CIPD Level 7LD01 Organizational Design Development, Assignment Example UK

An Introduction to Unit 7LD01

7LD01 Organisation Design and Development will discuss on principles of organisational design & development. In this section, the reader gets to know about organizational design and development and its effects on the organisation, as well as understand what process has to be followed which will give the structure, culture, and process of the work. It will also have implications for enabling and mobilizing employees and others in the success of implementation. This is the unit that will make you reflect on your skills, methods, and behaviour that enable efficient OD work. 

What You Will Discover 

In 7LD01 Organisational Design and Development you shall assess the evidential rationale for an organisational design and development theory and concepts. In 7LD01, you will explore the meaning and purpose of organisational design and development and reflect upon the rationale for and challenges within the organisational design of various organisational structures and their relevance in the context of the environment characterized by growing requirements for flexibility. As a part of learning in 7LD01, you will also learn about methods and approaches for organisational development and how these are relevant to organisational development goals. Moreover, you will consider people's profession in building new forms of organizations as well. Last but not least, you will also look into different responses and measures as well as approaches to change which also entails issues to do with engaging organizational employees on change.

Below is the assignment example for your CIPD level 7 unit 7LD01 Organisational Design and Development, you can take this free sample as well. This assignment example is according to your recent guidelines of CIPD qualification which is 2024-June edition. Do not take this assignment example of the 7LD01 unit as the single source of collecting your information for the assignment. 

Here are the Learning outcomes and assessment criteria of this sample solution

7LD01 Task 1: Understand the concepts and theories underpinning organisational design and development.

1.1 Critically evaluate the theoretical basis of organisational design and development.
1.2 Examine the context for organisational design and development.
1.3 Evaluate the value and impact of organisational design and development.
1.4 Evaluate key contextual variables and limitations that impact organisational design and development.

7LD01 Task 2: Understand the range of options for organisational design and how these may be implemented in practice.

2.1 Explain the factors that determine how organisational design decisions are made.
2.2. Critically discuss organisational design options within a given context.
2.3 Discuss different approaches to implementing organisational designs.2.4 Examine the implications of organisational design for the creation of high-performance work systems.

7LD01 Task 3: Understand approaches to organisational development as a means of enabling organizations to meet their goals.

3.1 Explain the rationale behind engagement with organisational development.
3.2 Evaluate different organisational development frameworks.
3.3 Assess the impact that the drivers for change have on the choice of transformation strategies.
3.4 Critically assess sources of evidence and data that support organisational development choices.

7LD01 task 4: Understand how organisational design and development contribute to effective change.

4.1. Discuss the challenges faced by practitioners when trying to implement holistic approaches to organisational development.
4.2 Examine reactions to organisational change and discuss why individuals may resist change.
4.3 Examine strategies for engaging employees with organisational design and development initiatives.
4.4. Discuss the skills and behaviours that practitioners need to be able to implement organisational design and development interventions.
Learning resources

7LD01 Assignment Task 1: Understand the concepts and theories underpinning organisational design and development.

1.1 Critically evaluate the theoretical basis of organisational design and development.

Answer: The development and design of the organisation are underpinned by several theories. The most important theories of the system are contingency theory and resource-based on the firm's firm's view.

• Frameworks of system theory provide a better understanding of how management is carried out in the organisation. This shows organisation as a complex system for making up and interacting parts that work together to achieve goals.
• Contingency theory claims that there is not a single way that can let you know how to organise the company, as the best organisational structure will also depend on the specific situation.
• The resource-based theory claims that every organisation is unique in its way and its competitive edge is going to come from the resources that they have.

The mentioned theories and any other theory are all important but when it comes to finding a single theory that has the most success rate is the system theory. This is because it is said that it provides a better understanding of a comprehensive view of the organisation as a complex system. This also promotes how different parts of the organisation should work with each other so that they can achieve better results and can achieve organisational goals more efficiently and effectively.

1.2 Examine the context for organisational design and development.

Answer: Organisation design and development is all about preparing the organisation for getting better with evolving changes and requirements of the organisation. Below are some of the major reasons why companies prefer having development projects and why they look for redesign.

