SECTION A
Question 1
Read the case scenario below and answer the questions.
A Work-Out Meeting at General Electric Medical Systems Business
As part of the large-scale change effort, former CEO Jack Welch and several
managers at General Electric devised a method for involving many organization
members in the change process. Work-Out is a process for gathering the relevant
people to discuss important issues and develop a clear action plan. The program has
four goals: to use employees' knowledge and energy to improve work, to eliminate
unnecessary work, to build trust through a process that allows and encourages
employees to speak out without being fearful, and to engage in the construction of an
organization that is ready to deal with the future.
At GE Medical Systems (GEMS), internal consultants conducted extensive interviews
with managers throughout the organization. Many challenges were revealed.
Employees expressed dissatisfaction with existing systems, some quoted that they
were frustrated and that they need help on how to delegate and operate on the new
culture. In addition to the interviews, Jack Welch spent some time at GEMS
headquarters listening to and trying to understand the issues facing the organization.
Based on the information compiled, about 50 GEMS employees and managers
gathered for a five-day Work-Out session.
The participants included the group executive who oversaw the GEMS business, his
staff, employee relations managers, and informal leaders from the key functional areas
who were thought to be risk takers and who would challenge the status quo. Most of
the work during the week was spent unravelling, evaluating, and reconsidering the
structures and processes that governed work at GEMS. At the end of the week, the
senior management team listened to the concerns, proposals, and action plans from
the different teams. The five-day GEMS session ended with individuals and functional
teams signing close to a hundred written contracts to implement the new processes
and procedures or drop unnecessary work.
QUESTIONS
1.1 On which model/intervention is the Work-Out process based? Motivate your
answer.
(4)
1.2 At which level is intervention applicable?
(2)
1.3 Discuss the application stages of this intervention. Relate your answer to the
case scenario.
(20)
QUESTION 2
As an organisation development consultant you will be expected to resolve
dysfunctional intergroup conflict. What is the procedure that you are going to follow
according to Blake and his associates?
(20)
2