MGT8033: Design , implementation and evaluation of interventions

1. MGT8033: Design, implementation and evaluation of interventions

2. Learning objectives • To define the term `intervention’ • To identify and discuss the different types of interventions • To identify considerations related to the design of interventions • To describe and understand implementation: steps and activities • To familiarize and understand the role and importance of evaluation of interventions (change programs) • To identify issues associated with institutionalizing intended changes

3. Defining ‘intervention’ An intervention is a series of (planned) actions intended to increase the effectiveness of an organization. In crude terms perhaps, the intervention is the treatment (or plan to seize the opportunity) Also …. the change program Choice of intervention is informed by the diagnosis which precedes it Interventions purposely disrupt the status quo.

4. Characteristics of an effective intervention • Three criteria • 1. fits the organisation’s needs • relevant (to the org. & its members) • valid info about the org’s functioning • enable members free and informed choice • members have commitment (ownership) • 2. based on (causal) knowledge of intended outcomes (see difficulties Waddell et al p. 155) • 3. transfers the competence to manage the change to the organisation (the client) • i.e not same reliance on consultant in future change programs

5. How to design effective interventions Contingencies (things that can affect achievement) related to the change situation • Readiness for change (what indicators might be useful?) • Capability to change (e.g. skills to lead, develop support, sustain the urgency) • Cultural context (e.g. team-based interventions may not fit with usual practices) • Capabilities of the change agent (knowledge & skills required may be beyond the agent’s capacities)

6. How to design effective interventions Contingencies related to the target of change • Organisational issues • Strategy certain interventions enable organisations to make better strategic decisions more recent additions to the range of OD interventions • Technology and structure includeshow to divide/allocate work (differentiation) includes how to then coordinate work to achieve strategic goals & objectives (integration)

7. How to design effective interventions Contingencies related to the target of change • Organisationalissues (continued) • Human Resources interventionsthat address how to attract the suitably skilled, developing, retaining, etc • Interpersonal focus on social processes typically, group dynamics, communication, leadership, decision-making

8. Categories of interventions • Interpersonal(formerly human process): • focuses on people within organisations and the processes through which they accomplish goalse.g. T-Group, Grid organisation development • Technostructural: • focuses on technology and structure of the organisation e.g. downsizing • Human Resource Management: • focuses on personnel practices used to integrate people into the organisatione.g. career planning • Strategic: • focuses on linking the internal functioning of the organisation to the external environment e.g. open systems planning

9. Implementing change - a six step process • Step 1: Motivating Change • Cannot expect members’ support. Typically, heavy investment in status quo • Support given when compelling reasons are evident • Requires creating a culture which is ready for change • Ensure org. members aware of pressures for change • Identify gap between current & desired states • Communicate achievable & positive expectations • Managing resistance to change: • Resistance can be positive and constructive if there is empathy and support, communication and involvement

10. Implementing change • Step 2:Creating a vision • Describing a desired future state • Ideally, consistent with org. members’ view • Needs a clear justification • Achievable, otherwise impetus for change will not occur • Leader-driven - with broad support/participation necessary • Clear valued outcomes to drive the change program • Energising commitment • Should be exciting, connected to the past, present and future … and compelling

11. Implementing change • Step 3: Developing political support: • Organisations are loosely structured coalitions • Change typically upsets existing balance of power • Threatened groups typically resist: beneficiaries will typically promote/agitate for the change • Conflict, disinformation, and other ‘political’ behaviour should therefore be expected

12. Implementing change Step 3: Developing political support: Involves the following activities … 1. Assessing change agent power • May need to build power sources – viz. knowledge, personality and others’ support 2. Identifying key stakeholders • Who are the other powerbrokers (individuals & groups)? 3. Influencing stakeholders • Playing it straight, social networks and utilising the formal system (see Waddell et al 2011, pp. 170-1).

