Sustainable Organizational Development

Introduction

Having the competing edge is one of the desirable characteristics of organizations nowadays. To gain the competitiveness in the industry, organizations are looking in the strategic action that can cover the practices, standards, and organizational culture. Therefore, organizational development is created to promote the changes and improvement within the organization and among its people.

Background and Problem Statement

The key propellers of an organization are the people who work together in achieving the success. But behind this organizational philosophy, the organization still needs development to meet the long-term goal. The aim for organizational development is to keep the spirit of teamwork through communication and appropriate deployment of tasks. People within the organization must work together as a team and this idea proves that the communication is an important element inside the organization. And people are also part of the development of an organization for continuing processing of goals and in return, benefited from the positive results. However, many companies do not do well in a long run in this competitive world because there is a fear among the managers to implement new changes that are necessary for the organization. Worse, those who try to bring about a change in the organization rarely get a support from their colleagues. How will the organizational development be sustained?

Research Aim and Objectives

The main aim of the study is measure the effectiveness of organizational development within an organization. In order to provide the necessary ideas regarding this aim, there are three objectives that should be considered. First is to determine the targets, goals, and perspective of organizational change. Second is to recognize the influential factors of the successful organizational development of other organizations. And third is to identify the right approach in technology and the system that should be applied in the organization.

Literature Review

The cultural perspectives of an organization are considered as an influence in making developments. It is because, different company has their own values and beliefs in which the employees adopt these organization cultures will reflect on their work-related values (Lau and Ngo, 2001). The cultural aspect of an organization affects the operation and managerial practices, whether domestic or abroad domains. And the idea of development may change the culture that will definitely result into two possible effects, the positive and negative impacts, which both needs adjustments once organizational development is implemented. Another influence for organizational development is the firm’s reaction on the fears and passion about the views in the changing world (Emery, 2005). By this factor, the human resource system and planning must recognize the development in their own department and focus their attention between the work and the workforce (Lau and Ngo, 2001). With this focus, the human resource managers and staffs will contribute to help the employees develop their skills and become productive.

Development is expected to bring out the organization’s strengths and weaknesses. One important thing that plays a role inside the organization are the communication and cooperation to improve the interaction and meetings, jointly problem-solving, decision makings, and working with conflicts (Schmuck, 1995). The main target of organizational development is to improve the knowledge as well as the managerial styles of the leaders. The development can make the leaders push their capacity and organizational understanding through the applied coaching and mentoring techniques which involves their essential skills (Anna, et. al., 2001). Development is also considered as an investment. The power of investment in developing an organization is assessed through time, effort, knowledge, and skills (Day, et al., 2001). The effectiveness of the organizational can be seen through the employee satisfaction and product development, such as product enhancing and product innovation. The said benefits will surely reflect on the net profit of the organizational or overall performance within the industry. Another positive result of organizational development is also in the part of the management (Goodier and Eisenberg, 2006). Through their respective knowledge on work, values, and learning differences will be their strong foundation in aiming for the organizational goals.

Methodology

The method applied in the study is the use of comparative case studies which focuses in the issues of organizational development. Since development has drawn a great impact in most of the organizations, it is practical to look for the organizations who successfully or failed to implement the development in their organization. In addition, the additional features such as the adoption of technologies, technical support, training and information based developed can be also emphasized. All of the ideas are organized according to the objectives of the study.

References:

Anna, A., et al., (2001) Executive Coaching by Proxy in a Large Organization: A Leadership Development Tool. Journal of Leadership Studies, 8(1), p.61.

Day, J., et al., (2001) The Innovative Organization. The McKinsey Quarterly, p.21.

Emery, M., (2005) Brinckerhoff, Peter C. Nonprofit Stewardship: A Better Way to Lead Your Mission-Based Organization, Journal of the Community Development Society, 36(2), p.103.

Goodier, B., & Eisenberg, E., (2006) Seeking the Spirit: Communication and the (Re) development of a “Spiritual” Organization, Communication Studies, 57(1), p. 47,

Lau, C., & Ngo, H., (2001) Organization Development and Firm Performance: A Comparison of Multinational and Local Firms, Journal of International Business Studies, 32 (1), p. 95,

Schmuck, R., (1995) Process Consultation and Organization Development Today, Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 6(3), pp. 207-210.

Influence of Marketing Strategies on Organizational Performance

Introduction

Most of the business leaders thought that gaining an advantage against their competitors is enough to declare themselves as the successful organization. While other believes that they can be successful if they keep the trust and loyalty of the consumers. But without second thoughts, competitive advantage or their influence in the market are achieved is only the effects of their application of various strategies such as technological support, strong investments, organizational culture and practice, the efficiency of the suppliers, and the use of appropriate marketing strategy. All of these factors contribute in the organization’s performance.