1. Not having any development or designing process can limit the expansion of the organisation. If the organisation is looking to expand its business, it needs to look at redesigning, as this will help in managing and supporting growth, which will eventually ensure that the organisation can expand effectively and smoothly.
2. When companies have new goals, if they prefer achieving new goals with their old strategies and structure, it would be hard for them to achieve the aim. Redesigning strategies and developing the organisation's different parts will make the company achieve results in a better way.
3. The old structure and design of the company will hinder progress, for a company slowdown and will also affect the performance of the company. But with the help of a redesign and development company can overcome this challenge and make the company work once again at its best potential.
4. The market is always changing; there is always a change in the market ready to affect the working of any company. These changes can be due to changes in technologies or changes in regulations. The organisational structure must be flexible to adapt to these changes; otherwise, companies will be left behind.

1.3 Evaluate the value and impact of organisational design and development.

Answer: Organisational design and development is the best approach to explain things in a better way. As to how they work and how they can be optimised. It also assists the people in an organisation in knowing what they are supposed to do to enable them to meet the organisation’s objectives. Championed effectively, organisational design as well as organisational development are known to promote efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity in organisations. Yes, it may require an outlay of cash to commit to fine raw organisational design and development, but it can reap rewards. One of the more important factors that any business can face in today’s rapidly evolving business climate is the ability to rapidly adapt. That is why the number of organisations seeking assistance from specialists in organisational design and development is steadily increasing.

1.4 Evaluate key contextual variables and limitations that impact organisational design and development.

Answer: The functions of organisation structure and change are together called organisational design and
 
development (OD&D). It can also incorporate the macro perspective and the micro perspective of a particular organisation (or organisations).
Besides these ideas, there are a few major contextual limitations and things that impact OD&D. These consist of:

• This social and political environment
• Judiconomy and regulation
• Population and Societal Change
• technological evolution
• Globalization

All of these factors affect OD&D differently based on the particular organisation or the context of the playing out of OD&D. For instance, one could expect globalisation to influence the design of MNCs to a greater extent than the design of SMEs. Many of these contextual factors and constraints may significantly affect the success of an organisation, and should therefore be considered when creating or developing an organisation.

7LD01 Task 2: Understand the range of options for organisational design and how these may be implemented in practice.

2.1  Explain the factors that determine how organisational design decisions are made.

Answer: There are mainly five main factors that can determine how the organisational design must be made:

1. Strategy: This is considered the most influencing factor among all the factors of organisational structure. This reflects the strategic priorities of the organisation.
2.  Environment: The environment in which an organisation is working is another important factor that determines the organisational design. When there are rapid changes in the environment, organisational design needs to be more flexible and must have better adaptability, whereas when it comes to a stable environment organisation can look for a design that focuses more on efficiency.
3. Technology: Technology plays a big role in decision-making, as with the help of technology, you can analyse the data that you have received. When there are changes in technology, there is a need to change the organisational design as well.
4. Size and life cycle of the organisation: Another factor that determines the organisational needs is are size and life cycle of the organisation. There are different situations when a company has around 20 people and when they have more than 20,000 employees. In both cases organisation structure and design will be different from each other.
5. Culture: Culture is also a factor that determines the organisational structure and design, and this is one factor in which vice versa is also possible, as organisational design and structure can also define the culture of an organisation.

2.2. Critically discuss organisational design options within a given context.

Answer: There are numerous models available in organisational design, but the suitable strategy for any organisation would depend on the objectives. This paper provides an overview of options for organisational design that are often applied, such as matrix, functional, divisional, and networked structures. Each of these designs carries its benefits and drawbacks, and thus, it is wise to give much contemplation on which design is the most suitable for the organisation in question.

One of the most important activities in organisational design is ensuring that the structure selected is in tune with the organisational values, visions, and mission. For instance, the functional structure might be most suitable when an organisation seeks to increase the rate of production. On the other hand, it can be much more appropriate to have a somewhat more matrix-like structure if the goal of the organisation is, for example, to generate new ideas. It is also important to look at the particular environment of operation of the organisation because this may dictate the right choice of design. For instance, if an organisation operates in such a field where rules prevail, then it needs a more centralised structure.

This is a consequence of their indicating that the effects on the employees should be considered when deciding on the organization structure. For example, it is possible to understand that matrix structure is very different from a logical one and can be very hard to understand, while functional structure may create a feeling of separatism among workers.

2.3 Discuss different approaches to implementing organisational designs.

Answer:

1. Structural: This method centres on the organisational structure that one is seeking to implement and seeks to understand how to ‘blueprint’ or ‘codify’ the process, decision-making, and communication that occur in the firm.