13. Implementing change • Step 4: Managing the transition:from current state … to transition state … to future state • Activity planning • Detailed ‘road map’ with top management support, and flexibility as feedback determines • Commitment planning • Identification of key stakeholders, and how to gain their support • Management structures • Allocation of key roles and responsibilities (see Waddell et al 2011, pp. 172-3 for the range of possible structures)

14. Implementing change • Step 5: Sustaining momentum: • continual reinforcement of the need to succeed with the change process … otherwise, commitment wanes • 4 specific activities i. Providing resources for change • Substantial change cannot develop without extra financial, human resource, energy and time allocations ii. Building a support system for change agents • A professional network of like-minded personnel • Emotional support (for all participants incl. change agents

15. Implementing change • Step 5: Sustaining momentum: • 4 specific activities (continued) iii. Developing new competencies and skills • Change often demands new skills, knowledge & behaviours • Required learning includes technical & social skills iv. Reinforcing new behaviours • Prevent return to the ‘old ways’ • Reward behaviours that support intended change • Intrinsics included … & linked to early successes

16. Implementing change • Step 6: Start all over again • Change is a continual process and never finished • The end of one cycle is the beginning of the next • Resources (including energy) must be made available for the longer term. The temptation to backslide (to what was known, understood and accepted) is invariably strong.

17. Implementation and Evaluation Feedback

18. Evaluating interventions • Implementation and evaluation feedback • Achievement of change goals cannot be taken for granted • Change agents often required to justify investment in change … hard data (bottom-line) warranted • Evaluation aimed at guiding implementation (ongoing and informs the change process) is implementation feedback • Assessment intended to discover intervention outcomes are called evaluation feedback

19. Implementing change • Measurement (provision of useful feedback involves two key elements) • Selecting variables • Should derive from the intent that underlies the interventions; should incorporate the key features as well as expected results • Designing good measures • Operational definition • Reliability • validity

20. Framework – Institutionalising interventions

21. Institutionalising interventions • Occurs when change is part of normal functioning, i.e. embedded in the organisation’s culture • Contemporary concerns about ‘institutionalising’ as this infers setting or (Lewin’s) refreezing. Perceptions that change is a constant in the contemporary organisation, has meant a rethink. • Institutionalising has ‘morphed’ a little … to the point that the need for (continual) change has in many instances become the focus of any refreeze.

22. Institutionalising interventions: • Organisation characteristics (important elements of an organisation that can affect (impede?) efforts to institutionalise changes) • Congruence • The extent to which an intervention is in harmony with strategy, structure (remember the 7-Ss?) & managerial orientation • Stability of environment and technology • Degree of protection of the change target from the vagaries of other environmentally-driven changes • Unionisation • Unions can be strong supporters of change, but the opposite may also hold when their interests are confronted by intended changes

23. Institutionalising interventions • Intervention characteristics (important elements of an intervention that can affect (impede?) efforts to institutionalise changes) • Goal specificity (the greater the specificity the better) • Programmability (when intervention characteristics are clear at outset, commitment and reward allocation are easier to manage) • Level of change target (individual, group or organisation-level, each has supporters & inhibitors) • Internal and external support • Sponsor(s) (the presence of a powerful sponsor from the upper levels of the organisation can legitimise and help to control use of resources

24. Institutionalising interventions Institutionalisation processes • Socialisation • learning & experimenting accompany intervention, meaning effort is required to encourage persistence • Commitment • Required throughout the levels of organisation hierarchy • Reward allocation • When linked to desired behaviours increases likelihood of refreezing • Diffusion • Take-up by other areas limits probability of opposition • Sensing and calibration • Detecting deviations from desired outcomes & correction

25. Institutionalising interventions • Indicators of institutionalisation(or how to assess degree of persistence with the intervention) • Knowledge do the org. members know the behaviours associated with the intervention? • Performance frequency or number of members adopting the preferred new behaviours • Preferences genuine personal acceptance is much stronger than peer-induced consent or acquiescence • Normative consensus the extent to which the desired behaviour becomes routine • Value consensus social consensus on values that are relevant to the intended changes

26. Summary • Only the most appropriate interventions should be used in a change process • Two questions will help to determine which intervention is required: What is the type of change required? What is the impact of the change intended? • Once interventions have been selected they must be implemented and evaluated as part of the formal process.