5ODT Organisational Development: Implications for HR

This unit of organisation development theory was first taught in the 1950s, according to its history. Several disciplines were used in the current study, including sociology, psychotherapy, and behavioural science. Thus, organisational developments are directly affected by the HR roles played by a given organisation. The development of an organisation has recently been recognised as an essential practice to maintain its performance.

The unit’s objective is to introduce learners to the activities of organisation development and the implications they have for human resources. In Human Resources, development involves structural improvements in an organisation that fall under HR’s jurisdiction. The organisational development (OD) unit looks at how human resources interact with organisational systems, processes, employee wellness, diversity, talent management, and performance management.

Developing an organisation through the continuous improvement of its people is the key to achieving sustainable performance. The purpose of the course unit is to increase learners’ understanding of what HR functions do. The objective of the course is to help the students focus on the HR objectives given by HR professionals.

Importance of the Unit in HR

Students will develop the mindset necessary to intentionally align organisational goals and activities with a primary focus on improving organisational performance in this unit. This unit teaches lessons directly related to HR departments of organisations. This unit aims to enable organisations to respond to market dynamics and adapt to their changing needs. Through this unit, students will increase their efficiency and efficacy as members of an organisation. The unit has many responsibilities, but primarily it is motivated by the following principles:

1. It stresses the importance of making the most of the resources within an organisation.
2. It explains how an organisation’s strategy, goals, and core purpose are essential to its development.
3. In order for organisations to be competitive, they need to apply behavioural science, knowledge, and practice.
4. It deals with change management in institutions that aim to institutionalise improvement.

In this module, students will learn that the listed principles primarily drive the implications of OD for HR roles.

Who and when to pursue the unit.

This unit is suitable for human resource professionals and those interested in pursuing careers in the field. Organisation development specialists who are not necessarily HR professionals can pursue the module to work with managers to achieve organisational goals. Development experts can facilitate changes in organisations by navigating complex situations. Organisation development specialists, also known as organisation development consultants, are suitable individuals for the unit. Other consultants can serve as external consultants or as employees of an organisation. In an organisation, it is necessary to understand that the role of HR heavily draws from the concept of OD to actualise the development process required to bring about change.

Unit Objectives

There will be four main objectives covered in this module. These objectives include:

1. Defining organisational development and its strategy
2. Assessing the capability of an organisation
3. To examine and develop organisational development interventions
4. To discuss change management.

Organisation Development process

Students will learn that there are four primary stages in the organisation development process. Each of the stages will be critically analysed, and examples are given in the unit. Following are the stages in summary:

1. Organisation review. The stage involves analysing needs using a range of tools, including PESTLE, SWOT, and quantitative performance targets, among others.
2. Diagnosing the extent to which needs are being met. In this stage, students will learn that the gaps identified in the first stage (analysis) are being filled with a range of frameworks such as ISO, TQM, Six Sigma, or Forced Field.
3. Identifying the intervention that best fits the identified gap. In this stage, several different multidisciplinary approaches to organisational development will be analysed and can be used for interventions. The interventions range from human resource interventions to technological and structural interventions to strategic interventions.
4. Implementation of the intervention. In this unit, learners will understand that implementation is a process that requires change management practices. There will also be case studies about different existing organisations.

By the end of the unit, learners should be able to;

• Describe how the organisation’s culture and core processes are structured
• Clearly explain what organisation development theories are and how they can design and intervene in organisations.
• Analyse and describe organisation development diagnostic tools and frameworks
• Demonstrate listening, engagement, and advisory skills.
• Explain how Lean and Six Sigma are examples of different aspects of improvement tools.

Wrap Up

Students pursuing this unit are interested in developing their careers in Human Resource Management or who wish to develop organisations. Students understand how the skills necessary for carrying out different HR functions can enhance the achievement of organisational objectives. Those already in the HR field and wish to gain knowledge and competence in carrying out HR functions may also pursue the unit to gain knowledge on the same. Last but not least, learners must ensure they gain the knowledge and skills necessary to fulfil HR functions and ensure that they are capable of effectively coordinating HR roles to fulfil the overall business objectives.

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