Starter Question
 Think of a messy room. What are the advantages of
organizing it?
 Complete the silverware activity
OD Practitioners As “Organizational Doctors"
OD practitioners are "organizational doctors" who try to
improve the effectiveness of people and organizations by:
 Establishing relationships with key personnel in the
organization (aka, entering)
 Researching and evaluating systems in the organization to
understand dysfunctions and/or goals (aka, diagnosing)
 Identifying approaches to improve effectiveness of the
organization and its people (aka, interventions)
 Applying approaches to improve effectiveness (aka, planned
change)
 Evaluating the ongoing effectiveness of the approaches and
their results (aka, assessment)
Organizations
Organizations are dynamic systems in which individuals
engage in collective efforts in pursuit of common goals
Organizations share five common features:
1. Collective of people
2. Shared direction (vision, mission and goals)
3. Coordinated activities (processes)
4. Structure or relationships
5. Environmentally and culturally embedded
Organizations vary by type:
• For profit
• Non-profit
• Social/Affinity
• Political
Organizations vary in form:
• Relationship-oriented
• Change-oriented
• Status quo-oriented
• Task-oriented
Organizational Tensions
Mechanistic vs Organic
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Mechanistic organizations are efficient, rigid, predictable, and
standardized organizations that thrive in stable environments.
Organic organizations are flexible, adaptive, outward-focused
organizations that thrive in dynamic environments.
Centralization vs Decentralization
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
Centralization means that the authority for most decisions is concentrated
at the top
Decentralization represents authority that is delegated through all levels of
the organization
Fundamental tension of organizations:
To thrive and survive, organizations must control and coordinate the actions of
their members. But, control and coordination frustrate individuals needs for
autonomy, creativity, and sociability.
Organizational/Business Communication
Understanding what an organization is and how it works requires
an understanding of the communication that exists within it.
Communication is a rules based transaction that conveys
meaning to another via verbal and/or nonverbal behavior.
Fidelity is often the goal of most communication.
 Fidelity is the clarity and accuracy of communication
 Strategic ambiguity, however, may also be a goal
Communication Networks
Within collectives, communication occurs within networks
Communication networks are regular patterns of person-to-person
interactions through which information flows
 Formal networks are designed by leaders to dictate who should talk to
whom (e.g., an organization chart)
 Informal networks are the patterns of communication that develop
organically based on proximity, expertise, affinity, etc. People often rely
more heavily on informal networks to understand what is really going on
Within a hierarchy, directional communication becomes important:
 Downward communication – the messages superiors deliver to subordinates
(e.g., job instructions)
 Upward communication – the messages subordinates deliver to superiors
(e.g., status reports)
 Lateral communication – the messages peers deliver
Table 15-2
Characteristics of Mechanistic vs. Organic
Structures