This unit explores the theory and practice of organisational design and development (OD). It considers the alignment of organisational design with strategy, the role of OD in enabling organisational effectiveness, and the application of systems thinking and diagnostic tools. Learners will also explore how OD interventions are designed, delivered and evaluated in the context of organisational change.
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Your 7LD01 assignment questions will closely follow these assessment criteria. Here's what the marker is looking for in each one.
Cover the purpose and scope of organisational design and development (OD) — what it is, its history, and how it contributes to organisational effectiveness. Discuss how OD aligns with and supports strategic objectives through structural design, cultural change, capability building, and performance improvement. The marker expects critical evaluation: assess the extent to which OD genuinely enables strategy versus being an afterthought, and consider the conditions under which OD is most impactful.
Cover the key dimensions of organisational structure — centralisation/decentralisation, specialisation, formalisation, hierarchy, span of control — and contextual factors such as size, technology, environment, culture, and strategy. Analyse how these dimensions interact to affect performance. The marker wants analysis that goes beyond describing structures to explain how structural and contextual choices create performance outcomes, trade-offs, and challenges.
Cover systems thinking concepts — open systems theory, feedback loops, interdependencies, boundaries, and emergent properties. Explain how a systems perspective helps OD practitioners understand complexity, avoid unintended consequences, and design more effective interventions. The marker expects evaluation — assess the strengths and limitations of systems thinking as an approach to OD, including its practical utility and the challenges of applying it in real organisational settings.
Cover major diagnostic frameworks — McKinsey 7-S, Burke-Litwin, Weisbord's Six-Box Model, Galbraith's Star Model, and SWOT analysis applied at the organisational level. Discuss data collection methods (surveys, interviews, observation, document analysis) and how diagnostic findings are used to design interventions. The marker expects critical analysis — evaluate the reliability and validity of different diagnostic approaches and consider the challenges of organisational diagnosis, including political dynamics and access to honest data.
Cover the range of OD interventions — team building, process consultation, survey feedback, appreciative inquiry, coaching, mentoring, action research, large-group interventions, restructuring, and culture change programmes. Evaluate the effectiveness of different interventions for different types of organisational issues. The marker wants evidence that you can match the intervention to the diagnosis and assess the likely impact and risks of each approach.
Cover change management models and their application within OD — Lewin, Kotter, Bridges, Beckhard and Harris, and emergent approaches. Discuss the distinction between planned and emergent change, the role of the OD practitioner as a change agent, and the political and emotional dimensions of change. The marker expects critical assessment — acknowledge that change management is contested territory and that no single model works in all contexts.
Cover evaluation frameworks and methods — Kirkpatrick adapted for OD, ROI analysis, action research cycles, balanced scorecard, stakeholder feedback, and longitudinal tracking of key metrics. Discuss the challenges of attributing outcomes to OD interventions, including the difficulty of isolating variables and the long time horizons over which OD impacts may emerge. The marker expects evaluation of the evaluation methods themselves — assess their strengths, limitations, and practical applicability.
Cover the roles and competencies of OD practitioners — consultant, facilitator, coach, diagnostician, and change agent. Discuss the skills required (data analysis, facilitation, influencing, systems thinking, emotional intelligence) and the ethical challenges practitioners face (power dynamics, confidentiality, competing stakeholder interests). The marker wants a discussion that reflects the complexity of the OD role and the importance of professional integrity and continuous development.
Cover how leadership shapes culture and how culture, in turn, influences leadership behaviour and organisational effectiveness. Discuss major culture models (Schein, Handy, Cameron and Quinn) and leadership theories (transformational, distributed, authentic, servant leadership). The marker expects critical evaluation — engage with the debate about whether leaders can genuinely change culture or whether culture shapes leaders, and consider the evidence for the link between culture and performance.
Cover leadership development programmes, succession planning, coaching, mentoring, 360-degree feedback, action learning, and experiential development. Analyse which approaches are most effective in different contexts and at different levels of the organisation. The marker expects analysis that goes beyond listing development methods — explain why some approaches work better than others and what the research evidence suggests about effective leadership development.
Cover strategies for cultural change and development — values-led leadership, employee engagement, communication, recognition, learning cultures, and embedding values in people processes (recruitment, performance management, reward). Evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies and the challenges of cultural change — resistance, time horizons, measurement difficulties, and the gap between espoused and enacted values. The marker expects evaluation grounded in evidence and practical examples.
Cover the principles of ethical leadership — integrity, fairness, transparency, accountability — and their significance for OD practice. Discuss governance frameworks and the role of people professionals in promoting ethical standards. The marker expects a discussion that acknowledges the tensions inherent in OD work — balancing organisational efficiency with employee welfare, managing power dynamics, and maintaining professional integrity under pressure.
Cover contemporary models — agile organisations, network structures, holacracy, platform organisations, and virtual/hybrid designs. Critically analyse the suitability of these models for different organisational contexts and the practical challenges of implementing them. The marker expects you to go beyond describing trendy models and critically assess the evidence for their effectiveness and the conditions under which they are most and least appropriate.
Cover how technology enables new organisational forms — remote and distributed teams, digital collaboration platforms, data analytics for organisational diagnosis, and AI-driven decision-making. Evaluate both the opportunities and the risks — digital exclusion, over-reliance on technology, surveillance concerns, and the impact on workplace culture and relationships. The marker expects balanced evaluation with practical examples.
Cover how globalisation creates complexity in organisational design — managing across cultures, time zones, and regulatory environments. Discuss the role of diversity and inclusion in OD — designing inclusive structures and processes, building diverse leadership teams, and leveraging diversity for innovation. The marker expects assessment that connects macro-level trends to practical OD decisions and challenges.
Cover emerging trends — the impact of AI and automation, the shift to purpose-driven organisations, sustainability and ESG considerations, the evolution of work design (four-day weeks, hybrid models), and the growing importance of employee experience. The marker expects an informed discussion that draws on current research and professional debate, not speculation. Show awareness of how the OD profession itself is evolving to meet these challenges.
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