Assignment 1-1

Glossary of Terms

Glossary of Terms

Term Meaning

action research model collecting information, feeding back information to the

client system, developing and implementing action

programs to improve system performance

agenda-setting interventions a type of process consultation intervention that sets aside

time when process issues will be specifically discussed

apart from content issues; agenda-setting interventions do

not include determining the task items to be discussed

analytical model analysis used for basis of change; it is useful in diagnosing

interdepartmental issues as this model examines

departmental structure, time orientation, members'

orientations to others, and members' orientations to goals

analyzer style consultant high on effectiveness, low on morale

apathetic mode follows established routine and avoids responsibility

autonomy one of the five core job dimensions in the job

characteristics model; the degree to which the job

provides independence to the individual in scheduling the

work and determining procedures

avoiding style a style of managing conflict that avoids conflict by

withdrawing

behavioral strategies places emphasis on the use of human resources

boundaryless a term that refers to reducing conflict between divisions

and departments

career life planning matching career and life goals

cause maps this model uses mathematical representations of perceived

causal relationships among variables; the results are

incorporated into a matrix of relationships

change leader a person responsible for change in an organization

changing the corporate culture difficult to do because the culture is based on past

successes; firms can decline, stagnate, or be destroyed if

culture cannot change; there are five reasons that justify

large-scale cultural changes: (1) values that do not fit the

changing environment; (2) competitive industry that

rapidly changes; (3) mediocre company; (4) firm joins

ranks or large companies; and (5) small firm that is

growing rapidly

charismatic mode relies on leaders to determine if change is desirable

cheerleader style consultant high on morale, low on effectiveness

client sponsor person or group within the organization that has requested

the consultant's help and who interfaces with the

consultant

client systems an organization employing a consultant to assist them in

planning change

clique when three or more persons within a larger group select

one another as a subgroup

closed questions specific questions that can normally be answered either

yes or no

closed systems exists only in theory; is self-contained and isolated from

its environment

closure tendency to fill in missing information to complete a

perception

complementary transaction occurs when a message sent from one ego state receives

an expected response from the other person's appropriate

ego state

compromising style a style of managing conflict that tends to seek out

compromise between conflicting parties

confidentiality information of a private nature that is not known by the

public; privileged communications between the client and

the consultant that should not be divulged

confrontation the process in which parties directly engage each other

and focus on the conflict between them

congruent (authentic) change agent should act in accordance with the values he

or she is attempting to impose upon client's value system

consensus mode decisions are made through the sharing of viewpoints

content task of the group

contingency approach attempt to determine through "if-then" research the proper

management technique to employ

coordinator a term used in self-managed work teams that refers to the

external leader of a team; the coordinator provides

encouragement to the team, is an energizer, and serves as

a teacher and facilitator for the team

corporate culture a system of shared values and beliefs that interact with

people, structure, and systems of an organization to

produce norms; reflects organization's past and is rooted

in firm's history and mythology; it influences how

managers approach problems, react to competition, and

implement new strategies

creative individualism questioning of peripheral norms, accepting of pivotal

norms

crooked stroke has a double meaning similar to the ulterior transaction; it

transmits a message different from the words that a person

uses

crossed transaction occurs when a message from one ego state receives a

response from another unexpected or inappropriate ego

state

cultural strength measures the intensity by which members hold cultural

values and how widely they are shared in the

organization; does not necessarily guarantee corporate

effectiveness

data unstructured, unformed facts

diagnosis analysis of problem(s)

dilemma interactions occur in assessment stage of intervention and result from

questions from consultant regarding the client's problem

definition, awareness of need for change, reduction of

overexpectations, client's misuse of power, and value

differences

directed interview interview in which only specific information is sought

disclosure used in Johari Window model to enlarge public area

vertically; the process of communicating one's feelings,

thoughts, and candid feedback to others

dominating style a style of managing conflict that attempts to attain

personal objectives and often ignores the needs of others

driving forces opposite forces to restraining forces; driving forces put

pressure on the organization to change

dynamic equilibrium steady state, reacting with environment

ego states the three separate sources of behavior used in

Transactional Analysis used to describe parent, adult, and

child feelings, attitudes, and behaviors

emergent-group behavior model based on the work of George Homans; this model is used

to gather observations and information on activities,

interactions, sentiments, and norms and uses these data to

diagnose problems among or within teams

empathy a process consultation intervention where the listener tries

to see the world from the speaker's point of view

employee stock ownership plan uses various types of formulas to grant stock or stock

