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Introduction
Levels of analysis - individual, group, intergroup, organizational - are frequently used as diagnostic and intervention frameworks by organization development (O.D.) practitioners. Typically, levels of analysis catalogue organizational dynamics and interventions, which an O.D. practitioner might use to understand organizational processes and construct interventions. There are some O.D. approaches which use levels in a more systematic and systemic manner. These approaches pay particular attention to issues within each level and to how each level is related to the other levels. Two such approaches are Blake and Mouton's Grid O.D. (Blake, 1997; Blake & Mouton, 1969; Blake, Mouton & McCanse, 1989) and Rashford and Coghlan's (1994) framework of organizational levels. This article outlines and compares each approach and draws lessons for organization development.
Grid Organization Development
Grid Organization Development is a structured approach to O.D. which aims at creating and implementing systematic change in organizations (Blake & Mouton, 1969; Blake, Mouton & McCanse, 1989). The goal of Grid O.D. is to use the Grid theory of leadership styles to establish candor, mutual, trust, and respect in the workplace. The theory and seminars provide a framework for identifying sound and unsound behaviors in the workplace, and create standards of excellence in teamwork. The core insight of the Grid is that the 3 Rs of people management - resources, relationships and results - are optimally managed and transformed by studying the degree of concern for results and people issues as they interact interdependently in work relationships (Blake & McCanse, 1991; McKee & Carlson, 1999). Learning begins with individual development as related to seven specific behaviors, including initiative, inquiry, advocacy, decision making, conflict resolution, resilience, and critique. The learning then progresses to intact teams and intergroup development. These first three stages of Grid O.D. lay the foundation for organization wide change by building shared assumptions and candor, decreasing resistance to change, and increasing commitment and personal stake. Organizations can then begin addressing strategic change, which occupy the second three stages of Grid O.D.. There are six programmed phases of Grid O.D.. (Figure 1)
Phase I - The Grid Seminar
The Grid seminar is a weeklong seminar in which managers and organization leaders examine their own leadership style in comparison with the Grid theory of styles. Through a series...