development (OD): Organizational development (OD)
interventions are programs and processes designed to improve the organization's functioning.
These interventions aim to create activities that change leadership styles, organizational
structures, or behavioural patterns.
Interventions involves a systematic process of identifying the root causes of organizational
problems and developing appropriate solutions to address them.
Here are some key steps involved in designing effective OD interventions:
1. Identify the problem: The first step in designing an effective OD intervention is to
identify the problem that needs to be addressed. This could be done through various
means, such as analysing performance data, conducting interviews, or holding focus
groups.
2. Determine the scope of the intervention: The scope of the intervention should be
clearly defined, including the goals and objectives, the target population, and the
resources required.
3. Choose an appropriate intervention: There are several types of OD interventions,
including structural, process-oriented, and people-oriented interventions. The
 intervention chosen should be appropriate for the problem identified and the
organizational culture.
4. Develop an action plan: The action plan should outline the steps required to implement
the intervention, including the roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders involved
and the timeline for implementation.
5. Implement the intervention: The intervention should be implemented according to
the action plan. This may involve changes to the organizational structure, processes, or
culture, as well as training and development programs for employees.
6. Monitor and evaluate the intervention: The effectiveness of the intervention should
be monitored and evaluated over time to ensure that it is achieving its goals and
objectives. Adjustments may need to be made to the intervention based on the feedback
received.
7. Consolidate the results: Once the intervention has been successfully implemented, the
results should be consolidated and communicated to all stakeholders. This may include
a report on the impact of the intervention on organizational performance, as well as
recommendations for further improvements.
Overall, designing effective OD interventions requires a thorough understanding of the
organizational context, as well as a systematic approach to problem-solving and change
management. The success of the intervention will depend on the commitment and engagement
of all stakeholders involved, as well as the ability to adapt to changing circumstances and
feedback.
 1. Human process interventions:
Human process intervention is a deliberate effort to improve the effectiveness of an
organization's human resources function. This type of OD intervention may be aimed at
improving the quality of the workforce, improving the management of human resources,
or improving the overall effectiveness of the organization.
Purpose of a human process intervention
Human process interventions are usually carried out to improve the performance of
employees or to change their behavior in some way. The purpose of these interventions
can vary depending on the organization’s specific goals. Still, they typically involve
training employees on new methods or practices, providing them with feedback on their
performance, or changing the evaluation of performance.

1. Individual interventions
These interventions are targeted at the individual employee, often around improving
communication with others. During this intervention, the individual will be given direction to
better understand their own and others’ emotions, motivations, and behaviours. The employee
may also have support to identify their career needs, set complementary career goals, and
resolve conflict.
A real-world example is Amazon, which recently stated that its organization would “spend
more than $700 million to provide 100,000 employees with new skills for the digital age by
2025,” according to an article from CBSNews. The number of companies investing in
individual interventions will continue to climb to retrain its workforce to stay competitive in
the changing economy.
2. Group interventions
OD group interventions help teams and groups within a company become more effective.
These interventions are usually aimed at the group’s content, structure, or processes.
For example, to understand more about the group, the department responsible for OD will ask
team members to analyse their group’s performance, what the team needs to do to improve,
and discuss possible solutions to any challenges they have.
3. Team building
Team building is one of the best-known organizational development interventions. It refers to
activities that help teams improve productivity, communication, performance, and employee
engagement.
For example, according to an article by Harvard Business Review, when call center managers
revised their employees’ coffee break schedules so that the team could socialize together,
employee satisfaction increased by 10%, and lower-performing teams increased their
productivity by 20%.
Adventure and Outdoor Activities: These interventions involve activities such as rock
climbing, hiking, ropes course, and other outdoor challenges that encourage team members to
work together to achieve a common goal.

4. Intergroup relations interventions

Intergroup interventions focus on building relationships between members of different
groups. This reduces between-group conflicts. Promoting integration. By connecting
members between groups, silos diminish, and integration increases. This leads to more
collaboration and innovation.
Inter-group interventions are incorporated into OD strategy to facilitate collaboration and
efficiency between different teams within a business towards a common goal. You can
generally see these interventions in larger companies when departments need to fight for
limited resources or are unaware of each other’s needs.
How does this work in an organization? First, different team leaders/managers are brought
together to make sure they are committed to the intervention. Then, the teams make a list of
their feelings about the other team. After, the groups will meet to share their lists with each
other. And lastly, the teams meet to discuss the problems and to find possible solutions that
will help both squads.
2. Techno structural interventions
Particularly if the organizational structure and function are effective because it allows the
organization to adapt to change. For example, the central authority model is one that certain
design organizations use.
Techno-structural interventions focus on improving the organizational effectiveness and
human performance by focusing on technology and structure.
The significance of technology in business cannot be understated. Organizations worldwide
rely on new technologies to help improve their competitive advantage and drive growth.
Technostructural interventions focus on improving organizational effectiveness and employee
performance by focusing on technology and the structure of the organization.