options to a broad section of employees

empowerment the process of giving employees the power to make

decisions about their work

entropy movement toward disorder and eventual termination of

function

excellence firms with excellence have a corporate culture that allows

them to change rapidly

external consultant a person from outside the organization who serves as a

resource for change

fade out occurs in laboratory learning programs when participants

return to their work organizations; back at work, support if

often lacking for participants' new ways of behaving

feedback results, reaction from behavior

force-field analysis model originated by Kurt Lewin, this model weights the forces

for and against change; restraining forces keep the

organization stable and driving forces put pressure on the

organization to change

future shock inability to cope with rapid change

gain sharing a reward system used as a basis for calculating pay that

recognizes the value of a specific group based on

measurable characteristics

gamesmanship mode sees life as if playing a game and the main goal is to be a

winner

goal acceptance the commitment to the accomplishment of a goal

goal commitment acceptance of goals through rewards and trust

goal setting a process intended to increase efficiency and effectiveness

by specifying desired outcomes toward which individuals,

teams, and the organization should work

grid OD defines problem areas for OD by going through a series of

phases designed to pursue a systematic change approach

group cohesiveness the attractiveness a group has for its members

group consensus a decision made by a group that all members can support

group process how the group goes about accomplishing its task

group task functions member behaviors that directly help the group solve its

task

group-building and maintenance

functions

behaviors of group members that help the group grow and

improve its member's interpersonal relationships

groupthink describes the problems of group cohesiveness; refers to a

mode of thinking that people engage in when they are

deeply involved in a cohesive in-group and when the

members striving for unanimity override their motivation

to realistically appraise alternative courses of action

Hawthorne effect the effect of the observer on the subject; the act of

investigating or observing may influence the behavior of

those observed

high performing systems organizations that perform excellently and are defined as

an excellent human system; criteria and characteristics

have been identified

horizontal corporation flattening the hierarchical organizational charts; reduction

in the layers of management

hyperturbulent environment rapid change

ideal strategic model phase 4 of the grid OD program; management decides

what an excellent organization would be and then a model

is developed to achieve that excellence

incremental approach refers to long-term planned change that relies on

collaboration and participation from organization

members

individual functions behaviors of group members that satisfy individual needs

and are inconsequential to the group's task and

maintenance

information data that has form and structure

information overload the increasing volume of information with which a

professional finds impossible to keep current

integrating style a conflict style where there is high concern for self and

others; this style is concerned with problem solving, uses

openness, sharing of information and the examination of

differences to reach a consensus solution

interdependence situations where one person's performance is contingent

on how someone else performs

interfaces meeting point between groups

intergroup competition a condition causing intergroup problems that involves

groups with conflicting purposes or objectives; this

condition emerges when a group desires or pursues one

goal while directly opposing values that exist in another

group

intergroup interventions OD interventions that attempt to increase cooperation

among organization subsystems

intergroup teambuilding an OD intervention technique where key members of

conflicting groups meet to work on issues or interface

internal consultant an internal resource for change, such as a manager or

other member of the organization

internal team leader acts to make sure equipment and supplies are available,

helps the team organize itself, and serves as an additional

team member who is doing work similar to other

members; also serves as encourager and facilitator

interpretation communication responses used by a consultant to explain

the meaning of something in terms the client can

understand

intervention refers to the entrance into the client system and includes a

variety of roles and activities

isolates individuals within a group who are only rarely chosen by

others

job burnout emotional exhaustion and reduced accomplishment that

can occur among individuals who do people work of some

kind; a response to the chronic emotional strain of dealing

extensively with other human beings who are troubled or

having problems

job characteristics model a model that attempts to measure objective attributes of

job characteristics that can directly affect employee

attitudes and work behaviors

job design the way a job is structured

job enrichment theory a method that builds in satisfaction to a job; includes

changing a job to have increasing levels of achievement,

recognition, and responsibility

job feedback the degree to which carrying out work activities required

by the job results in the individual obtaining direct and

clear information about the effectiveness of his or her

performance

Johari Window model a model for identifying communication style where four

areas of knowledge about the self are identified; public,

blind, closed, and unknown

knowledge-based pay a reward system based on the knowledge or skills a

worker has; sometimes called skill-based pay

laboratory learning simulated situations allowing for evaluation and reactions

to others; uses a group as a laboratory for experimenting,

learning, and discovering cause-and-effect relations in

interpersonal communication

learning organization an organization that has developed a continuing capacity

to adapt and change

management by objectives (MBO) a specific technique used by organizations for setting

