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Ann Howard and Associates (Eds.). Diagnosis for Organizational Change: Methods and Models. New York: Guilford Press, 1994, 299 pages, $35.00.
Reviewed by Stephen A. Lase Ph.D., Managing Director, Stephen A. Laser, Chicago, IL.
The fourth volume in SIOP's Professional Practice Series is devoted to methods and techniques of organizational diagnosis. Contributors are well-known practitioners, each with a different perspective on assessing organizational issues. The book is edited by Ann Howard and divided into three sections. The first outlines broad macro-perspectives on the topic, the second is micro-analysis focusing on the individual's role, and the final section features material on the high-involvement workplace. In the hope of generating greater appreciation and understanding of organizational diagnosis, the book attempts to illustrate how various practitioners approach diagnosis, to explore the breadth and complexity of the topic, and to offer a more integrated approach given today's changing business environment.
Examining the role of the practitioner as a diagnostic instrument, Harry Levinson begins the book with a discussion of the diagnostic process and its inherent subjectivity. This is a pragmatic offering that takes the reader from the initial signing of the contract with the client organization through to the feedback of the consultant's findings and preparation for intervention. Insights on confidentiality will be appreciated, especially in an age of increased litigation. Levinson makes a number of other important points such as the observation that the complaint presented may not be the real problem vexing the organization, that questionnaires without interviews limit the quality of the findings, and that performing work in the client organization greatly enhances understanding as well as credibility. Levinson also provides a strong caution about quick fixes and fads, which present obvious pitfalls for practitioners who wish to appear up-to-date.
The section on organizational perspectives concludes with two chapters, one on diagnostic models and the other on diagnosis for design. The former is an examination and discussion of diagnostic models for OD by one of the best known practitioners in this area, Warner Burke. He does a good job of reviewing the prominent models, which include McKinsey's 7S Framework, Weisbord's Six-Box Model, Tichy's TPC Framework, as well as his own Burke-Litwin Model. The author states that models are useful in that they help categorize data, enhance understanding...