Diagnostic Approach
Diagnosis plays a critical role in resolving some of the issues that affect organizational members in the manufacturing units hence it can be applied successfully in addressing the problem at the Packing and Shipping department in the organization. Change should be introduced in the department to facilitate productivity and employee satisfaction. Research shows that workers are never satisfied with an organization that does not care about their needs and aspirations. Every employee is often driven by personal ambitions, such as career development and financial success. Therefore, the management has a great role to play to ensure that individual goals and objectives are incorporated into the organizational major aims (Cummings, 2008). The use of diagnosis in bringing about change in the organization entails the development of action research and a critical analysis of the behavior to ensure the organization carries out its core functions effectively. In the packing and shipping department, it is identified that workers are reluctant to achieve the organization’s targets and quality service delivery because of factors such as lack of open communication, inability to include informal leaders in decision-making, lack of teamwork, discord, and lack of empowerment to enable members to develop their potentials. Several diagnostic approaches exist, but Wiesbord’s six-box model approach would be the most appropriate in addressing the demands and the wishes of the staff at the packing and shipping department.
The diagnostic approach suggests that the consultant must understand the purposes, structures, associations, headship styles, the existing incentives, and other helpful instruments in the department before embarking on the process of problem-solving. The purpose of the organization includes the major missions and goals that must be fulfilled within a specified period. The structure is how an institution is organized, including the existing chain of command. The department might be underperforming mainly because of the role assigned to it or the functions that it should carry out. It is advised that any consultant wishing to resolve any form of conflict using the diagnostic approach must understand the relationships that exist between various stakeholders in the organization. For instance, the relationship between the management and employees is critical in resolving the employee issues in the packing and shipping department. In this regard, it must be understood whether individuals work as a team and whether the multi-skilled teams consult each other in offering important services (DeKler, (2007).
Technology is known to influence the success of any organization in the modern globalized market. The diagnostic approach suggests that the consultant intending to apply the approach should comprehend the relationship between employees and technology. The issues surrounding the underperformance of the department might be related to leadership hence the understanding of the headship styles employed in the running of the department is critical. Research shows that an organization with the ability to apply transformational leadership principles has always performed well in the market. Finally, the model suggests that the helping mechanisms or the instruments, including work plans, employee evaluation tools, budgets, and information systems ought to be used in trying to identify the problem facing the organization.
Data Collection methods
Before embarking on an extensive process of formulating a solution to the problem facing the department, gathering of critical data is essential. Information from employees is needed to shed light on the issue at hand. The data collection methods ought to be quantitative since they follow some of the established standards of scientific research. Based on this, the methods tend to produce valid and reliable results. Inaccurate results might lead to faulty conclusions, which will go a long way to affect the final decision (Sullivan, 2010). The use of structured data collection and measuring instruments, including fixed-choice questionnaire, will be the most appropriate method. Alternatively, the use of a standard coding scheme can perhaps be the most suitable method, even though its structuring is challenging. Open-ended questions will be used because they give respondents more time to figure out their opinions, which would make them volunteer more information related to feelings, outlooks, and comprehension of the subject. This would allow the researcher to understand the position of respondents as regards to feelings. Open-ended questions minimize some errors that could have been created in the course of research. Respondents rarely forget answers if allowed to respond freely.
Questions to be Asked
The consultant will collect critical data from the employees of the packing and shipping department. These questions include the following.
- Concerning the purposes of the organization, do you support the organization mission and goals, especially regarding the work schedule
- As far as the structure is concerned, does any form of relationship exist between employees in the packing and shipping department and the management
- Does the organization reward any member of the packing and shipping organization if he or she meets the desired target? If yes, kindly state the type of the reward and explain the feelings of employees as regards to the reward.
- Do leaders of the packing and shipping department define the organizational purposes to junior employees, including you? In other words, do leaders incorporate the organizational aims into the departmental decision-making mechanism?
- Please kindly describe the leadership style that is mainly practiced in your department
- Finally, do the existing helping mechanism fulfill their purpose of assisting employees to meet organizational and personal targets
References
Cummings, T. G., & Worley, C. G. (2009). Organization development & change. Australia: South-Western/Cengage Learning.
DeKler, M. (2007). Healing emotional trauma in organizations: An O.D. Framework and case study. Organizational Development Journal, 25(2), 49-56.
Sullivan, R. (2010), Practicing Organization Development: A Guide for Leading Change. New York: Jossey Bass.