This document discusses models for diagnosing organizations. It introduces the open systems model which views organizations as existing within an environment and exchanging inputs, transformations, and outputs. Key properties of systems like boundaries and feedback are also discussed. Several diagnostic models are presented for understanding organizations at the individual, group, and organization levels. The document emphasizes that diagnosis involves understanding each part of the model and assessing how well elements are aligned with each other and external inputs to impact organizational effectiveness. A number of other diagnostic models developed over time are also listed.

1. Diagnosing
Organizations
SAJJAD CHITRALI

2. Diagnosing Organizations

3. Diagnosis Defined
Diagnosis is a collaborative process between
organizational members and the OD
consultant to collect pertinent information,
analyze it, and draw conclusions for action
planning and intervention.

4. The Need for Diagnostic
Models
O Entry and contracting processes can result in a
need to understand either a whole system or some
part, process, or feature of the organization. To
diagnose an organization, OD practitioners and
organization members need to have an idea about
WHAT information to collect and analyze.
O Conceptual frameworks that are used to
understand organizations are referred to as
“diagnostic models”.

5. Open Systems Model
Inputs
• Information
• Energy
• People
Transformations
• Social Component
• Technological
Component
Outputs
• Goods
• Services
• Ideas
Environment
Feedback

6. Open Systems Model
O This model recognizes that organizations exist in
the context of a larger environment that affects
how the organization performs and in turn is
affected by how the organization interacts with it.
O This also suggests that organizations and their
subsystems – departments, group, and individuals
– share a number of common features that explain
how they are organized and function.

7. Properties of Systems
O Environments
O Inputs, Transformations, and Outputs
O Boundaries
O Feedback
O Equifinality
O Alignment

8. Diagnosing
Organizational Systems
OThe key to effective
diagnosis is…
O Know what to look for at each
organizational level
O Recognize how the levels
affect each other

9. Organization-Level
Diagnostic Model
Inputs
Technology
Strategy Structure
HR Measurement
Systems Systems
General
Environment
Industry
Structure
Design Components
Culture
Organization
Effectiveness
Outputs

10. Group-Level
Diagnostic Model
Inputs
Organization
Design
Design Components
TeamEffectiveness
Outputs
Goal Clarity
Task
Structure
Group
Composition
Team
Functioning
Group Norms

11. Individual-Level
Diagnostic Model
Inputs
Organization
Design
Group Design
Personal
Characteristics
Design Components
IndividualEffectiveness
Outputs
Skill Variety
Task
Identity
Task
Significance
Autonomy
Feedback
about Results

12. Key Alignment
Questions
O Do the Design Components fit with the
Inputs?
O Are the Design Components internally
consistent? Do they fit and mutually support
each other?

13. Organization-Level Inputs
O General Environment
O External forces that can directly or
indirectly affect the attainment of
organizational objectives
O Social, technological, ecological,
economic, and political factors
O Industry Structure
O External forces (task environment) that
can directly affect the organization
O Customers, suppliers, substitute
products, new entrants, and rivalry
among competitors

14. Organization Design
Components
O Strategy
O the way an organization uses its resources (human,
economic, or technical) to gain and sustain a competitive
advantage
O Structure
O how attention and resources are focused on task
accomplishment
O Technology
O the way an organization converts inputs into products and
services

15. Organization Design
Components
O Human Resource Systems
O the mechanisms for selecting, developing,
appraising, and rewarding organization
members
O Measurement Systems
O methods of gathering, assessing, and
disseminating information on the activities of
groups and individuals in organizations

16. Organization Design
Components
O Organization Culture
O The basic assumptions, values, and norms
shared by organization members
O Represents both an “outcome” of
organization design and a “foundation” or
“constraint” to change

17. Outputs
O Organization Performance
O e.g., profits, profitability, stock price
O Productivity
O e.g., cost/employee, cost/unit, error rates,
quality
O Stakeholder Satisfaction
O e.g., market share, employee satisfaction,
regulation compliance

18. Alignment
O Diagnosis involves understanding each of the parts in
the model and then assessing how the elements of the
strategic orientation align with each other and with the
inputs.
O Organization effectiveness is likely to be high when there
is good alignment.

19. Force Field Analysis (1951)

20. Leavitt’s Model (1965)

21. Likert System Analysis
(1967)

22. Weizbord’s Six-Box Model (1976)

23. Congruence Model for
Organizational Analysis(1977)

24. McKinsey 7S Framework (1981-82)

25. Tichy’s Technical Political
Cultural (TPC)Framework (1983)

26. The Burke-Litwin Model
OP & C