Background and Problem Statement

Of all the years, many organizations are attempting to use the marketing as their strategic approach in terms of the competition. From the plain explanation regarding the marketing principle, it has a purpose to influence the buying behavior of the consumers by persuasion, giving information, and many other techniques all for the very one reason – to establish its effectiveness in the market. Still, the organizational leaders believe that the marketing is one of their important aspects towards success. However, what would be the appropriate marketing strategy that they can apply in order to motivate or create an effect in the performance of the organization?

Research Objectives

The first objective of the study is to determine the level of influence in application of the marketing strategies in terms of the organization’s performance. The second objective is identifying the appropriate marketing strategy that can be use by the organization which in return can possibly increase their performance. These two objectives are connected to each other wherein the benefits can be enjoyed by the organizations.

Research Questions

The study understands the need of the organization to increase their performance due to the various impacts of the financial crunch, economic recession, international market trends, and globalization. Therefore, several questions are presented to help the study meet the proposed objectives.

1. What is the basic function of marketing strategy?

2. What are the marketing techniques being applied by the organization?

3. What are the possible effects of the marketing within the organization and in the market?

Literature Review

In the formulation of an effective marketing strategy, there are several internal forces and external forces incorporated. The use of the technologies such as Internet and the World Wide Web can be considered as another innovative action on marketing. From the previous researchers, they establish the idea that the use of the e-marketing strategy delivers a significant in the performance of the firm. An approach of the organization regarding the performance varies depending on their target market and/or nature of business. If the focus of the organization is the effectiveness of the web or e-marketing, then the people can evaluate the sale volume, profitability, and market share that it created. Through that measurement, the business can either create another marketing strategy or be satisfied in the effects of the modernization (Lages, Lages, and Rita, 2004). Significantly, the organizations run to the idea of marketing to avoid the effects of the recessions which is also became their act to survive in the intense competition in the market. Firms that value the importance of marketing in their system became proactive and beginning to pull the strategic plans. Through the usual marketing segmentation, positioning and branding, and marketing communications, the strategy became favorable and helpful in generating the customer loyalty. The breakthrough actions of the organization will result not only in a superior market performance, but also in giving superior value to their consumers (Srinivasan, Rangaswamy, and Lilien, 2005).

The effects of the marketing, according to the previous studies, can be reflected on the firm’s performance. The appropriate marketing strategy relevantly creates impact in making process towards the competence and develops a relationship in the organizational culture (Sung-Joon and Sung-Ho, 2005). The benefits of the marketing activities in the business reflect in the strength of the industry to eliminate or at least minimize the effects of various challenges. The influence of marketing activities can be part of the culture of the organization can be basis for the actions that the leaders will create in the future (Krohmer, Homburg, and Workman, 2002).

Methodology

The proposed method of the study is the use of the secondary information. The method allows the study to measure the effectiveness of the various marketing that are mostly applied by the organizations. In addition, the secondary information can create the conceptual framework or trends in marketing which is best applied most especially in the issues of modernization.

References:

Krohmer, H., Homburg, C., & Workman, J., (2002) “Should Marketing be Cross-Functional? Conceptual Development and International Empirical Evidence”, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 55, Accessed 17 March 2010, from https://people.creighton.edu/~jpw60034/Research/JBR%202002%20Should%20Mktg%20be%20Cross-Functional.PDF

Lages, C., Lages, L.F., & Rita, P., (2004). “The Relationship between E-Marketing Strategy and Performance”: A Conceptual Framework in a Web Context, Accessed 17 March 2010, from http://fesrvsd.fe.unl.pt/WPFEUNL/WP2004/wp446.pdf

Srinivasan, R., Rangaswamy, A., & Lilien, G., (2005) “Turning Adversity into Advantage: Does Proactive Marketing during a Recession Pay Off?” International Journal of Research in Marketing, Vol. 22, Accessed 17 March 2010, from http://www.geileon.com/LilienRangaswamyMarketingRecession.pdf

Yoon, S., & Lee, S., (2005) “Market-Oriented Culture and Strategy: Are They Synergistic?”, Marketing Bulletin, Vol. 16, Art. 4. Accessed 17 March 2010, from http://marketing-bulletin.massey.ac.nz/V16/MB_V16_A4_Yoon.pdf

Organizational Development

Executive Summary

An organization is nothing without its people, because the people are the propeller of the organization to gain success. The team behind an organization still needs development to pursue the goals of the organization. The main aim of an organization development is to make things possible by sorting the essential parts from the other and develop it until it reached the best results.