2. Behavioural: This strategy seeks to improve the relations and the interaction between individuals and groups within an organisation by demonstrating concerns arising from how one person or team relates to the other.

3. The third is system-based, where an organisation studies the flow of work through an organisation and seeks to improve work processes by getting rid of unnecessary operations.

You are to choose ONE of the three approaches mentioned above-mentioned approaches for this assignment and apply them in the case study organisation.

You should take into account the following when putting your chosen strategy into practice:

• At the same time, specify organisational goals and objectives, which will be supported by your design.
• The specific requirements in terms of implementation means (e.g. time, money, manpower).
• The risks of the implementation strategies as well as measures of risk minimisation.
• The implementation schedule.

You are required to produce a document of your chosen approach and state why that strategy is appropriate for the case study company. It is also essential to include a detailed implementation plan showing the following: What must be done, who is going to do it, and what resources are required should also be in your report.

2.4 Examine the implications of organisational design for the creation of high-performance work systems.

Answer: There is a list of the key issues that must be taken into account in the development of an effective organisational design to support a high-performance work system.

The first and foremost requirement for the organisation is the ability to rapidly respond to changes in the environment or market. This requires it to be flexible and able to make decisions in a short amount of time, while also meeting the ever-increasing demand.
Second, the organization structure must support entrepreneurship, which refers to effective idea creation and development. Consequently, workers have to be able to act pragmatically and be willing to take risks, which means that they cannot be ’caught’ or punished for it.
Another requirement for an organisation is to achieve flexibility and precision in the work done at the same time. It must thus seek to work fast and efficiently to deliver highly quality work that does not discretionarily lose time in changing its direction.
It needs to be said that organisations that meet all of these requirements often perform better than their competitors and can maintain a level of high performance in the future. These are the most significant contingencies that need to be met if the intention is to accord a design to a high-performance work system.

7LD01 Task 3: Understand approaches to organisational development as a means of enabling organisations to meet their goals.

3.1 Explain the rationale behind engagement with organisational development.

Answer: The reason why organisational development is important and requires constant engagement is that it works to improve an organisation’s performance and culture, and there are many other reasons as well, which are mentioned below:

• Creates a positive environment: Organisational development makes employees feel valued and connected with the goal of the organisation. Organisational development involves activities like transparent communication, opportunities for professional growth, and programs that make employees feel recognised.
• Working on employee engagement: When the employees understand the organisation is going through development for their betterment, they will engage more with the organisation. Employee engagement is very important, as engaged employees work more dedicatedly and find creative and innovative ways of performing their tasks.
• Culture of continuous improvement: Organisational development also works on creating a culture of continuous improvement, as it focuses on continuous learning and adaptation to new changes, providing the organisation a competitive edge.

3.2  Evaluate different organisational development frameworks.

As with any approach to organisational development, there are advantages and disadvantages associated with each strategy. Typical strategies include:

• Top-down Approach: The top-down approach to organisational development defines an action plan at the management level and spreads it through the organisation chart. This approach is usually employed in organisations that have defined structures, such as the military or the government.
• Bottom-up Approach: This type of OD recognises all organisational members participating at the staff level, in the planning and implementation of processes. This strategy is often utilised in corporate environments where involvement, due to the subsequent encouragement of employees, is cherished.
• Outside-in Approach: Outside-in approach to organisational development involves mobilising the services of outsiders in the creation of a plan or strategy. This strategy is usually employed when an organisation requires a fresh viewpoint or when an organisation possesses few resources internally.
• Inside-out Approach: The inside-out process of OD is the process of implementing a plan or strategy from within the organisation before doing it on the outside. This strategy is often employed in organisations where there is considerable pressure for speed or where a good deal of uncertainty exists.

3.3  Assess the impact that the drivers for change have on the choice of transformation strategies.

The decision on the transformation strategy can be influenced by a variety of different forces for change, such as:

• Economic factors, such as market fluctuations, inflation, or the recession
• social factors: changes in social attitudes or demographics, for example
• technological factors, such as changes in customer communication patterns or technological advancements
• political factors: such as modifications to laws or regulations
• environmental factors: such as natural disasters or climate change

The decision on the transformation strategy may be influenced by each of these change agents in unique ways. For instance, if a company’s sales are declining, it may need to implement a cost-cutting strategy to survive. Alternatively, a company may need to adopt a growth strategy if it wants to enter new markets.

