Question 1

How would you explain the contracting process to someone who had never heard of OD?

Accepted Answer

answer not provided.

Question 2

Failure to identify the relevant client can lead to a lack of support for the OD effort.

Accepted Answer

It is important to identify the relevant client in an OD effort as they are the ones who will benefit from the changes implemented. Without their support and cooperation, the OD effort may fail to achieve its objectives.

Question 3

The initial activities of the OD process involve .&#10;A) evaluating OD interventions&#10;B) implementing change&#10;C) diagnosing&#10;D) entering and contracting activities

Accepted Answer

The initial activities of the OD process involve entering and contracting activities, which focus on building a relationship between the OD practitioner and the client system. This involves establishing trust, defining the scope and goals of the project, and agreeing on the roles and responsibilities of both parties. Once these initial activities are completed, the OD practitioner moves on to the diagnosis phase, which involves collecting data and analyzing the results to identify areas of improvement. From there, the OD practitioner can develop and implement interventions to bring about change and improve organizational effectiveness. Evaluating the success of the interventions comes at a later stage in the OD process.

Question 4

When it comes to entering into an OD relationship, what is meant by the phrase, &#34;the problem is never the problem&#34;?&#10;A) new problems arise during the OD process&#10;B) the presenting problem may just be a symptom rather than the real problem&#10;C) the client may not reveal the problem&#10;D) OD interventions only address symptoms, not problems

Accepted Answer

The phrase "the problem is never the problem" in OD refers to the idea that the presenting problem, or what the client identifies as the issue, may just be a symptom rather than the root cause of the problem. Therefore, by examining the underlying causes and systems behind the presenting problem, a more effective intervention can be designed and implemented. A and C are incorrect because they suggest that new problems may arise or the client may not reveal the problem, which is not the same as "the problem is never the problem." D is incorrect because OD interventions aim to address underlying problems rather than just surface-level symptoms.

Question 5

When developing a contract for an OD relationship, the OD practitioner will establish agreements about all of the following except .&#10;A) clarification on the problem at hand&#10;B) mutual expectations for the services provided and expected outcomes&#10;C) time and resources available&#10;D) confidentiality

Accepted Answer

Clarification on the problem at hand is typically a part of the initial assessment or diagnostic phase of an OD intervention, not the contract development phase. The contract usually focuses on the scope of work, expectations, resources, and confidentiality agreements.

Question 6

Why is it important to identify the relevant client in the organization when entering into an OD relationship?&#10;A) there should be a good fit between the organizational decision-maker and the OD consultant&#10;B) the client will be the one to explain the problem&#10;C) OD efforts could fail if there are political struggles going on among the key decision makers&#10;D) the relevant client has access to the right data

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why is it important to identify the...

Question 7

The goal of the contracting process is&#10;A) to help the organization change&#10;B) to make a good decision about how to proceed with the OD process&#10;C) create a positive situation for the OD practitioner&#10;D) makes the organization dependent on the OD practitioner

Accepted Answer

The goal of the contracting process is to make a good decision about how to proceed with the OD process. This involves ensuring that both the organization and the OD practitioner are clear about the purpose of the intervention, the scope of work, the expected outcomes, and the roles and responsibilities of everyone involved. It is not about creating a positive situation for the practitioner or making the organization dependent on them, but rather about building a collaborative relationship that maximizes the chances of success. Similarly, while the contracting process can help the organization change, it is not its primary goal, but rather a means to achieve it.

Question 8

Contracting is typically a very formal, written process when internal OD practitioners are involved.

Accepted Answer

Internal OD (Organizational Development) practitioners often engage in less formal, sometimes verbal agreements due to their ongoing relationship and familiarity with the organization.

Question 9

What are some of the factors which could affect the dynamics of the relationship between client and practitioner?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are some of the factors which...

Question 10

When developing a contract, what are the two types of resources that must be defined.&#10;A) money and time&#10;B) essential and desirable requirements&#10;C) power and authority&#10;D) services and outcomes

Accepted Answer

When developing a contract, it is important to define the essential requirements that are necessary to fulfill the objectives of the contract, as well as the desirable requirements that would be nice to have but are not essential. While money, time, services, and outcomes may also be important resources to define in the contract, essential and desirable requirements are the two categories that must always be defined. Power and authority are not typically resources that are defined in a contract.

Question 11

Which of the following is not a step in the contracting process?&#10;A) determining what each party wants from the OD process&#10;B) estimating the time and resources that will be devoted to the OD process&#10;C) determining the change project&#10;D) determining the ground rules for working together

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is not a...

Question 12

If you are the OD practitioner entering into a contract relationship, who is your 'relevant' client?&#10;A) everyone in the organization&#10;B) individuals who are included in a survey&#10;C) everyone who contributes to the problem&#10;D) generally those who can directly impact change issues

Accepted Answer

The answer of If you are the OD practitioner entering...

Question 13

When developing an OD contract, a fundamental decision is whether or not to proceed.

Accepted Answer

The answer of When developing an OD contract, a fundamental...

Question 14

The practitioner's desire to be seen as competent may lead to the agreement to consult on a project that is beyond the practitioner's skills.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The practitioner's desire to be seen as...

Question 15

The process of entering a client system consists of&#10;A) clarifying the issue, determining the relevant client, and selecting a practitioner&#10;B) agreeing the client has a problem and determining the appropriate action plan&#10;C) walking around and getting a sense of the culture&#10;D) clarifying the issue, mapping political processes, negotiating with the client

Accepted Answer

The answer of The process of entering a client system...

Question 16

Describe how an organization might select an OD practitioner, noting what criteria are important to evaluate.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe how an organization might select an...

Question 17

The burden of responsibility for selecting an OD consultant lies entirely with&#10;A) the client organization&#10;B) the consultant&#10;C) both the client organization and the consultant&#10;D) the manager of the client organization

Accepted Answer

The answer of The burden of responsibility for selecting an...

Question 18

What activity listed below is involved when entering into an OD relationship?&#10;A) clarifying the organizational issue&#10;B) ensuring the OD intervention is large in scale&#10;C) identifying the appropriate pay scale&#10;D) reviewing what OD issues have been solved before at the organization

Accepted Answer

The answer of What activity listed below is involved when...

Question 19

How might entering into an OD relationship differ for an internal OD practitioner compared to an external OD&#10;practitioner?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How might entering into an OD relationship...

Question 20

When entering into an OD relationship, the presenting problem is&#10;A) always the most important problem facing the organization&#10;B) never the &#34;real&#34; problem&#10;C) usually very specific&#10;D) often a symptom of an underlying problem

Accepted Answer

The answer of When entering into an OD relationship, the...

Deck 4: Entering and Contracting