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ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT Action Research & OD

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INTRODUCTIONDual purpose of action research:

Making action more effective.

Building a body of scientific knowledge aroundthat action.

Action refers to: Programs and interventionsdesigned to solve problems and improveconditions.

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A Process and An Approach Action research is a process, an ongoing series ofevents and actions.Definition:

Action research is the process of systematically collectingresearch data about an ongoing system relative to someobjective, goal, or need of that system;feeding these data back into the system;

taking actions by altering selected variables within thesystem based both on the data and on hypotheses; andevaluating the results of actions by collecting more data.

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Wendell L French and Cecil Bell defineorganization development (OD) at one point

as "organization improvement through actionresearch".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organization_developmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organization_development

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Action researchConceptualized by Kurt Lewin and later elaboratedand expanded on by other behavioral scientists.Concerned with social change and, more particularly,with effective, permanent social change, Lewinbelieved that the motivation to change was stronglyrelated to action: If people are active in decisionsaffecting them, they are more likely to adopt newways. "Rational social management", he said,"proceeds in a spiral of steps, each of which iscomposed of a circle of planning, action, and fact-finding about the result of action".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Lewinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Lewin

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Kurt Lewins Action Research Model process of change involves three stepsUnfreezing : Faced with a dilemma or

disconfirmation, the individual or groupbecomes aware of a need to change.Changing : The situation is diagnosed andnew models of behavior are explored andtested.Refreezing : Application of new behavior isevaluated, and if reinforcing, adopted

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Action research Action research is depicted as a cyclicalprocess of change. The cycle begins with a

series of planning actions initiated by theclient and the change agent workingtogether. The principal elements of this stageinclude a preliminary diagnosis, data

gathering, feedback of results, and jointaction planning.

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Action researchIn the language of systems theory, this is theinput phase , in which the client system

becomes aware of problems as yetunidentified, realizes it may need outside helpto effect changes, and shares with theconsultant the process of problem diagnosis.

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Action researchThe second stage of action research is theaction, or transformation, phase.This stage includes actions relating to learningprocesses (perhaps in the form of role analysis) andto planning and executing behavioral changes in theclient organization. Included in this stage is action-planning activity carried out jointly by the consultantand members of the client system. Following theworkshop or learning sessions, these action steps arecarried out on the job as part of the transformationstage.

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Action researchThe third stage of action research is the output,or results, phase. This stage includes actual changesin behavior (if any) resulting from corrective action

steps taken following the second stage. Data areagain gathered from the client system so thatprogress can be determined and necessaryadjustments in learning activities can be made. Minoradjustments of this nature can be made in learningactivities via Feedback Loop B (see Figure 1 ). Majoradjustments and reevaluations would return the ODproject to the first, or planning, stage for basicchanges in the program.

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Action researchData are not simply returned in the form of awritten report but instead are fed back in

open joint sessions, and the client and thechange agent collaborate in identifying andranking specific problems, in devisingmethods for finding their real causes, and in

developing plans for coping with themrealistically and practically.

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Action researchScientific method in the form of datagathering, forming hypotheses, testing

hypotheses, and measuring results, althoughnot pursued as rigorously as in thelaboratory, is nevertheless an integral part ofthe process.

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Action researchalso sets in motion a long-range, cyclical,self-correcting mechanism for maintaining

and enhancing the effectiveness of theclient's system by leaving the system withpractical and useful tools for self-analysis andself-renewal

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