Organization development is meant for keeping the spirit of teamwork through the communication and appropriate deployment of task. As the propellers of an organization, the connection between them is important to keep the organization keep on going. The team is subject to various situations that might lead the organization to slow down that’s why as a team, the people should work in every issue as one. The people are also part of the development in processing the goals of an organization to realize the outcomes and positive results.

Introduction

It is natural in the organization to experience different kind of problems that can reflect in the organization. But the people in the organization should create adjustments and solutions to answer such difficulties in the organization. The problems might come in different range or aspect and these problems should be matched with appropriate solution as soon as possible to avoid the complicated situations. The people or the teams in an organization are the foundation in developing actions.

The team is committed to produce the ideas that can invite the possible outcome in making such decisions. The measurement of possibilities is so vast and it is in the ability of the people to see one certain and best possibility. With the right knowledge and skills, the people can contribute in handling different situations. The ideas that these people can craft can be the basis for the future use.

Study Background and Importance

The faster growth, high standards of living, and making new opportunities are the inclination of the globalization’s benefits. There are many challenges that a business must face before determining the stage of success, which depends on the expanding access of the opportunities for globalization, according to Annan (2001).

Many company compete the market globalization to retain the business’s life and improve in any aspect if it is possible. Many developmental strategies are created over the years, and it is expected to develop more in the years to come. As the propeller of the company, the activities they perform to meet the needs of company, like brainstorming and making the decisions. It is important that these people understands the consistent problems that might surprise them, and eventually create solutions.

Organization Development and Cultural Influence

Organizational Development or OD is a strategy to make a change in terms of attitudes, structure, values, and beliefs within the organizations. This is intentionally done to create an easy access or have a higher level of adaptation upon the introduction of new technologies, challenges involved, and markets that will make an acceptable improvement in the latter part of the development. There are influences involved about the organization development. The national culture of the company affects the operation and managerial practices, whether domestic or abroad domains. Lau and Ngo (2001) acknowledged the cultural perspectives of each company’s values and beliefs that exerting a strong influence on the organization’s systems and work-related values among the individuals.

The Revolving Development Difficulties

Thompson, et al., (1998) discussed the conditions in determining the proper timing for the development interaction. The development should recognize the need for a business strategy to increase complexity management; it should open the skill and career training structure and other labor market opportunities as an aid for recruitment; and the presence of inhibiting factors that approaches the recruitment, learning, and career development among the people and the systems. The people on the organization must coordinate in the organization development that can create a great impact. The people should control the difficulties that might appear for the development, like making the training intense.

Organizational Attitudes

Many ideas, tools, and suggestions try to challenge the leader of the industry, of both non-profit and profit based business. The people should develop the attitudes toward the organization and making it successful in answering the need for change or whole development. The change or development is only a reaction through the fears or passion with regards to the changing world views, this insight is given by Emery (2005).

Usage of Organization Development

According to Lau and Ngo (2001), the human resource system planning receives most of the attention between the works or task related interventions. And because of this, the part of the human resource to make the people more productive is the main focus to craft solutions in the problems through their communication and cooperation.

The Process Goals of Organization Development

The development entails the building of organizational strengths and weaknesses, as well as determining the steps to overcome the hindrances. This could only be done by clarifying the communication system among the people, improving the interaction and meetings, jointly problem-solving or/and decision makings, and through working with the conflicts, as suggested in the works of Schmuck (1995). This is because, people plays an essential role in the organization. The people or the team must collaborate with the each other to craft a more desirable solutions and decisions.

Methods

With the relation to organization development, Thomson, et al., (1998) identified the structural variables through the research he and the fellow authors conducted, the conventional way and the perception approach contributed the results in measuring the effects of OD in the management. On the other hand, their study showed the main dependent variable, which is the amount of training that can be also carried out the sides of development.

In identifying the problems that revolves around the organization deserves to have possible solutions in the most accurate way. And knowing the solutions needed, it is important that a good training among the people or the whole team should be employed. The amount of training that an individual needs should be based in time, system, and technology. The training should also involve various assessments that can measure the effectiveness in taking the training methods. The training is also the kind of preparing the team in facing the problems that might occur in business cycle.

Action Research

The people must determine the importance of action research for a continuous central-feature of the organization development activities. The transformation of group toward the objectives and goals is worth the capacity to work and help each other in term of work-related problems.

In the work of Watkins (2000), the action research does not only be effective in the present purpose. The use of the records form the past years can suggests the possible solutions for future action. It can also be the measure in appointing the old or the new organization development and weigh its validity in the time it can be use again.

