The Second Generation

of OD interventions
Dr. P.V. SESHA SAI, Ph.D.,
SIBM
Hyderabad
 The Second Generation OD
• The second generation OD focussed on organizational transformation.
• This second order change is multi-dimensional, multi-level, qualitative,
discontinuous, radical organizational change involves paradigm shift.
• Researchers described first and second generation change as “transitional”
as the former and “frame bending” as the latter.
• Some others called them as “adaptive incremental” and “large-scale
change in the organizational strategy and culture”.
 Interest in organizational learning
• Peter Senge’s book “The fifth discipline” propagated the concept of organizational learning in 1990.
• The global changes, like new markets, rising customer expectations, short product life cycle, also
contributed for the growth of this concept.
• Senge argued that effective learning can happen if the employees of the organization follow these practices.
1. Systems thinking
2. Personal mastery
3. Mental models
4. Building shared vision
5. Team larning
• To understand the effectiveness of Organizational learning at that point of time
firms used to follow “outcome” based evaluation.
• Some of the behavioural scientists distinguished between “single loop learning”
(correcting the mistakes as they occur/reactive) and “double loop learning”
(modifying policies and practices to prevent the occurrence of error/proactive).
• The unanswered question at that time was “how managers can promote
organizational learning?”
• Argyris and Schon gave two models of learning.
 Two models of learning
• The first one involves laying down a set of unclear and defensive objectives like curtailing losses,
minimizing negative feelings among the employees etc.
• This approach will make the employees more defensive.
• The second approach is first identifying the problems and asking the employees to come up with
their own solutions for the problems which make them to learn new insights into business.
• Argyris and Schon suggested the second model.
• Organizational learning gained popularity because it aims at growth of individuals as well as teams.
• Organizational learning today has become an OD intervention as well as an evaluative mechanism
to understand the organizational effectiveness.
 Interest in organizational culture.
• The term organizational culture includes the shared meaning including language, dress,
patterns of behaviour, value system, feelings, attitudes and interactions.
• There are dos and don’ts of an organizational culture and also mechanism to impose
sanctions for don’ts.
• The behaviour which facilitates the accomplishment of organizational goals are dos and
the one which inhibits the accomplishment are don’ts.
• There are two types of norms. Pivotal and Peripheral.
• Norms which support the accomplishment of goals are pivotal norms while the norms
which facilitate functioning of pivotal norms are called as peripheral norms
 Interest in Organizational effectiveness
• Organizational effectiveness is directly related to the outcomes of the organization.
• In this approach, the OD interventions focussed more on quantitative outcomes
rather than qualitative outcomes like interpersonal, culture and learning growth.
• The concept of employee engagement and productivity come under the purview of
quantitative outcomes.
• The visible quantitative results (goal accomplishment) are taken into consideration
to understand the organizational effectiveness. (Goal approach)
 Intensified interest in teams
• Team building was the concern from the beginning of OD interventions.
• Of late, the OD interventions are focusing on building high performance teams and self-
managed teams.
• Most of the organizations are creating teams and asking them to come up with strategies to
improve performance of their unit/department.
• These teams are given specific targets also which they are supposed to accomplish.
• Laboratory training was, is an will be the best method to build high performance of self-
managed teams.
• Tuckman developed process of team building while Belbin prescribed the team roles.
 Interest in TQM
• TQM movement became very popular from late 90s all over the world.
• TQM is a movement which tries to bring quality orientation at the macro
level.
• However, not all the organizations which adopted TQM were successful.
• Ciampa and Burke believed that TQM can become successful only when
it is supported by proper OD intervention at micro level.
• Thus, TQM and OD cannot be separated.
 Interest in visioning and future search
• Vision building OD interventions are not new, but gained importance in
the recent past.
• Vision building exercises include, Data collection, interpretation, analysis,
and drawing a conclusion for action.
• This action plan or preparation of road map is most crucial in this
intervention.
• This promotes shared values among the employees.
 Other areas of interest

• Business Process Reengineering related OD

interventions.
• BPR process.
• BPR aims at reduction in number of tasks, procedures,
activities etc to make it employee or customer friendly.
• VIDEO ON HISTORICAL
DEVELOPMENT OF OD
• BPR ACTIVITY