WHAT IS THE DIAGNOSIS?
Diagnosis is an experiential activity that involves a group of people from a company or institution interested in proposing solutions to problematic or conflictive situations, submitting to a self-analysis that should lead to a concrete action plan that allows solving the problematic situation.
The bases of the Organizational Diagnosis is that like people, companies or institutions must undergo periodic examinations to identify possible problems before they become serious.
These periodic examinations constitute a control system that allows optimizing the operation of companies or institutions. When the problems in the operation of the company are identified, actions arise through a diagnosis aimed at their elimination or reduction that together constitute an important part of operational planning.
We must note that in a diagnosis the behavior of the system is being evaluated. In the same way that a doctor examines a patient and mentally compares it with the functioning of a healthy person. An organizational diagnosis is not necessarily the required Starting Point of a planning process, since it is necessary to know where we are before deciding where we want to go and how we should get to that point.
The main objective of the Diagnosis is to quantify the current state of maturity of the organization with the national or international standards that the company should handle, identifying in a quick, precise and concise way the potential areas of development in it.
The areas that are evaluated in an organization are:
Administration
Manuals and documents
Production
Good manufacturing practices
Industrial Security
Logistics
Human Resources
Systems
Finance
Commercialization
Functioning of the Organizational Diagnosis
One of the fundamental ideas on which the Organizational Diagnosis is based is that in an organization it is common for its members to be aware of the partial manifestations of a problem (symptoms) and that a synthesis process (diagnosis) is necessary to identify the problem in a clear way that allows proposing solutions (therapy).
There are 3 Factors in an Organizational Diagnosis that are important both to determine the problem and to provide solutions:
1.- The situation of the company within the context of its industrial branch.
2.- The position of companies in the life cycle of organizations.
3.- The organizational style that prevails in the social system of the company.
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF THE DIAGNOSIS
| ADVANTAGE | |
| • | When applied, a group spirit awakens |
| • | It is participatory |
| • | People feel committed to solutions |
| • | Gives a logical structure to the problem |
| • | It is a very time and resource efficient way to find problems |
| • | It allows to know the operational processes where it is necessary to start working urgently and achieve immediate improvement |
| • | Provides data to structure a temporary planning, until the new direction, objectives of the organization are set and changes are implemented in the systems and processes of the organization |
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As a methodology it is very clear and contains elements that can
be combined with other methodologies to create particular, more efficient approaches |
| DISADVANTAGES | |
| • | The normative model is never specified and may be different for different people |
| • | Not all social groups are ready for these kinds of interactions |
| • | Defining problems awakens expectations of solution |
| • | May cause interpersonal conflict |
| • | Can be manipulated |
DIAGNOSTIC BENEFITS
Obviously when applying the Diagnosis in an organization, the first thing that is expected is to obtain benefits, according to the situation that the diagnosis is required and according to the type of diagnosis that is applied, benefits will be obtained in the short or medium term, however, when end of the road benefits can be generalized for all types of organization and for all types of diagnosis as follows:
Awareness of the current state of the company in a globalized environment.
Identification of potential areas for organizational development.
Comparative qualification of the different areas of the organization against high category companies.
Create elements of analysis for the development of future plans.
Creates the bases for the development of Benchmarking and for the development of Management Indicators.
HOW DOES IT APPLY?
As in any Participatory System, the process is as important as the result, since the group spirit generated and the knowledge of the opinions and problems of other components of the organization are benefits that are almost as important as that of identifying and solving problems.
The general Organizational Diagnosis procedure consists of the following steps:
- Selection of the Working Group Training of the Working Group Generation of Individual Symptoms Generation of the Collective List Process of Synthesis and Generation of Problems Classification of Problems Proposal of Solutions Generation of Action Plan
GROUP SELECTION (PHASE 1)
A group of people with the following characteristics is selected:
With knowledge of the system.
That it is representative of the components of the system.
That includes people with decision-making power.
This group should not be more than 20 people, or include more than three hierarchical levels.
WORK GROUP TRAINING (PHASE 2)
This group must go through training that teaches:
Speak one's mind.
Respect the ideas of others.
Analyze the ideas for their own value.
