Management Organization Development
By Mr. Valerian B-K. Masao II
Deoxyribo-Nucleic Acid (DNA)
is the biological (genes) and chemical makeup of all living things. It encodes
and transmits genetic information that is important in identifying living organisms
and components of organisms, which is a hereditary process (Le Page, 2011). Corporate DNA is made up of complex and unique
individuals of an organization. To understand the term DNA, how it functions as one system or as
subsystems collectively and working together as one system/organism will help the
OD professional by analyzing functions of a single employee that translates to
groups and whole organization’s employees collectively in a systemic way. An organization is made up of people with
cultures and beliefs, which are the underlying aspects that will need to be
addressed by the OD professionals during corporate culture change (Fagiano, 1994).
Any small misunderstanding from the OD team can cause a growing seed of
resistance. Also, it is very important to clarify such misunderstanding at an
early stage. Thus, OD professionals must understand how to persuade each and
every individual at all levels within the organization, as well as, cooperating
and implementing the OD functions, which are the organizational goals.
The article, Altering the Corporate DNA,
is the reinvention of corporate culture, which in many cases is when an
organization changes the way its employees are carrying out their daily duties
by making production of goods and services more effective and in an efficient
way. This process is the main function of the OD. Fagiano, (1994), said that “to shift
a culture you must shift a collection of belief” (4). An OD professional must understand that implementing
OD is not only to merely make general declarations and expressions about the
need for the organization to change, but also to follow up these words with
actions of change.