1. Organizational (structural) design
Organizational design refers to how an organization is structured to achieve its strategic plan
and goals. This structure is essential to how the company will operate. There are many
different classifications of organizational structure, such as hierarchical, divisional, matrix,
process, customer-centric, and network.
According to Deloitte, nowadays, “companies are decentralizing authority, moving toward
product- and customer-centric organizations, and forming dynamic networks of highly
empowered teams that communicate and coordinate activities in unique and powerful ways.”
Within OD strategy, organizational design is about reengineering and rightsizing. Therefore,
an organization needs to rethink how it works and restructure it around the new business
methods.
2. Total quality management
Total quality management is also known as continuous process improvement, lean, and six-
sigma. It is an approach that seeks to improve quality and performance by placing customer
satisfaction at the center. To achieve this, there is a strong focus on complete employee
involvement in the ongoing improvement of products, processes, and workplace culture.
Ford Motor Company is one of the best-known companies to practice TQM. They had a vision
of developing better products, having a more stable environment, effective management, and
increasing profitability. Ford’s Chief Engineer at the time, Art Hyde, used the DMAIC (Define,
Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) process to detect problems before selling the product
to the consumer.
3. Work design
Work design impacts an organization’s outcomes, with well-designed work contributing to
improved productivity and financial growth. It can also affect how an employee feels about
their job, such as if they feel motivated, engaged, bored, or stressed at work.
Sometimes, an organization needs work redesign to achieve its goals. That’s where the techno-
structural interventions come in. However, redesigning work doesn’t necessarily require
company-wide changes to the way things are done. Instead, small changes to the way tasks are
completed, or the way employees communicate at work can have substantial outcomes for both
staff and the organization.
4. Job enrichment
According to American psychologist Frederick Herzberg, job enrichment aims to enhance job
efficiency and employee satisfaction by creating a more significant scope of more challenging
work, greater autonomy, better professional achievement, and recognition, as well as more
opportunities for advancement and growth.
Examples of job enrichment that you can implement in your business are:
 Variety of tasks. Give your employee new tasks or ones that go beyond their
everyday duties.
 Giving autonomy. Empower employees to make decisions about their work.
 Employee feedback. Make sure your team receives input regarding their
performance, skills, and ability to work within a group.
 Assigning meaningful work. Help employees make sense of their work by showing
them how it benefits the company and how they contribute to overall organizational
goals.
 Creating incentive programs. Create recognition for a job well done through
incentive programs like bonuses or extra days off.
3. Human resource management interventions
Human Resources Management interventions aim to improve an organization’s performance
and efficiency through improving the team members (individual & group) performances,
dedication, and flexibility. This is done primarily through methods that focus on managing the
individual.
We can break this down into four categories.
1. Performance management
Companies use performance management (reviews) to support employee training, career
development, compensation decisions, and promotions, among other things. Generally, the
performance management process includes setting clear expectations for each employee and
providing frequent formal/informal feedback.
Adobe is probably the best-known business case related to performance management revamps.
The company estimated that managers were spending about 80,000 hours on performance
reviews per year, but their employees still felt undervalued. That led to a significant number of
employees leaving. So decision-makers at Adobe decided to start training managers on
conducting more regular check-ins and offering actionable direction. One of the consequences
was a 30% decrease in involuntary turnover.
2. Developing talent
According to a study by McKinsey and Company, 87% of companies across the globe know
that they have a skills gap or expect to have one in the next few years. As a result, your
organization needs strong talent management practices to stay relevant and competitive in the
changing landscape.
Some examples are as follows:
 Individualized career planning
 Internal or external coaching
 Task/job rotations.
 Educational budget
 Mentorship programs
 Internal or external workshops
 Conferences
 On-the-job training
 Leadership training
3. Diversity interventions
Diversity in the workplace refers to a company comprised of people of different races,
ethnicity, age, religion, gender, physical ability, sexual orientation, and other characteristics.
Because diversity drives innovation, productivity, and overall revenue, OD intervention
strategies aim to increase diversity in businesses.
Athena Swan is a popular conference on diversity interventions designed explicitly for
professionals to “share best practices, discuss emerging innovations, and exchange personal
experiences designing, implementing, and evaluating interventions and action plans.”
4. Wellness interventions
A wellness intervention combines strategies developed to create behavior changes or improve
health status and wellbeing among individual employees or the entire staff. Organizations need
to understand their teams’ specific needs. It is vital to pinpoint which wellness interventions
would best serve their needs and allow the individual to learn to manage their own health and
wellbeing.
Many companies implement wellness interventions, and many more companies offer wellness
to other businesses. Some examples of mental and physical wellbeing services include:
 Headspace for work
 Unmind
 Starling
 OpenUp
 Kona
 OneFit for Business
A focus on total wellbeing is one of the key HR trends of 2023, as organizations realize that
ensuring employee wellness is the right thing to do, and it helps business continuity as well.
