diagnosis & fORMS of inQUIRY

After completing the reading this week, I have a better idea of where to start for the organizational development plan for our course. I like Dr. Roy's suggestion of starting with a case history of the organization before delving into observational data collection. But then I'm left questioning how this project will work as an insider into the organization that I plan on observing. As Dr. Roy states, "people cannot be diagnosticians in systems in which they are full-fledged members due to overt or covert vested interests. So where does that leave me? Essentially, as a researcher, I believe I must be as transparent as possible about my biases and vested interests in the organization within my final organizational diagnosis or development plan. I already see the challenges this will present.

How much will I taint my exploration of the organization if I communicate to current members of the organization that I am "diagnosing" or "studying" the dynamics of the organization? After revealing such a fact, won't everyone be on their "best behavior?" How do I naturally or organically inquire to organization members in order to obtain the most reliable data? As a researcher, at what point are you ethically bound to communicate your intentions?

It will be a miracle to complete this OD plan in only 8 weeks. I already see how much of a process this may be. The action research timeline offered in the Organizational Diagnosis Workbook (p4)acknowledges the realities of time within the organizational diagnosis process.

I see how setting boundaries (i.e. limitations) of my organizational inquiry on the front end may help facilitate the duration of the organizational diagnosis process. Now is the time for me to begin posting to my Organizational Development Plan blog.

I close this entry wondering how Organizational Diagnosis would (not) benefit student organizations within a college campus community? Things to think about: frequency of member turnover, original motivation for joining organization, size of organization, does the purpose of organization effect the value the organization places on OD?, is there a need for OD for student organizations from the students'/ advisors'/university's perspective? how does non-profit status effect the organization? as university accountability increases, does the value of OD increase for student organizations? hmmm...

After an extremely basis google search, I found one study entitled: Describing the Climate of Student Organizations: The Student Organization Environment Scales
The study uses Weisbord's model of organizational diagnosis. More specifically, the Student Organization Environment Scales was created to measure students' perceptions of the psychosocial environment or climate of college student organizations.