The Organization Development Practices

The development practices will take effect on the people or team because this target will make improvements in their knowledge and managerial styles. The joint study of Lau and Ngo (2001) stated the dimension of OD. The target level of change is within the people whether individual workers, workforce group, and the management team. Meanwhile, the nature of change comes along with the task and orientation activities among the people of the organization.

The favorable outcome when it reached the key people is the involvement of essential skills, technique, and qualities of a leader can help them deal in different face of situation. Anna, et al., (2001) describes that the development can make the leaders push their capacity and extend their organizational understanding through the coaching techniques that may imply in the development. The financial constraint is a problem that can limit the development aim fort the leaders. But if the call for this development happened, the effectiveness can be seen in the climate analyses and action plans of the managers.

Separate and Integrate

There are various aspects that the organizational departments are better when taken separately or otherwise, jointly. It depends on how the department will work together. The mixture of corporate capital, commitment, talent or skill, or elaborative ideas can either fail or succeed the managerial aspect at times where the business is trying to gain recovery from the past challenges.

Day et al., (2001) assessed the power of investment with regards to the future outcome of development. The assessment explained that if the investment in terms of time, effort, knowledge, and skills, which is being placed in a freezing state while the development, is transforming the whole the organization. The people will take their part in recognizing several problems that might plagued the organization.

Kurt Lewin showed the stages in which the change can happen. by including the three steps which is the unfreezing, changing, and refreezing. It explains through the use of planning, action, and results. The main idea is by planning to change the traditional organizational structure by breaking it down into pieces and examining the essential parts. The people in the organization can use this model in creating the set of solutions that might be appropriate in answering the problems that are present in the organization. Together with a good analysis, the plans to answer the problems can be established.

Emphasizing the people in the organization, the recognition of connections should start by learning the communication between the different concepts of organization. The concept of organization serves as the beginning of understanding the different disciplines in business and communication according to the work of Francis (2004).

Organization Development Outcomes and Benefits

Certain improvement is expected especially in the people who are taking their part in the organization and the same team that will feel directly the outcomes. Taking again the study of Lau and Ngo (2001), it elaborated the possible outcomes of the development in an organization.

The first is through the measurement of employee satisfaction. It can be only be happen when it is best worked out the interventions done by the human resource system and planning, or individual and work group relations. The second outcome measures the new product development and the net profit could be the third which is obviously reflecting the financial performance of the business.

According to the study of Goodier and Eisenberg (2006), the effectiveness can also be in the part of the management. The people in the managing department can acknowledge the work of others, learning the differences, and respecting it in return. The sense of wholeness and purpose can serve the strong foundation of the organizations existence.

Conclusion

Through the people, the organization will meet positive expectations in terms of the business. Although there are instances that might affect the activities of the team, the focus and attention cannot be easily diverted on different things that might distract the objectives, values, and mission of the organization.

A good communication is the ultimate step in gaining trust with the other team member. With trust, the respect is established and the collaboration or the essence of teamwork will be given justice. As the team working together in harmony has a more advantage in taking their part in the organization. The meeting will be held accordingly to the organization’s objectives, commits well in achieving the mission, and leading the organization’s success through the vision.

References:

Anna, A., et al., 2001. Executive Coaching by Proxy in a Large Organization: A Leadership Development Tool. Journal of Leadership Studies, 8(1), p.61.

Annan, K., 2001. Development without Borders. Harvard International Review,23(2), p. 84.

Day, J., et al., (2001). The Innovative Organization. The McKinsey Quarterly, p.21

Emery, M., 2005. Brinckerhoff, Peter C. Nonprofit Stewardship: A Better Way to Lead Your Mission-Based Organization. Journal of the Community Development Society, 36(2), p.103.

Francis, R., 2004. The Expressive Organization. Business Communication Quarterly, 67(3), p. 368.

Goodier, B., & Eisenberg, E., (2006). Seeking the Spirit: Communication and the (Re)development of a “Spiritual” Oragnization. Communication Studies, 57(1), p. 47.

Lau, C., & Ngo, H., 2001. Organization Development and Firm Performance: A Comparison of Multinational and Local Firms. Journal of International Business Studies,32 (1), p. 95.

Schmuck, R., 1995. Process Consultation and Organization Development Today. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 6(3), pp. 207-210.

Thomson, A., et al., 1998. The Determinants of Management Development: Choice or Circumstance? International Studies of Management and Organization, 28(1), p. 91.

Watkins, K., 2000. Learning by Changing: Action Science and Virtual Organization Development. Adult Learning, 11(3), p.20.