goals; it is a system of management set up to help in

planning organizing, problem solving, motivating, and

other important management activities

managerial effectiveness ability to accomplish specific organizational goals or

objectives: "doing the right thing"

managerial efficiency the ratio of output (results) to input (resources) or "doing

the right thing"

managerial grid a tool used in phase 1 of the grid OD program; allows

managers to determine their management style

member roles functions that individual members play in a group; these

roles can be broadly categorized as task, maintenance, and

individual

meta goals the superordinate organization goals

motivating potential score (MPS) a measurement of job's ability to produce increased

personal and work outcomes

motivational climate employee attitudes and morals that influence the

performance level

mutual choice when certain individuals within a larger group choose one

another

natural work team people coming together because of the related jobs or the

structure of the organization design

negative stroke the reverse of a positive stroke, resulting in an

unexpected, unreassuring response with a "you're not ok"

feeling

nondirected interview the interview direction is chosen by the respondent; there

is little direction by the interviewer

norms the organized and shared ideas regarding what members

should do and feel, how this behavior should be regulated,

and what sanctions should be applied

obliging style a style of managing conflict that is concerned with people

satisfactions and smoothing over conflicts

OD consultant change agent or person helping client to adapt and plan

change

OD intervention the range of actions designed to improve the health or

functioning of the client system in an OD program

OD strategy a plan for change using structural, technical, and

behavioral methods

one-way choice when an individual in a group chooses another but is not

chosen in return

open book management teach employees to understand accounting and financial

statements and to use the knowledge in their work and

planning

open loop elements of an organization such as departments operating

without feedback; there is no mechanism for corrective

action to take place

open system is interrelated and acts with its environment

open-ended questions this type of question allows the respondent to be free and

unrestrained and to direct the interview

operating ground rules can include point of contact, confidentiality of

information, requirements from the organization, process

role, and other items

organization culture a system of shared meanings, including dress, language,

values, norms, and attitudes of an organization

organization development (OD) planned strategy to bring about change

organization diagnosis a systematic approach to understanding and describing the

present state of an organization

organization mirror a technique designed to give work units feedback on how

other elements of the organization view them; this

intervention is designed to improve relationships between

groups and increase effectiveness

organization renewal ongoing process of building innovation and adaptation

into an organization

organization transformation (OT) process of coping with unplanned change by changing

organization form or framework (revolution); drastic,

abrupt change to total structures, management processes,

and corporate cultures

outdoor experiential laboratory

training

takes a group of people who work together, places them in

an outdoor setting, and allows them to experiment and

discuss leadership styles and teamwork

Parkinson's Laws summarizes the problems of inefficient practices in

organizations: (1) the law of multiplication of

subordinates; and (2) the law of multiplication of work

pathfinder style consultant high on effectiveness, high on morale

perception process that individuals use to give meaning to their

environment by interpreting and organizing sensory

impressions

performance gap this is the difference between the desired and the actual

performance of an organization

peripheral norms norms that support and contribute to the pivotal norms but

that are not essential to the organization's objectives

persuader style consultant moderate emphasis on both morale and effectiveness

pivotal norms norms essential to an organization's objectives

positive stroke transactions that provide an expected response and

reassure a person's worth, esteem, or competency

power strategies a technique for lessening resistance to change that uses the

power structure in an organization to convince its

members of the worthiness of the program

power tools information, support, and resources

process observation technique used in examining groups that identifies

separate dimensions

process quality management a goal-setting approach that uses teams, relies heavily on

goals established by team consensus decision making; the

team approach continues through a follow-up procedure to

decide how well goals were met

professionalism internalization of value system that is part of the concept

of the profession

profit sharing uses the performance of the business to calculate

employee pay

psychological contract expectations between an individual and an organization

psychological positions feelings based on one's previous experiences lead to

positions toward oneself and others

psychosocial system includes the network of social relationships and

behavioral patterns of members, such as norms, roles, and

communication

questionnaires this method of gathering data is normally used for a large

number of responses; although this method is impersonal

it lends itself to quantitative analysis

reactive management waiting until something becomes a problem before

reacting

renewing/transformational

management

plans for change; makes contingency plans

resistance blocking of goal acceptance

restraining forces those forces that act to keep an organization stable

role ambiguity the role incumbent's being unaware of or lacking

sufficient knowledge of the expectations of others

role analysis technique a team development method for clarifying role

expectations; role analysis is used to clarify such role

discrepancies, leading to improved group cohesiveness

and functioning

role conflict discrepancy between role conception and others'

