Od Action Research (Step Wise Example)

Step -1 : Top management perception of the problem
Company ABC grew from 20 people to 500 in the past 3 years. Recently, the company developed from being regionally based to becoming a national organisation, with three divisions and four corporate service groups. These subgroups comprised seventeen people from four areas: delivery services, sales support, production planning and invoicing. There were three team leaders. The sub groups were reluctant to get together. There was frustration; unmet expectations and negativity between the different teams. Some team members felt special and others felt invisible, and this is causing friction and reduced effectiveness in the organisation.

Step -2 : Consultation with Behavioural Science Consultant
At this point the consultant was called upon to suggest and work out the solution seeking the following outcomes from the project:
• To develop a happy and functional team so that staff want to come to work
• That staff cope well with the changes ahead including the shared physical environment
• Staff are comfortable with each other and understand their different responsibilities, and deliver to both internal and external customers
• That staff support each other as a new team.

Step -3 : Data gathering & preliminary diagnosis of the problem
Knowing that some of these people have worked together for a number of years it was difficult to understand the reported negativity and reluctance to get together. Consultant suggested exploring the existing network of relationships and the informal lines of communication.
A series of discussions with team members were held to discover their way of thinking, and some of the skills, experience and attributes they are bringing to the new team.

Step -4 : Feedback to the key clients or client group
The meetings were lively and open. Staff wanted to see five outcomes achieved:

• Clear definition of responsibilities – “the grey areas to be defined, especially where it’s