Read the attached lecture and then:A. Working on relevant problemsB.  Members from different departments in  same groupC. Top management separated from other groupsD. Superiors and subordinates in t

MGT 517 Unit 3 Lecture Unit Learning Outcomes Unit 3 ULO 1. Analyze the diagnostic issues associated with interpersonal relations and group dynamics interventions ULO 2. Assess the diagnostic issues associated with organization -wide process interventions. ULO 3. Describe and evaluate the effectiveness of large -group interventions Diagnostic Issues in Interpersonal and Group Process Interventions When group process promotes effective interactions, groups are likely to perform tasks successfully. Group process includes communications, the functional roles of group members, group problem solving and decision making, group norms, and the use of leadership and authority. Process Consultation Process consultation (PC) is a general framework for carrying out helping relatio nships. It is defined as the “creation of a relationship that permits the client to perceive, understand, and act on the process events that occur in his or her internal and external environment in order to improve the situation as defined by the client. T here are 10 principles to guide the process consultant’s actions. • Always try to be helpful. • Always stay in touch with current reality. • Access your ignorance. • Everything you do is an intervention. • The client owns the problem and the solution. • Go with the f low. • Timing is crucial. • Be constructively opportunistic with the confrontive interventions. • Everything is information; errors will always occur and are the prime source for learning. • When in doubt, share the problem. Basic Process Interventions A variety of interventions may be used. 1. Individual Interventions Individual interventions are designed primarily to help people be more effective in their communication with others. A useful model called Johari Window has been developed by Luft and is ill ustrated in Figure 10.1. Generally though, effective feedback can be achieved when the following guidelines are followed. • Giver and receiver have goal consensus. • Giver emphasizes appreciation. • Giver is concrete and specific. • Both have constructive motives . • Giver should not withhold negative feedback if it is relevant. • Giver should own his or her observations, feelings, and judgments. • Feedback should be timed when giver and receiver are ready. 2. Group Interventions Group interventions are aimed at the proce ss, content, or structure of the group. Process interventions sensitize the group to its own internal processes and generate interest in analyzing them. Content interventions help the group determine what it works on and may include comments, questions, or observations about group membership, agenda setting, review procedures, and more. Structural interventions help the group examine the stable and recurring methods it uses to accomplish tasks and deal with external issues. Application 10.1: Process Cons ultation at Christian Caring Homes, Inc. This application presents an example of process consultation with the top management team of Christian Caring Homes. Ask students to identify differences between process consultation and facilitation. Results of Process Consultation There are many problems with assessing the results of process consultation. Third Party Interventions Third -party interventions focus on conflicts arising between two or more people within the same organization. Conflict is inherent in groups and can arise from a variety of sources including differences in personality, task orientation, goal interdependence, and perceptions among group members, as well as competition for scarce resources. Third - party interventions help th e parties interact with each other directly, recognize the personal choices each party is making, and facilitate their diagnosis of the conflict and its resolution. An Episodic Model of Conflict Interpersonal conflict often occurs in iterative, cyclical stages known as “episodes.” An episodic model is shown in Figure 10.2. The episodic model identifies four strategies for conflict resolution. Approach 1 is to prevent the ignition of conflict by arriving at a clear understanding of the triggering factors and thereafter avoiding or blunting them when the symptoms occur. Approach 2 is to set limits on the form of the conflict. Approach 3 is to help the parties cope differently with the consequences of the conflict. Approach 4 is an attempt to eliminate or re solve the basic issues causing the conflict. Facilitating the Conflict Resolution Process There are several ingredients that can help third -party consultants achieve productive dialogue between the disputants so that they examine their differences and c hange their perceptions and behaviors: mutual motivation, equality of power, open and clear communication, and others. Application 10.2: Conflict Management at Ross & Sherwin This application describes a third -party intervention at a law firm. The OD con sultant was brought in by another to help rescue a struggling strategic planning process. The OD consultant initially used structural interventions to simply help the partners get work done but eventually had to utilize more interpersonal process intervent ions to address the personality conflicts. Team Building Team building refers to a broad range of planned activities that help groups improve the way they accomplish tasks, help members enhance their interpersonal and problem - solving skills, and increase team performance. A checklist for identifying whether a team -building program is needed and whether the organization is ready to start such a program is provided in Table 10.1. Team -Bui lding Activities A team is a group of interdependent people who share a common purpose, have common work methods, and hold each other accountable. Several factors can affect the outcomes of any specific team -building activity including the length of time allocated to the activity, the team’s willingness to look at its processes, the length of time the team has been working together, the cultural background of the team members, and the team’s permanence. Hackman has proposed that effective teams produce o utputs that satisfy external stakeholders, improve team functioning, and have members that are learning. As a result, team -building interventions can be categorized according to their purpose and focus as shown in Table 10.2. Team building activities can b e oriented toward (1) individual behavior, (2) group behavior, or (3) the group’s integration with its organizational context. They can also be classified according to whether their purpose is diagnostic or improvement. Interventions Relevant to Individu al Behavior Includes coaching, 360 -degree feedback, and conflict assistance. Interventions Relevant to the Group’s Behavior Includes role clarification, improving goal clarity and member commitment, modifying or clarifying the decision -making or probl em -solving process, changing norms, increasing risk taking and trust, and improving communication. Interventions Affecting the Group’s Integration with the Rest of the Organization Includes strategic planning and stakeholder mapping. Application 10.3 : Aligning Senior Teams at Vaycot Products This application presents an example of a team -building meeting involving a top - management team. Ask students to consider these questions: • Do you agree with the decision to make the workshop focus on task -orientation? • Could an external consultant have gotten similar results? • What were the benefits and risks associated with working with directors prior to engaging the executive committee? The Manager’s Role in Team Building The manager will work c losely with the OD consultant. The Results of Team Building The feedback on team building is inconsistent but mostly positive. Chapter 11 describes system -wide process interventions — change programs directed at increasing the effectiveness of organizat ional problem -solving, visioning and strategy making, and collaboration — for a major subsystem or for an entire organization. Diagnostic Issues in Organization Process Interventions Organization process approaches are driven by diagnostic data collected at the organization level. These interventions address issues, problems, and opportunities that occur between or among groups as they try to implement the organization’s strategy.

