Organizational Analysis, What, How, Why

This book was created to share the learnings, materials, communications, and ideas realized over the last 10 years when I developed and facilitated a Ph.D. course on Organizational Analysis attended by Ph.D. candidates in Social Work and Education. The course focused on knowing and understand their client, student, and organization to help them survive, sustain themselves, grow, develop and thwart toxins and risks that can cause harm.  The course objective was to discuss major theoretical perspectives, theories, and issues and apply the learnings to practical situations. The course provided discussions thought-provoking ideas on what is Organizational Analysis, models developed on how it can be done, and why it is an important process. As an HR practitioner and consultant, I envisioned that the course learnings and materials have an application for organizations. The course demonstrated the ability to identify, assess, evaluate, diagnose, and synthesize internal and external factors interrelated to an organization. This learned ability was then applied to perform an organizational analysis which was demonstrated on two written projects. The two written projects utilized were to apply theory to practice by performing an organizational written analysis on the HBO documentary General Magic and on one's current or past employer.

The course used two assessment models one involving the usage of a visual model to identify and discuss an organization's internal and external factors and the other a worksheet used for assessments, evaluations, diagnosis, and synthesis. The visual model used the depiction of an organism which like an organization, strives to survive, grow, and develop and adapt to its external environment. The worksheet used micro and macro analysis to assess the strengths and weaknesses of identified internal and factors and the influence and impact external factors can have on an organization. Evaluations were made to discuss the intra and interrelationships of the internal factors within and external to the organization as well as the interrelationships of the external factors with other external factors and the organization. A diagnosis was conducted using macro analysis to determine what are the opportunities and threats that exist at a point in time for an organization. The course emphasized what is diagnosed at a point in time becomes irrelevant based on the level of organizational change and chaos. A cooptation approach was applied to identify what resources are needed to be absorbed for the benefit of an organization's existence, what resources needed to develop its capabilities and buffer risks and toxins. The summary and conclusion points out how an organizational analysis can be expanded,  and why it should be used. Three main reasons why it should be used are knowing and understanding an organization increases the probability of effective decision making. Second, how can an organization survive, sustain itself, grow, develop, and identify toxins and risks if you don't know and understand your organization?  An exercise was used to summarize the course using a spider web metaphor. The third main reason is that organizational analysis is needed to create an organizational development plan which seeks effectiveness and efficiencies leading to organizational strategy and implementation which impacts organizational performance. The conclusion provided an outlook on the creation of an Organizational Analyst role in applying the course's concepts and activities for the growth and sustainability of an organization.  The conclusion also focused on the future outlook of integrating artificial intelligence to the organizational analysis process. The book ends with an overview of what is Organizational Analysis, how it can be done, and why do it.