INDIVIDUAL LIST (PHASE 3)
Each person's list of system symptoms:
Revealing phenomenon of a disease.
Sign or indication of something that is going to happen.
Manifestation of altered functions.
COLLECTIVE LIST (PHASE 4)
A list of symptoms for everyone in the group:
Say the symptoms at the same time sequentially.
We must listen to the partner.
We must speak without any influence.
Be specific.
Avoid getting defensive.
In general, take it in order, respect and without rivalry.
SYNTHESIS AND DEFINITION OF PROBLEMS (PHASE 5)
Misinterpreting a system should be avoided.
Select well the people involved in this process.
Three methods that are useful in defining problems:
Grouping Synthesis (Due to the experience of the problems).
Synthesis by Structuring (Due to its nature of problems).
Synthesis by Subsystems.
CLASSIFICATION AND HIERARCHIZATION OF PROBLEMS (PHASE 6)
Presentation of the problems to the group, and definition of the problems and the problems are structured in order of importance.
SOLUTION APPROACH (PHASE 7)
Divide and give responsibility for problems to subgroups:
Question Objectives.
Question Concrete Actions.
GENERATION OF AN ACTION PLAN (PHASE 8)
Responsible parties, the time and budget necessary to implement the actions are defined. Regular meetings are held to review progress in solving problems.
CLASSIFICATION OF DIAGNOSIS
As mentioned above, each organization has different diagnostic requirements because each problem depends on different variables that vary according to the type, size and functions of each organization, for this reason three types or diagnostic modules have been differentiated that will be applied in according to the requirements of each company, these are: General Diagnosis Module, Specific Diagnosis Module (also called Operational Diagnosis) and Strategic Diagnosis Module.
GENERAL DIAGNOSIS MODULE.
Weaknesses in the financial apparatus of the organization and operational processes that require immediate attention are determined in a macro way.
The first aspect that must be taken into account to apply this type of diagnosis is to inform and train the directors and executives of the company regarding the diagnosis plan, then a work group is structured in which key employees of the areas of the company directed or coordinated by external advice. Once the working groups have been formed, the financial information of the company and each operational area of the same are evaluated to determine the analysis method to apply and issue a diagnosis or evaluation by each working group. The information provided by the working groups will be analyzed by the audit element and will indicate the measures to be taken to solve the problems that become evident after the preliminary diagnosis,generally a work schedule is created in which the tasks and activities to be carried out by each work group are specified as well as the objectives they pursue.
In general, a simple outline can define the steps that must be followed to apply the General Diagnosis to an organization:
1.- Obtaining data.
2.- Data cleaning.
3.- Hierarchy of problems.
4.- Prioritization of hierarchical problems.
5.- Total problem weight.
6.- Determination of critical areas.
7.- Sequence for reengineering.
SPECIFIC DIAGNOSTIC MODULE
(OPERATIONAL DIAGNOSIS).
It is the implementation of dashboards of productivity indicators in the areas of business administration of:
- Management Control, Production Management, Operations Administration, etc.
Based on the comparison of indicators, the productive situation of the company can be evidenced and a suitable planning to reach the production standards that benefit the organization can be quickly and effectively determined, the steps to follow to carry out the operational diagnosis are:
1.- The company managers select the priority processes for the diagnosis.
2.- Staff are disseminated and trained regarding the objectives and steps of the operational diagnosis.
3.- A working group is structured to prepare the diagnosis. These working groups must be made up of those responsible for the operation of the processes that are being analyzed.
4.- The diagnostic method is executed using the necessary tools in accordance with the information available to the company.
5.- The necessary indicators are selected and applied to prepare the specific diagnosis, as well as to measure the results and compare them with what is sought.
6.- The periodic report of evaluation of the results of the company is prepared and presented permanently to the managers to make decisions, control their progress and comply with the established schedules.
7.- The progress of the changes is evaluated according to the established standards to provide feedback on the diagnosis.
OPERATIONAL DIAGNOSTIC MODULE.
