| Management development is a major part of | | | | strangers so certain difficulties were faced when |
| what is called organisation development. This is | | | | trying to introduce the technique to an established |
| the process of examining a company | | | | organisation such as a family. The training groups |
| infrastructure from a point of behavioural science | | | | were seen as relatively safe and controlled |
| and then affecting positive change within the | | | | environments with group members having no |
| organisation. There are many techniques used | | | | history or feelings of any magnitude toward each |
| such as psychometric testing, surveys, | | | | other. |
| competency frameworks and management | | | | Management development is an important part of |
| development. The definition of organisation | | | | organisational development. A case study of a |
| development is a contractual agreement between | | | | medical centre showed the three tier system in |
| a sponsoring organisation and a change agent to | | | | pointing toward the need for management |
| improve organizational performance. | | | | development. The entire organisation was |
| Pre World War II there was a man named Kurt | | | | assessed by a consultant acting as a change |
| Lewin who worked at the University of Michigan | | | | agent who collected data from every member of |
| and experimented with a collaborative change | | | | the organisation. The data in the form of surveys |
| process with training groups. These training groups | | | | and competency evaluations was then analysed |
| were not like an actual company organisation, | | | | and the results relayed. |
| they were groups of people who met for | | | | The data showed three major problems with the |
| experimental purposes without a set agenda. | | | | route cause being a management issue. The |
| They would be given a hypothetical scenario and | | | | manager was shying away from making large |
| asked to respond in a natural way based on what | | | | decisions leaving inaction and confusion between |
| was labelled as, the here and now. | | | | administrative staff causing them to blame and |
| Lewin died in 1947 however the department | | | | resent their fellow colleagues. Management |
| continued the work on based on the three stage | | | | development is not only the identification of this |
| process of implementing collaborative change; | | | | problem but to affect positive change on the |
| planning, taking action and measuring results. The | | | | individual. |
| training simulation would work by reviewing | | | | This can come in the form of a psychometric |
| individual group member reactions to any given | | | | test where an individual completes an assessment |
| scenario and identifying the problems. These | | | | of their personality and the results are analysed |
| problems included leadership, self serving, | | | | to establish where their strengths lie. Also in a |
| communication, status and group structure. | | | | competency survey then positive change can be |
| The action stages were to train group members | | | | affected by retraining or sometimes just |
| in listening, observing others, focussing on a | | | | highlighting the issue in question. The three stages |
| common goal as opposed to personalities and | | | | of management development are sometimes |
| other techniques that would lead to effective | | | | known as unfreezing, changing and refreezing. |
| group functionality. The groups were based on | | | | |