Background Reading for Case 3
The background reading for the Case in this module focuses on the
Nadler-Tushman Congruence Model. You will be using this model to complete the
case.
David
Nadler is the founder and CEO of Mercer Delta Consulting Group. An internationally
recognized expert in organizational change, Nadler has written seven books and
numerous articles for practicing managers. Michael Tushman is a Full Professor
at the Harvard Business School. He has written or edited eight books and is
widely published in academic and practitioner journals.
Required reading:
Nadler,
D. A. &Tushman, M. L. (1980) A Model for Diagnosing Organizational
Behavior. Organizational Dynamics, 9 (2), 35-51. Retrieved on
November 7, 2012 from EBSCO.
According
to the authors, "Our congruence model of organizational behavior is based
on how well components fit together – that is the congruence among components;
the effectiveness of this model is based on the quality of these ‘fits’ or
‘congruence.’ (p.39).
From the reading, you will note that there are four input
categories. They are as follows:
- Environment (factors external
to the organization);
- Resources (factors internal to
the organization);
- Organizational history
(Persistent Traditions); and
- Strategy (goals, objectives and
strategic initiatives) .
If the link to the article does not work, it is probably because
your computer does not allow "cookies" which would let you connect
directly to the library. In such a case, you will need to connect manually to
the appropriate database.
Optional Reading for the Case:
The
following is an interesting, updated, and highly recommended peer-reviewed
journal article relating to organizational diagnosis. Following is the
Abstract:
Abstract:
Using
an operational framework, the diagnostic funnel is introduced,
which prescribes the appropriate actions of a process consultant in conducting
an organizational diagnosis. The diagnostic funnel
comprises the four actions of (a) selecting a general diagnostic model,
(b) collecting data that minimizes bias, (c) analyzing the data to reduce the
likelihood of error, and (d) deriving a unique diagnostic paradigm,
specific to the organization under study. It is argued that the actions
described by the diagnostic funnel will result in a diagnosis
that achieves a high level of scientific rigor. To provide a detailed
description of the diagnostic funnel, a case example of
an organizational diagnosis is presented.
Gregory,
B. T., Armenakis, A. A., Moates, K., Albritton, M., & Harris, S. G. (2007).
Achieving Scientific Rigor in Organizational Diagnosis: An Application of the
Diagnostic Funnel. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice &
Research, 59(2), 79-90. Retrieved on November 7, 2012 from
EBSCO.
BACKGROUND
XCG
The
Excellent Consulting Group
Communication
from Art:
I
reviewed your report regarding Organizational Diagnosis, and I thought you did
a nice job. I presented your recommendation to ABC Company and Whole
Foods Market, and had several discussions with them.
They've
finally decided that they want to use the Nadler-Tushman Congruence Model to
analyze the overall congruence in the company – they like the Input and Output
analysis that this model provides.
First,
the company's executives are interested in the Inputs, including the
strategy. They are interested in getting an objective opinion of what their
critical inputs are and how they align with their strategy. So I suggest that
you very quickly brush up more on the Congruence model, particularly for this
assignment on inputs.
REQUIRED READING:
Nadler,
D. A. &Tushman, M. L. (1980) A Model for Diagnosing Organizational
Behavior. Organizational Dynamics, 9 (2), 35-51. Retrieved on
November 7, 2012 from EBSCO.
Using the Nadler-Tushman Congruence
Model, conduct an analysis of Whole Foods Market's inputs and how
they align with the strategy.
For the analysis, I suggest that you
start with strategy, since you have already done some work on this aspect in
your first report. Review Whole Foods Market’s strategy and then determine
which one of Porter’s competitive strategies fits with this strategy. Then
review the company’s inputs and determine one or two specific critical inputs
from each input category: environment, resources, and history.
Ultimately, I want you to determine how
aligned the critical inputs are with the strategy. Is there high congruence
(alignment), some congruence, or little to no congruence? I expect you to
support your claim with a good, logical argument using the information you have
collected.
In order to make this case, you first
need to review the strategy and then classify it as one of Porter’s competitive
strategies. Then identify the Key Input factors in the first three categories.
Explain why these are the critical input factors. Then determine how congruent
the three input factors are with the strategy.
Be sure to include references. Turn in
the 4- to 6-page paper by the end of the module.
Case Expectations:
- Discuss the
organization’s strategy and classify it according to Porter’s
three generic competitive strategies.
- Identify the most critical
inputs in each of the first three categories and justify why they are
critical. Also explain what effect the inputs from one category have on
inputs from the other categories. How well does the strategy fit with the
environmental, resource and historical inputs you identified?
- Make a Case for your
proposition as to how the Key Inputs support (are congruent with) the
Strategy. Specifically make a claim: “The inputs at Whole Foods
Market consisting of Organizational Environment factors, Internal Resource
factors, and Historical Tradition factors are [highly, partially, or
minimally] congruent with the company’s strategy.”
- Support your analysis with
objective evidence. Sources of information for the entire project may
include interviews, organizational documents and reports, articles in
newspapers, and trade publications. Be sure to cite your sources and
provide a list of references.
Write
up your report in a 4- to 6-page paper and submit it by the end of the module.
ASSIGNMENT EXPECTATIONS
Your paper will be evaluated on the following seven points:
- Precision - Does the paper
address the question(s) or task(s)?
- Breadth - Is the full breadth
of the subject, that is, the Keys to the Assignment,
addressed?
- Depth - Does the paper address
the topic in sufficient depth and include the background readings and
other background resources as references?
- Critical thinking - Is the
subject thought about critically, that is, accurately, logically,
relevantly, and precisely?
- Clarity - Is the writing clear
and are the concepts articulated properly? Are paraphrasing and synthesis
of concepts the primary means of responding to the questions or are points
conveyed through excessive use of quotations?
- Organization - Is the paper
well written? Are the grammar, spelling, and vocabulary
appropriate for graduate-level work? Are headings included in
all papers longer than two pages?
- Referencing (citations and
references) - Does the paper include citations and quotation marks
where appropriate? Are the references from the background readings
and assignment present and properly cited? Are all the references
listed in the bibliography present and referred to via citation?