The key contextual inputs to the diagnosis are the organization’s environment and industry structure. 11 -2 Organization Confrontation Meeting The confrontation meeting is an intervention designed to mobilize the resources of the entire organization to identify problems, to set priorities and action targets, and to begin working on identified problems. General Electric’s “Work -Out” program, discussed in Application 11.1, is an example of how the confrontation meeting has been adapted to fit today’s organizations. Applicatio n Stages The steps in the organization confrontation meeting include: • Schedule a group meeting to identify problems related to the work environment and the organization’s effectiveness. • Appoint groups to represent the departments involved. • Stress that the groups can be open and honest. • Give the groups some time to identify organizational problems. • Bring the groups back together again to report on what has been discussed. • Create a master list of problems. • Divide the participants into problem -solving groups t hat differ from the original groups. • Ask the groups to rank the problems, develop tactical action plans, and determine a timetable. • Ask the groups to report on their lists and action plans. • Set follow up meetings to monitor and report on progress. Res ults of Confrontation Meetings Determining results is difficult. Intergroup Relations Interventions The ability to diagnose and understand intergroup relations is important. Here two OD interventions are discussed — microcosm groups and intergroup conflic t resolution. Microcosm Groups A microcosm group uses members from several groups to help solve organization -wide problems. Intergroup issues are explored and then solutions implemented for the larger organization. Microcosm groups work through parallel processes which are the unconscious changes that take place in individuals when two or more groups interact. When groups interact, they begin to reflect the roles and dynamics of the larger system. 1. Application Stages The process of using a microcosm group to address organization -wide issues involves the following five steps. • Identify an issue • Convene the group • Provide group training • Address the issue • Dissolve the group 2. Results of Microcosm Groups It is difficult to measu re parallel processes and associate them with measures of organizational processes. Resolving Intergroup Conflict The intergroup conflict intervention is designed specifically to help two groups or departments within an organization resolve dysfunctiona l conflicts. 1. Application Stages A basic strategy for improving interdepartmental or intergroup relationships is to change the perceptions that the two groups have of each other. Blake designed a formal 10 -step approach. • External consultant obtains agree ment to work on the improvement of intergroup relationships. • A time is set for groups to meet. • Consultant describes the purpose and objectives of the meeting. • Groups are assigned to separate rooms and asked to develop answers to questions about the qualiti es of the group. • The two groups reconvene and share their answers. • Groups separate again to discuss what they learned. • Groups analyze possible reasons for the misperceptions identified. • Groups meet again to share problem -solving approaches. • Groups are asked to develop specific plans of action. • Follow up meeting is scheduled to report on progress. 2. Results of Intergroup Conflict Interventions Research suggests promising, positive results. Large Group Interventions The third type of system -wide pro cess interventions has been variously referred to as “search conferences, open space meetings, and future searches.” The focus is on issues that affect the entire organization or large segments of it. The defining feature of large -group interventions is br inging together large numbers of organization members, often more than 100 for a two to four day meeting or conference. Here, members work together to identify and resolve organization -wide problems, to design new approaches to structuring and managing the organization. Application Stages Conducting a large group intervention generally involves preparing for the meeting, conducting it, and following up on outcomes. 1. Preparing for the Large -Group Meeting The team generally addresses four key ingredients fo r successful large group interventions. • Compelling meeting theme • Appropriate participants • Relevant tasks to address the conference theme • Postmeeting follow -through 2. Conducting the Meeting The flow of events at a large -group meeting can vary greatly, depending on its purpose and the framework adopted. There are four key dilemmas associated with large -group interventions that help determine the method used to conduct the meeting. These four dilem mas are (1) the dilemma of voice, (2) the dilemma of structure, (3) the egocentric dilemma, and (4) the dilemma of emotional contagion. 3. Open -Systems Methods A variety of large group approaches have their basis in open -system methods. The steps in using this approach are as follows. • Map the current environment surrounding the organization • Assess the organization’s responses to environmental expectations • Identify the core mission of the organization • Create a realistic future scenario of environmental expe ctations and organization responses • Create an ideal future scenario of environmental expectations and organization responses. • Compare the present with the ideal future and prepare an action plan for reducing the discrepancy 4. Open -Space Methods Th is approach to large group interventions attempts to address the four dilemmas by imposing a minimal level of formal structure. They use these steps. • Set the conditions for self -organizing • Create the agenda • Coordinate activity through information 5. Positive Methods The final large group intervention represents a hybrid approach to the four dilemmas. It is called the Appreciative Inquiry Summing approach (AI). The four steps are as follows. • Discover the organization’s positive core • Dream about and envision a more desired and fulfilling future ▪ Design the structural and systems arrangements that will best reflect and support the vision or dream • Create the specific action plans that will fulfill the organization’s destiny 6. Following Up on Meeting Outcomes Results of Large -Group Interventions They are usually assessed using a case study.