expectations

role negotiation an OD team-building technique that is directed at the

work relationships among group members; the technique

involves a series of controlled negotiations between

participants and during the role negotiation, managers

discuss what they want from each other and explain why

satisficing management does only what is necessary to get by; management that is

adequate and average

second-order consequences indirect consequences that result from a change action

selective perception selectivity of information that is perceived; people tend to

ignore information that they do not want to hear and

accept information that is in agreement with their values

self-managed work teams an autonomous group whose members decide how to

handle their task; the task of the team is an identifiable

task, service, or product

skill variety the degree to which the job requires a variety of activities

that involve the use of different skills and talents

sluggish management style of management based on low risk, formalized

procedures, and high degree of structure and control

social network analysis model this analysis uses a mathematical representation of

relationships between individuals or groups and reveals

important interdependencies

socialization process of an individual adjusting to an organization's

culture and norms

sociogram a diagram of relationships and interactions

sociotechnical system an organization with an open system of coordinated

human and technical activities with five major subsystems

sociotechnical systems model an organization has two systems that are interrelated - the

social system and the technological system; this model

determines how these systems interrelate and the feedback

(or lack of it) between the subsystems

stabilizer style consultant low on effectiveness; low on morale

strategic change management this model focuses on an alignment between an

organization's strategy, structure, and human resources

systems and a fit between them and the environment

strategy refers to a course of action used to achieve major

objectives, concerned with relating the resources of the

organization to opportunities in the larger environment

strategy-culture matrix a model that can be used to assess the readiness of a

corporate culture for strategic changes; provides four

basic strategies for implementing change within a culture

stream analysis a method useful in planning the changes that plots the

interventions over a period of time

stress management interventions methods such as biofeedback, wellness, career counseling

to help an individual deal with personal and work-related

stress

stressors events that create a state of disequilibrium within an

individual

stroking concept in transactional analysis theory referring to a form

of recognition, including physical, verbal, or visual

recognition of one person by another

strong culture characterized by the organization's basic values being both

intensely held and widely shared; strong cultures have

greater impact on behavior and are related to reduced

turnover

structural analysis used to understand the three ego states; parent, child, and

adult

structural strategies alters the framework that relates elements of the

organization to one another

suboptimization when the goals of operating divisions are interdependent,

optimization by one group may result in decreased goal

attainment for other groups and the organization; occurs

when a group organizes its own subgoals, but loses sight

of the larger organizational goals

support team a term used in self-managed work teams that refers to

team of top management responsible for general planning,

making broad goals, and dealing with outside parties

system set of interrelated elements unified to achieve a goal or

purpose

system 4 model a continuum developed by Likert from system 1 to system

4, with 4 being the ideal that firms attempt to achieve

systems approach looks at organization as unified systems of interrelated

units; this allows manager to balance needs of each unit as

well as organizational goals

task activities what the group does

task identity the degree to which the job requires completion of a

whole and identifiable piece of work

task significance the degree to which the job has a substantial impact on the

lives of other people, whether in the same organization or

in the external environment

team development also called team building; a databased intervention where

a work group examines such things as their goals,

structure, procedures, culture, norms, and interpersonal

relationships to improve their ability to work together

effectively and efficiently

team process how the group works and the relationships among team

members

technical change approach changes in machinery, methods, automation, and job

design

technical, political, and cultural

systems

organizational systems of the strategic change

management model

third-party intervention method of increasing communication and initiating

intergroup problem solving through the use of a third

party, usually an outside consultant; in this process the

parties directly engage each other and focus on the

conflict between them

third-wave organizations firms that have used flexibility, creativity, and innovations

to be successful in an information age

total quality management (TQM) an organization strategy of commitment to improving

customer satisfaction by developing techniques to

carefully manage output quality

transaction an interaction between people involving a communication

between their ego states; the basic unit of communication

is classified as complementary, crossed, and ulterior

transactional analysis (TA); in interpersonal relationship model that OD

practitioners apply in organization change programs as a

way for people to understand themselves better

transformative change refers to immediate drastic change accomplished by

directive methods

trust relationship openness and honesty between OD consultant and client

ulterior transaction involves two ego states simultaneously: the literal words

of the transaction, which may mean one thing, and the

underlying intent, which may mean something entirely

different

vision mental image of a possible and desirable future state of

the organization

weak culture commitment to cultural values is not widely held in the

organization; characterized by relatively young companies

or those that high turnover of executives and employees

wellness program stress reduction programs initially associated with

physical fitness, nutrition counseling, and smoking

cessation