Intervention Methodology 

Written exam + paper +assignments.

Knowledge

After completing the course, the student:

- can describe the difference between the empirical cycle and the intervention cycle
- can identify and describe central elements of interventions in organizations
- can describe the roles which a researcher or consultant can take in an intervention
- can describe the background, goals and possible applications of a specific set of intervention methodologies

Skills

After completing the course, the student:

- can distinguish symptoms from problems
- is able to apply the most important principles for facilitating group meetings
- is able to apply a specific set of intervention methodologies in a simulated setting
- can correctly apply the results of intervention methodologies

Reflection

After completing the course, the student:

- can reflect on the formulation of a problem in an applied setting
- can make a well-considered choice from a set of intervention methodologies
- can reflect on the application of an intervention method in an applied setting

This course focuses on methodologies for intervening in organizations. Interventions may concern one or more phases of the intervention cycle (diagnosis, design, change and evaluation). The process of intervening is the main topic of the course: which methodologies are available in a particular phase, how can we make a well-considered choice from these methodologies and which results can we expect from the use of an intervention methodology? Results not only concern the outcome of the intervention (i.e. the content, for instance a particular diagnosis or organizational design), but they also concern aspects related to the intervention process, for example the commitment of organization members to results. In an intervention, the researcher or consultant can take different roles. A fundamental choice is whether to take an expert or a facilitator role. In this course we assume that much of the essential information concerning an organizational problem is contained in the minds of organization members. Before this information can be used, it will have to be made explicit. To this end the course addresses the role of the facilitator and a set of participative intervention methodologies that complements this role. Literature from cognitive psychology and decision sciences shows that human information processing is limited and selective. Individuals construct so-called mental models of their environment and the problems contained in their environment. An individual's background and position influence the mental structure he or she builds of the environment. The mental model subsequently acts as a filter for the selection of signals from the environment and the attribution of meaning to those signals. More simply: a production manager will primarily see production problems and a personnel manager will above all see personnel problems. Communication on organizational problems can thus be hampered by the fact that one individual does not recognize another's problem definition, leading to an emphasis on winning the debate instead of integrating different views.