In times of crisis, more work must be done and the issues are more urgent. This can cause you to lose perspective on the health of the business as a whole. Acting exclusively on the problems of the day causes working without a vision of the future. Plans are stopped and discouragement appears . In difficult moments is when it is most necessary to observe the strengths and weaknesses of the situation to set clear objectives where to concentrate all possible efforts. The operational diagnosis is responsible for carrying out this analysis without hindering the activities of the organization quickly and objectively in order to define the areas on which it should reinforce to obtain an advantage over competitors.
characteristics
The work is carried out within a maximum period of 20/25 calendar days.
The method includes personal interviews, questionnaires and analysis of formal documentation of the organization.
The objective is to determine in which areas or sectors their resources should be concentrated to improve their efficiency and competitiveness.
Defining the current state and the objectives in the short and medium term, we will help you to set the strategies to follow.
Key advantages
- Complete evaluation of current management Opportunities to take advantage of Weaknesses to overcome Possible objectives in the short and medium term Possible strategies
THE DIAGNOSIS AS A STAGE OF THE ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
Organizational development technology consists of a rapidly increasing number of techniques and methods that emerged from the behavioral sciences. DO does not intend to limit itself to solving specific and current problems, but to develop new organizational learning and new ways of facing and dealing with problems. It aims to improve the means of interaction between the technical, administrative and personal - cultural systems, as well as the means through which the organization relates to the external environment.
Organizational Development technology is basically oriented towards new ways of approaching organizational matters. In this sense, Organizational Development constitutes a process that consists of three stages: data collection, organizational diagnosis and intervention itself.
1.- Data Collection: It covers the determination of the nature and availability of the necessary data, as well as the methods usable in the collection. The collection and analysis of data is one of the most difficult activities of the DO. It understands techniques and methods to describe the organizational system, the relationships between its elements and subsystems and the ways to identify the most important problems and issues.
2.- Organizational Diagnosis: It is oriented mainly to the problem solving process. Problem analysis in OD encompasses various techniques related to identifying concerns and consequences, setting priorities, and dealing with purposes and objectives. It also involves the generation of alternative strategies and the development of plans for their implementation. He pays considerable attention to the development and verification of new approaches to solving organizational problems and preparing the system for change.
Organizational diagnosis can have various origins:
- The natural process of growth of the organization The natural process of deterioration of the organization The company has decided to face the problem of productivity and quality The organization has undergone major changes, for example, innovation, adaptation to new situations and technological challenges, etc. The increase in the complexity of the organization's environment demands a corresponding change in the organization's own complexity. The organization requires knowing its own culture, etc.
3.- Intervention: There is a very large number of techniques available for the implementation phase of the OD process. A response has been developed for each common concern that repeatedly arises in organizations. The inventory of these techniques is wide and varied. The intervention action can be carried out through sensitivity training or laboratory methods, even through the formation of groups and intergroups, etc. The intervention is a phase of the OD process that can be defined as a planned action that must be executed after the diagnostic phase.
Obtaining data or diagnosing is a way of “intervening” in the system, which can have a profound impact on the organizational culture. It is necessary to choose the most appropriate intervention for the situation that you want to apply to a specific organizational problem. However, the intervention is not the final phase of OD, but a stage capable of facilitating the process, which must be continuous.
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ORGANIZATIONAL DIAGNOSIS TOOLS
A management system for quality requires the use of various techniques and tools for correct decision-making and the achievement of objectives. It involves the united and determined participation of all personnel, from Senior Management, Middle Management, to employees and operators.
On the other hand, the tools work only with raw material, for this we will take the data, which are mainly divided into two: verbal and statistical.
Verbal data is descriptive data just like statistical data; the information that is generated based on experience and knowledge, which are also organized for a certain purpose; the important thing is to have descriptive information and organize it to separate facts from simple opinions.
The tools that we will focus on are administrative tools, which were developed mainly to use verbal data and come from conventional methods used in other fields. The committee that developed them in Japan studied more than 30 tools selected from different creativity and management techniques; such as operations research, human development, etc. After the trial and error process and based on the experience gained in different companies, the seven Total Quality administrative tools were established, all improved and according to a goal. These tools are the following:
1. Affinity diagram 2. Relationship diagram 3. Matrix diagram 4. Variation matrix analysis 5. Tree diagram 6. Programmed decision process graphs (GPDP) 7. Arrow diagram
The Affinity Diagram was created based on the "KJ method" developed by Jiro Kawakita and is essentially a method of intuition, it involves generating ideas by sudden inspiration and then grouping them by related topics (similar or analogous). It is used in the following cases:
- Clarify the state or situation that should be Identify and define the basic problem (this is where guidelines are given to see if we are going to attack the problem from the root or very superficially) Organize the thinking of a group and clarify its tendency Organize and direct the experience of a group towards the solution of a specific problem
The Relationship Diagram is basically a method of logical induction that allows clarifying the causes and their relationships to identify, confirm and select the most important root causes that affect a problem under analysis.
