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Action Research Case Study
Donald C. Carter
University of Arizona Global Campus
BUS 370 Organizational Development
Debra Culler
May 9, 2022
Organizational leadership is an essential input and, to a large extent, determines the extent to which the organization can be successful or not. Theories of organizational development (OD) can help guide leadership interventions. OD is concerned with how an organization evolves in response to a changing environment. Typically, an OD intervention is designed to bring about positive change in a way that helps the organization adapt and thrive as external challenges grow and change. Blaze Mining Company offers ideal space and opportunity for the application of planned activities and events that will primarily aim to improve the performance of the business entities. Theoretical concepts and methods used during an OD intervention that will be applied in Blaze mining company’s case will include designing and executing OD processes and programs, providing a learning environment for employees, training in planning and decision making, and supporting and developing leadership.
Designing and executing OD processes and programs
To achieve positive organizational development and maintain good leadership, there is a need to design and execute new OD processes and programs. This development step involves designing a program to improve employees’ skills and capabilities, developing strategies and objectives, designing communication strategies, and planning the distribution of resources (Singh & Ramdeo, 2020). The improvement action plans should be based on sound research evidence of effectiveness and include evaluation mechanisms (Bierema, 2014). In Blaze mining company’s case, there is a need to adopt leadership programs that will prepare and equip employees with the competencies required to perform their roles and sustainably manage the organization. In addition, there is a need to develop skills among employees as decision-makers that have effective leadership as a critical component. There is also a need to train leaders for effective management and provide appropriate development opportunities for leaders. A training program that needs to be designed for leaders of Blaze mining company should be focused on developing the competencies of effective leadership and managing the organization in a sustainable manner. They need sufficient knowledge of business principles, accounting procedures, leadership best practices, and personal qualities such as self-confidence, team-building skills, and the ability to communicate effectively with all employees. Consequently, the organization will enhance cohesion between the leaders within different departments and improve organizational performance through these programs.
Providing a learning environment for employees
To ensure that an organization delivers value to its customers and stakeholders, there is a need to provide a learning environment. There is a need to plan and develop strategies for this learning environment. The strategy should be designed in such a way that it would enable employees to acquire new knowledge and skills for them to deliver the desired performance (Turi et al., 2019). In addition to designing the training programs, the organization should create an environment that supports learning. For instance, the organization should be able to sponsor their leaders to take up training opportunities that will develop their leadership skills. Leaders will be able to learn about new technologies and also about systems thinking that is required for effective management. They will also be able to develop greater trust and understanding with other leaders in the organization. In addition, leaders should be assisted in forming teams that are capable of managing complex situations. The structure of Blaze mining company needs to be configured to provide an effective learning environment where employees have opportunities to acquire new knowledge, skills, and abilities and enhance the organization’s performance. More critically, instances of diversity training should be incorporated to make the training more effective and acceptable. Finally, by providing a learning environment, Blaze Mining will be able to improve employee morale, eventually improving performance.
Supporting and developing leadership
A key direction for the organization is to develop talents among the employees and facilitate their development into leadership. The designed programs should be aimed at developing leadership capacities in all employees. Their competence levels should be increased to perform effectively and build trust with other teammates. For instance, employees should be taught business principles such as leadership skills, communication skills, and a self-confident personality, among other principles. Through the proposed OD intervention, Blaze mining company will have a pool of experienced leaders who will provide effective management towards improved performance (Gnes & Vermeulen, 2018). Developing talent within the organization and making the prospect of leadership real will increase employee loyalty and commitment to the organization. Consequently, Blaze mining will be able to deliver excellent performance, enhance customer satisfaction and improve the competitive edge of the business entity. By building trust and organizational commitment, this organization will create an ideal working environment that will boost employee morale and performance and enhance customer satisfaction. Therefore, leaders need to design OD interventions suitable for Blaze mining company’s case study.
In addition to developing the leadership capacities of employees, there is a need to develop skills among employees as decision-makers, with effective leadership as a critical component. As well, there is a need to train leaders for effective management. A training program that needs to be designed for leaders of Blaze mining company should be focused on developing the competencies required to perform their roles and manage the organization in a sustainable manner. This program should introduce people to various decision-making techniques such as brainstorming, problem-solving, negotiation, and conflict resolution; they will also learn about factors that can fail management strategies, such as poor performance, lack of cooperation, and team spirit. The training will focus on improving the competencies of management and effective leadership. Leadership development programs for leaders of Blaze Mining Company aim to develop the skills, values, and attitudes of existing leaders in the organization. The program should also provide opportunities to acquire a range of competencies. By developing leadership capacities in all employees, they will be able to lead effectively and deliver value to various stakeholders in the organization. Overall, this approach will enhance the leaders’ decision-making skills and capabilities and deal with instances of indecisiveness.
By designing and executing OD processes and programs, providing a learning environment for employees, and supporting and developing leadership within the organization, Blaze mining will be able to deal with the fractured leadership within the organization. Despite being a family-owned organization, opportunities should be made available to other employees within the organization to become leaders. Further, the basis of leadership should not be family affiliation; instead, it should be anchored on performance and qualifications. These interventions, which support and develop leadership within the organization, will reinforce organizational culture and thus increase employee morale, commitment, and loyalty, resulting in excellent customer performance. More importantly, an ideal culture will create a favorable working environment that will attract better-qualified leaders and employees, thus improving performance. Finally, the intervention should effectively enhance customer satisfaction, which increases revenue; this will increase profitability and account for the growth rate of Blaze mining company.
References
Bierema, L. L. (2014). Organization Development: An Action Research Approach. Bridgepoint Education.
Gnes, D., & Vermeulen, F. (2018). Legitimacy is the basis for organizational development of voluntary organizations. Handbook of Community Movements and Local Organizations in the 21st Century, 189-209. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-77416-9_12
Singh, R., & Ramdeo, S. (2020). Organizational-level theories. In Leading Organizational Development and Change (pp. 247-260). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-39123-2_11
Turi, J. A., Sorooshian, S., & Javed, Y. (2019). Impact of the cognitive learning factors on sustainable organizational development. Heliyon, 5(9), e02398. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02398