My OD Intervention Project—Task 5
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Week 2 Project
Student Full Name
Name of University
Course Number and Name
Instructor Name
Date
Week 2 Project
Introduction
The organization to be featured in this project is Amazon, a multinational technology company that deals with e-commerce, cloud computing, and digital streaming among others (Boewe & Schulten, 2019). Amazon being an iconic success story, it has numerous issues concerning employee engagement, operational effectiveness and customers. These are problems that if not solved on time can have negative implications on Amazon’s market position and may slow down its growth (Deszca et al., 2019). To assist Amazon in addressing these challenges while enhancing organizational productivity, I will be serving as an external OD consultant for the organization and am charged with the development and deployment of an intervention (Anderson, 2019). This report will outline the entry process with emphasis on the diagnosis approach, the assessment of the organizational environment for change, identification of the key organizational dys-functionality, and the feedback strategies to be used.
Diagnosis
When starting the work on Amazon as an external consultant, the selection of the diagnostic approach for this project would be a problem-oriented diagnosis. Amazon, despite its incredible success, has its acute and organic issues, ranging from high turnover rates within the company, the burnout of employees, and operational problems in its supply chains and distribution centers (Boewe & Schulten, 2019). These issues have a direct implication on raising the rates of productivity and happiness among employees, which is fundamental to the competitiveness and sustainability of the company especially in the ever emerging market. The problem-oriented diagnosis is most appropriate when the organisation is facing various issues that hinder its functioning and development. Due to its emphasis on the basic problems, the diagnosis may warrant interventions that aim to solve these problems.
One of the advantages of the problem-oriented approach is that the fundamental reasons behind these problems are distinguished instead of only the signs of those problems (Anderson, 2019). For instance, high turnover could be an indication of other issues such as imprudent managerial scenarios, minimal career progression provisions or stressful working conditions. In this way, understanding these root causes would allow the intervention to be better aligned to target the underlying causes of the issues that are being experienced by the learners as opposed to just addressing symptoms of the problems (Anderson, 2019). This approach is better since it is less likely to omit important issues that may be specific to the Amazon environment hence less likely to provide lasting solutions.
Moreover, a problem-oriented diagnosis audaciously correlates with the philosophy of Amazon that places emphasis on the usage of data (Luthans et al., 2021). This approach can entail, for instance, the collection of data to determine the level and type of issues hence aligning with Amazon’s culture of quantification. By developing methods for presenting the evidence of these problems and their causes, a clearer and more persuasive picture can be painted to decision-makers that will create support for the intervention (Luthans et al., 2021). The solution-focused approach for addressing Amazon’s most significant issues will significantly enhance employee satisfaction, organizational performance, and efficiency.
Determination
In order to analyze Amazon’s preparedness for change, I would first conduct an organizational analysis that looks at the organization’s ability and desire to implement the proposed change. This entails the collection of data from employees within the organization through surveys, interviews, and focus group discussions. These tools assist in determining the general attitude towards change, recognize barriers that may exist and find out factors that can enhance the change process (Anderson, 2019). Through surveying a large number of employees, I will be able to determine if the leadership’s vision for change is in tandem with the employees’ preparedness for change.
Another important approach to identifying the readiness of change is to assess the organizational culture and the existing leadership (Deszca et al., 2019). The leadership of Amazon has a great impact on the changes within the organization, and the company’s involvement is essential. I would perform interviews with company’s executives to identify their perception of the problems, their interest in solving them, and their readiness to invest in the change. Furthermore, it will be useful to know the company’s culture – whether it is agile, receptive to change, or reluctant to change – as this will help to predict how change will be met (Deszca et al., 2019). For example, if the culture of Amazon is rigid and analytical but not inclined to change the existing procedures then it will affect the way change is managed.
Lastly, I would review the history of past change initiatives at Amazon to see if there are any patterns that can be seen in the successes or failures (Luthans et al., 2021). Looking at case studies of earlier transformations in the organization, it is possible to identify the best practices that can be applied in the context of Amazon and the possible mistakes that should be avoided. This historical analysis is useful in understanding some of the challenges that may be apparent in a change process, for instance cultural or structural issues, and thus allows the generation of strategies for handling the challenges (Luthans et al., 2021). Thus, based on the outcomes of these diagnostic methods, I can create a comprehensive picture of Amazon’s organizational culture and its potential for change, and develop the most effective strategy which will suit this organization most of all.
Issue and Level
According to the problem-oriented diagnostic analysis, the organization’s problem that needs to be addressed in Amazon is the issue of employee turnover in the fulfilment centers. This is a very important matter as it affects the operational aspect, the customers and even the overall business revenue. High turnover can lead to higher costs of recruiting, hiring, and training new employees, as well as possible negative impacts on service quality and delivery times (Anderson, 2019). This is important particularly for a company such as Amazon that has speed and reliability as its core strategic advantage.
The change has to start from the middle management level of fulfilment centers in order to effectively tackle the problem of high turnover. Middle managers are instrumental in shaping the day-to-day work atmosphere and engagement (Luthans et al., 2021). They are the ones who actually implement the policies at work, manage teams, and realize operational goals. Attention to this level can therefore bring about intervention at the very core of employee dissatisfaction: poor management practices, lack of career development, and support for work-life balance. Improving management practice at this level can have an effect on creating a more supportive and motivating work environment lower down that could help reduce the turnover rate.
Feedback
To ensure that the changes made are effective it is crucial for the organization to receive timely and appropriate feedback. I would feedback to Amazon on the change that has been put in place at frequent intervals; the first being three months after implementation and subsequent reviews at six months intervals. This phased approach gives enough time for the assessment of the effects brought by the change while at the same time giving room for the changes to be altered as per the situation (Deszca et al., 2019). Some of the assessments will capture the short-term impacts and the employees’ perception of the changes in the early stages of the change process while others will measure the longer-term effects and the ability of the change to become institutionalized.
In order to capture the feedback on the effectiveness of the change, I shall incorporate a number of feedback mechanisms into the implementation plan. This entails designing specific surveys to elicit feedback from the employees regarding their experiences with the new management practices, job satisfaction, and commitment (Anderson, 2019). These surveys will be supported, however, by reviewing companies’ existing data, including the rates of turnover, the productivities’ measurements, and the employees’ performances, which may require some modification in order to be linked with particular results concerning the intervention (Luthans et al., 2021). Using survey data that has both qualitative and quantitative elements along with company reports will give a snapshot of the change’s impact and how changes can be made to better achieve the intended goals.
References
Anderson, D. (2019). Organization development: The process of leading organizational change (5th Ed.). Sage. ISBN: 9781544333021
Boewe, J., & Schulten, J. (2019). The long struggle of the Amazon employees. Rosa Luxemburg-Stiftung, Brussels. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361408187_The_long_struggle_of_the_Amazon_employees
Deszca, G., Ingols, C., & Cawsey, T. F. (2019). Organizational change: An action-oriented toolkit. Sage Publications.
Luthans, F., Luthans, B. C., & Luthans, K. W. (2021). Organizational behaviour: An evidence-based approach fourteenth edition. IAP.