3.4 Critically assess sources of evidence and data that support organisational development choices.

Organisational development (OD), as the name suggests, is a process whereby an organisation is facilitated to work more effectively to achieve its intended goals.. This comprises change management, process improvement methodology, human resource management, and leadership development.

Organisational development decisions can therefore be supported by research and outcomes from different sources. These include case studies, focus groups, interviews, questionnaires as well and research studies. As we have seen, each of these sources has its advantages and disadvantages; thus, it is important to choose a source that is appropriate for a given situation.
 
Among the most important criteria, credibility might be identified as one of the most significant criteria to consider. Validity in this case is more specific than general, and its meaning holds the extent to which the data collected is relevant and meaningful in the study, while reliability, as used in the analysis, refers to the accuracy and stability of the findings. Another factor that should be considered is the independence of the given source. This means that it should not have any inclination and should represent facts as they were.

By taking into consideration all the above factors, you will be in a position to select the best source of evidence or data for your organisational development decisions.

7LD01 Task 4: Understand how organisational design and development contribute to effective change.

4.1. Discuss the challenges faced by practitioners when trying to implement holistic approaches to organisational development.

Answer: Below are some of the difficulties that practitioners experience whenever they attempt to implement solutions, which have integrated outlooks on organisations. A limitation is that there is a combination of different theories and approaches that are followed. Yet another issue is that they all require developing and implementing integrated programs for the organisation’s overall development. Third, one more challenge is to pay attention that change initiatives are aligned with the goals and objectives of the organisation.

There are challenges, which are associated with the use of such an all-embracing perspective of organizational development; nevertheless, such challenges can be effectively managed through the close involvement of the stakeholders to ensure the mutual appreciation of the proposed agenda of the enterprise. To promote both organizational development and thus the chances of a successful outcome, therefore, an organisation needs to adopt a multi-systems approach.

4.2 Examine reactions to organisational change and discuss why individuals may resist change.

Answer: Whenever a transformation takes place within an organisation, most of the people will not respond positively. They may have fear for what is to come, anger at how the change process is being managed, or an all-out rejection of anything new that is in their path. The knowledge of these responses and their potential impact on the change initiative is important.

Affectivity involves feelings such as fear, rage, or happiness. Affective reactions involve feelings such as anger, fear, happiness, or any other type of feeling. These may in some way influence how people feel and behave during a change. For example, fear can reduce a person’s readiness to take risks or try out new things, and that is uncomfortable. An angry person might blame others or slow up the change process.

The responses people give when facing a change are called the behavioral response. Some of these may include: high rates of truancy or tardiness, reduced production rates, or behavioural resistance to organisational change, such as the implementation of new policies.

Cognitive responses are those thoughts that people have or things that they expect about change. This may include holding the belief that the change is unnecessary or that it will not work.

To manage a change, it is very important to understand how people will react towards such a change. To pacify resistance, one needs to inform the change, involve people in the process, and provide them with what they require during the change.

4.3 Examine strategies for engaging employees with organisational design and development initiatives.

Answer: Some of the changes pointed out that occur within organisations include the following: Poor attitude toward handling change is a major cause of eradicating employee disengagement. So there is no need for organisations to develop measures to ensure that the workers remain motivated during the change process.

One of the ways of ensuring this is by ensuring that workers perceive that they are part of the change process. This can be done by making the changes regularly with the workforce and asking them what they think.

Another approach is providing them with resources and training so that they would feel ready for the changes to happen.

Last but not least, it is always important to acknowledge your staff after a change has taken place. Therefore, we get to see organisations building an engagement culture that would help execute the change processes effectively.

4.4. Discuss the skills and behaviours that practitioners need to be able to implement organisational design and development interventions.

Answer: In this paper, several skills and driver profiles are the result of the literature review, and they are all significant to successful organisational change management. These consist of:

• Communication is critical to the process of change because all stakeholders and participants have to know the change objectives and goals, and know what is expected from them about the achievement of those goals.
• Stakeholder management: Of course, the most important thing should be the agreement between all entities involved in the process. This means monitoring their needs and concerns while implementing key practices.
• Change management: For it to be a success, there must be appropriate change management that will facilitate implementation. That is, making sure that the organisation is ready for the change process, addressing those who will resist change, and assessing progress.

As it is with any project, project management is vital to guarantee that the change is implemented as planned in terms of time and cost. There is a need for leadership in the management of this change to ensure that workers are motivated and engaged in the process at all times.

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