4. Strategic change interventions
Strategic change interventions are processes a company takes to move away from its present
organizational structure and way of operating towards another one to increase its competitive
advantage. The organizational development department plays an essential part in executing
these changes. There are many strategic change interventions but let’s discuss the three broad
classifications.
1. Transformational change
Transformational changes are those you make to thoroughly reshape your business strategy
and processes, which often results in a shift in work culture. Some examples of
transformational change are
 Restructuring: Changing your business’s structural chart by adding, removing, or
combining departments.
 Retrenchment: Decreasing employee headcount by closing an office or division of
the company.
  Turnaround: Replacing all top management within a failing business to turn things
around.
 Outsourcing: Hiring another company to complete tasks for your own company.
This is common in customer service departments.
 Spin-off: Breaking up a company into distinct, smaller companies. Google is well-
known for this when it created its umbrella organization, Alphabet Inc., and now
owns many household name companies such as Nest and YouTube.
2. Continuous change
This intervention encourages companies to improve gradually over time by making small
changes. The best-known example of continuous change is a learning organization. Businesses
that shift from the top-down hierarchical structure to a learning model have a higher chance of
collaboration, risk-taking, and growth and are more competitive in the ever-changing work
environment.
In addition, this technique places importance on experimentation and learning from mistakes
and failures rather than punishing them.
3. Trans organizational change
Tran’s organizational change involves interventions that include two or more organizations.
This can be in the form of mergers or acquisitions but also businesses working together to
achieve their objectives.
Allied companies can be an effective way to boost product awareness and break into new
markets without taking 100% of the risk. Some examples of this transorganizational change
are:
7 Conditions for optimal success of OD:
1. Involve all employees in decision making. : In the days of old, leaders and managers
sat in boardrooms and created strategic plans. Once they were done planning,
employees were expected to follow the newly implemented plans and be fully on board,
even if they had nothing to do with the plan or no say in it. It’s pretty easy to see how
that might not be the most successful way to go about it.
Involving employees in the entirety of the planning process serves the single-most
important purpose of giving them input into the company plan. If they have a say in the
plan, how could they not be on board with it? By believing they are part of the change,
they are more engaged and more willing to go along with the plan, even portions of it
that they may not necessarily embrace. The key is to empower employees with the tools,
 including the necessary decision-making abilities, to do their job unencumbered. Let
them own their unique part of the company’s universe and be fully responsible for it.
2. Change should focus on groups and departments: Each specific department should
be analyzed to see where it is highly functional and where it can be improved. The
change should be department wide, not necessarily put on the shoulders of certain
individuals. Look at the whole of the group and try to identify common themes. Are
certain deadlines not being met consistently? What might be the cause of this? Are there
recurring bottlenecks that are inhibiting a smooth work path? What can be done,
department-wide, that might improve these workflows?
3. Build trust throughout the organization: Employees simply will not give their full
effort and attention to a company that they do not trust. Building trust with the employee
is paramount to getting the employee’s buy-in to the company’s strategic plan. Trust
and respect are the building blocks upon which all good company/employee relations
are built. Building trust should not be an afterthought. Without this important
component, nothing else really matters. Everything starts and ends with mutual trust.
4. Encourage collaboration over competition: It used to be common to create internal
competitions to spur action. But for every competition, there needs to be a loser. When
someone loses repetitively, they may eventually decide to stop competing. A better
alternative is to create an environment of collaboration over competition.
When people work together, they all have a part in the success and no one has to lose.
Of course, ensuring a smooth workflow free from bottlenecks is paramount to ensuring
the success of the collaboration, but as long as safeguards are put in place, a
collaborative work environment can produce higher quality work with less stress on
individual employees.
5. Invest in education, benefits and incentives: Helping your employees become
masters of their own personal universe empowers them to excel at their activities.
Investing in education to help them learn the necessary skills to do their jobs to the best
of their ability. On or off-site training can help improve specific skills and keeps
employees current on new methods, techniques and information.
6. Create the opportunity for employee feedback: Having open channels of
communication is key for an organization to ensure it’s strategic plan gets carried out.
Not only should employees have an unrestricted ability to give meaningful feedback,
 including constructive criticism, during the planning stages, they should have the ability
to openly communicate all along the way should unforeseen problems arise.
This two-way communication should not be restricted to annual performance reviews
or monthly one-on-one meetings. Employees should be able to voice their opinions at
any time in order to ensure that operations continue to run smoothly.
7. Involve all members of the organization: It’s important to showcase the importance
of diversity of thought, and the need for every member of the organization to participate
in strategic planning sessions. The greatest ideas may not always come from the person
with the most prestigious title. It just may be the janitor that sees something that needs
attention that others may miss. It may be the receptionist who talks with people on a
daily basis that has the true pulse of the organization and some of its customers’
concerns. Never discount a person’s opinion simply because of their position within the
company and get feedback and input from every single member of the organization.