It is used to solve complicated problems within a company, establishing and clarifying the interrelationships between different causes that affect the same result. It helps us to find causes that the cause - effect diagram could not find, or would be very difficult to find. This diagram makes it possible to establish the relationship between a "thorn" of another factor with the "thorn" of another factor in the same cause - effect diagram, allowing the analysis of the problem to be better organized.
The Matrix Diagram is a method to guarantee verbal data in order to establish conclusions to solve or prevent problems, through relating different factors or elements of certain advances. It is a data table that shows the relationship between the different elements of two events or aspects, arranging them in columns and rows in the form of a matrix. This allows analyzing the relationship and type that exists between these elements in order to draw conclusions based on their intersections.
The Matrix Analysis of Variations is a method whose purpose is to identify and select potential causes to prevent problems or ensure results of a process or system. It consists of relating the different variations of a process in the form of a matrix. In other words, build a matrix of variations. This matrix is an indispensable tool to identify key variations in the different phases of a process and thus be able to provide you with the necessary control to ensure quality.
The Tree Diagram is a method of defining the means to achieve an end goal or objective (topic). It involves developing a goal in a series of multi-stage media: Primary media, secondary media, etc. and specific actions. In the problem analysis and solution process it is basically used to define and organize effective corrective actions to eliminate the causes of a certain problem in order to prevent its recurrence.
The Process Chart of Programmed Decisions is a method of logic that is used to predict the future, emphasizing unwanted situations during the realization of an event, to design it and direct it towards a desirable result.
This method was invented by Dr. Jiro Kondo. It is essential to apply it to all Quality Control and quality improvement activities, especially in research and development, sales department and administrative areas or internal services. It has two main uses:
- It is used to achieve an objective through establishing and making the appropriate decisions, enriching the plan in the design stage of an event related to the company To define logical and concrete measures in order to eliminate undesirable situations, deliberating on the activities to follow to achieve a certain result for the company
The Arrow Diagram is essential for long-term projects, such as companies that are dedicated to building and developing new products as well as preparing events that require several participants and the execution of various jobs. At the same time, the method allows to analyze the progress of the project according to its schedule to improve or reduce the total time and thus be able to optimize the work.
It is used to make optimal programming to carry out a plan and monitor your progress effectively. This method uses arrows to indicate the sequence of work necessary to follow to develop a program through a network, controlling the process during its development.
ANALYSIS MODELS
Diagnostic models are operational models of organizations; indicate the variables considered key to a better understanding of the organizational task. They try to reveal the operation of the organizations, in order to allow the eventual failures that could be found in specific organizations to become known.
Contingency Model. (Lawrence and Lorsch)
This conceptual framework gives great importance to the relationship of the organizational system with its environment: to the contingency of the encounter between organization and environment. The organization specializes parts of themselves in their relationship with parts of the environment (differentiation), as a way of acting to reduce the complexity of their environment. These organizational subsystems may be more or less different from each other, but a force is required to keep the organization functioning as a single entity.
Mintzberg and the "Five Structure"
Henry Mintzberg has been developing a model, the starting point of which is quite similar to that of Lawrence and Lorsch. Mintzberg thinks that the design of the structure must take into account both the internal harmony of the organization and the situation of the organization in the environment.
