Learning Case Reminder

This week, we will continue to study the case "Building the Cuyahoga River Valley Organization" (Cummings & Worley, p. 764). This case is one of the integrative cases at the end of the text, but its primary purpose is to provide a real-world example of the role of an OD practitioner in transorganization development. You might also look at the future of OD, especially in regards to sustainability through this case.

This is a very complex case with complex issues, but I am sure with your real-world experience, your analysis will be mature and well thought out. If you do not have public administration experiences or are not familiar with government organizations, this case is also a good learning tool for you.

In your analysis, you should consider three sets of questions:

• What?

Identify the essential issues described in the case. Issues represent current or emerging problems faced by individuals and groups in the organization. Keep in mind there are many issues in any given case, but not all of them are equally important. Focusing on urgent and important issues will probably serve you well.

• Why?

What are the causes/factors producing the situation described in the case? What seems to be causing the key problems? Do the problems share a cause, or are they related in some other way? The linkages you make among causes/factors in the case are important. You may want to list, draw, or somehow represent the factors you see as important. You might find a visual representation helpful in capturing the core dynamics. The goal is to discern how and why the situation arose in the first place.

• How?

What course of action would you adopt if you were involved in this situation? Why? Your solution should address the underlying causes of the issues. How would you implement your suggested actions? What potential failure points do you need to anticipate? What is the downside of your solution? How would you monitor progress towards full implementation? You want to be as concrete and realistic as possible.

• And at the very end of your analysis, what are the contingency factors that might influence your analysis and recommendation?

Please note that there is no standard case analysis, which is unfortunately the reality of any “soft” social science. However, some responses are better than others, which is how I will grade the case summaries. "Better" in this case means more logical, more in-depth, more consistent internally, more critical, and more clearly written. In the grading, I will also take into consideration your comments on other students’ case analyses and how you respond to any questions, concerns, or comments made by other students on your case analysis. If you successfully finish these three tasks, you could get up to 10 points for this case.