Discussion questions
Today’s organizations must remain competitive due to global economic challenges and other major current events. To do so, they must be willing to transform to meet changing needs. In order to transform, organizations often benefit from scholarly and professional advice from organizational change consultants who are well-versed in transformation strategies and practices.
In this Discussion, you examine organizational transformation in relation to the change process through the analysis of a film.
To prepare:
Review this week’s Learning Resources. Consider how the change process might impact an organization.
Review one of the following films, or obtain prior approval from your Instructor to review a different movie. Each of these films is available online to either stream or rent for a small price. All the films deal mainly with organizational transformation.
Made in Dagenham (2010)
Moneyball (2011)
New in Town (2009)
The Social Network (2010)
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
The Big Short (2015)
Wall Street (1987)
Consider the organizational systems and environmental forces involved and the impact change has on the
Describe how issues in the film relate to what you have learned in this course.
As an OD practitioner, how would you use appreciative inquiry to address the issues observed in the film?
How would you assess the emotional intelligence of the key characters?
How might you use Killman’s conflict management style to mitigate the conflict in the film you viewed?
organization in the film.
Question 2
Consider the following case study:
City Township School District is an organization that oversees eight elementary and six middle schools in Fairfax, Virginia. Recently, PTA leaders and other parents have begun protesting the district’s new policies regarding the reduction of education fundamentals (i.e., reading, writing, and math), the discontinuation of Physical Education and recess times, and the elimination of arts education.
The primary concern is the opening of several new charter schools in communities where the district’s largest elementary and middle schools are located. These charter schools offer a full spectrum of arts and physical education, college-preparatory curricula, student mentoring, healthy meals, and wellness education.
City-Township parents are up in arms that their children are being deprived of quality education and are threatening to pull their children from City Township schools. This would be catastrophic for the district as the organization would lose millions in funding and would likely have to begin layoffs and possible school closures.
Identifying the types and sources of conflict that may occur with an organization and suggesting effective interventions address the associated problems are important skills for the OD consultant. How do you believe that different approaches to managing conflict may result in different outcomes? Do you believe transformation is possible for City Township School District? Why or why not?
To prepare:
Review the City Township School District case study and this week’s Learning Resources. This school district is currently facing challenges with conflict among stakeholder groups and financial concerns
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