This author estimates that an organization can be divided into five parts or five organizational models that try to respond to the demands of internal harmony and adaptation to situational or environmental conditions:
| PARTS | MODELS |
| Strategic Summit: Senior management is located. | Simple Structure: Direct supervision, in which the most important part is the strategic top. |
| Middle Line: It is made up of managers. | Divisional Form: Based on the standardization of products or services. |
| Operational Core: They are the operators, who carry out the work of producing the products and services of the organization. | Professional Bureaucracy: This configuration is based on the standardization of skills and knowledge of the workers. |
| Technical Structure: It is made up of experts dedicated to the standardization of work. | Mechanical Bureaucracy: Its basis is in the standardization of work processes. |
| Support Staff: All units that offer indirect services to the rest of the organization are located. | Adhocracy: Its foundation is mutual adjustment. The key part is the support staff, sometimes linked to the operational nucleus. |
Hax and Majluf model.
The work of Hax and Majluf is primarily aimed at developing a pragmatic approach to strategic management, from which a model for organizational design can be derived that has a clear utility for the diagnosis and analysis of organizations.
According to Hax and Majluf, if you want to design an organization, it is convenient to follow the following steps:
1.- Define a basic organizational structure.
2.- Detailed definition of the organizational structure.
3.- Create a balance between the organizational structure and the processes that accompany it: planning, management control, communication and information, and the human resources and rewards systems.
Symptoms that reveal improper structure:
Lack of opportunities for executive development.
- Lack of time for strategic thinking Conflictive work environment Lack of definition in business planning Lack of coordination between divisions Excessive duplication of functions in the different units of the organization Excessive dispersion of functions in one unit of the organization Organization Low profit performance and low return expectations.
The organization's strategy must be supported by its culture.
The culture offers the identity of the organization and guarantees the transmission of the beliefs shared by the members of the organization to the new participants in it.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK APPLIED IN DIAGNOSIS
We have seen three different models. A characteristic shared by all of them is that they attach great importance to environmental factors in defining organizational traits.
However, a model can be made by the consultant himself, in order to guide his work of evaluative analysis of the organizational development. Following is a list of concepts that can be chosen to build a diagnostic model. Organization environment: An organization cannot be understood abstractly, regardless of its environment. Environmental variables have great importance in the constitution of the organizational system, in the forms that its power processes, motivational communications, etc. can take.
Organizational culture and culture: Organizational configurations are characterized by their identity, as are the particularities of each organization. The culture of the society in which the organization is inserted must also be considered, since it will allow, hinder, or prevent specific modes of organizational relationship.
Structure: Variables are grouped under this heading that allow the organization's profile to be viewed.
Communications: Like any social system, an organization is constituted through communications. It is central to diagnose the communicational system of the organization under study, because from it the main problems of this can be known.
Power, authority and leadership: Formal power and emergent or informal power are central processes in the organizational development. Both are complementary and can generate conflicts.
Conflict: It is a dimension that can always be present in a social system. It is therefore essential to recognize conflicts rather than deny them or try to hide them, since this way they cannot be regulated and their expression can end up being violent.
Description, evaluation of positions and performances: Organizations have different ways of dividing work, at the level of positions and jobs, you can choose between different systems. Today the global trend is towards a significant decrease in the number of charges and the enormous specification of each one of them.
Motivation: Organizations can only hope to achieve their objectives if they get the support and effective commitment of their members in the pursuit of organizational goals. Therefore, it is interesting to inquire about the motivation of the workers and also about the motivational mechanisms used by the organization.
Work environment: This dimension is closely related to motivation, but also includes other aspects, such as the work atmosphere that is created among the workers themselves.
Unions: They are an organized expression of the members of the company, who adopt this configuration as a way to channel their concerns, to make themselves heard, to defend themselves against possible threats and to vindicate their aspirations.
Decision making: It is the phenomenon of greatest significance within an organizational system. For this reason, organizations should be seen as a system made up of decisions. The adequate understanding of the decision-making process in an organization will allow to elaborate a suitable diagnosis of its evolution as a system.
CONCLUSION
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Brunet, Luc. The working environment in organizations. Mexico 1987. Editorial Trillas.De Faria Mello. Fernando Achilles. Organizational development. México, 1996. Editorial Limusa.Jablonsky, Joseph R. TQM: Como Implantarlo. Mexico 1995. Editorial CECSA.Rodríguez Mancilla, Darío. Organizational diagnosis. Mexico 1991. Editorial Tamayo.Valdez Rivera, Salvador. Business diagnosis. Method to identify, solve and control problems in companies. Mexico DF Editorial Trillas, SA de CV 1998
