Organizational Development Plan for Mobile Mine Assembly Group

Introduction

Today's managers are complex individuals who must possess vast skills and expertise in order to develop the best courses of action through which companies respond to emerging challenges. Examples of such challenges include intensifying competitive forces, the necessity to hire and retain highly skilled staff members, the need to develop a strong organizational culture that integrates and appeals to all categories of stakeholders, and the necessity to respond to the internationalized financial crisis. In most instances, the immediate answer is prepared under an organizational development plan; the same principle will be applied to the Mobile Mine Assembly Group.

Generically referred to as MOMAG, the Mobile Mine Assembly Group falls under the direct supervision of the Navy Munitions Command. Their primary mission is to support the operations of the United States Navy, a purpose they serve through vast expertise and numerous sailors spread across the globe — sailors who are experts in sea mines and maritime mining. The group was headed by Commodore John B. Vliet, who had previously participated in numerous missions at sea as well as on shore. Among the merits awarded to Vliet are the Meritorious Service Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, and the Navy Achievement Medal. Responsible for staff matters is Andrew Ashton, who occupies the position of Chief Staff Officer.

The aim of this report is to identify the problems with which the Mobile Mine Assembly Group is currently presented and to assess them in a manner that generates a useful solution.

Anticipating the Need to Change: Problem and Area for Improvement

In order to resolve organizational issues, entities must create an organizational development plan. This process is complex and involves the gradual completion of several tasks: (a) anticipating the need to change, (b) assessing the impact of the organization's culture, (c) addressing consultant considerations, (d) conducting the diagnostic process, (e) overcoming resistance to change, (f) establishing institutionalization timelines, and (g) defining OD intervention strategies.

The modern-day society is characterized by a rapid pace of development, generally set from within the technological field. As technology develops rapidly, it forces all other sectors to develop alongside it. In this context, the United States is the leader of technological innovation, and its countless efforts have earned it recognition as the most technologically advanced country in the world. A paradox is nonetheless identified in the continued existence of discrepancies across sectors: while some industries are entirely equipped with cutting-edge technology, others barely manage to function. The Navy, for instance, is perceived as a high-tech sector, yet it still faces numerous challenges (Ewing, 2009; Zolotov et al.).

The Mobile Mine Assembly Group occupies a position between these two categories. Its operations are supported through the integration of technological applications, but not all of those applications are state-of-the-art. This effectively means that MOMAG must integrate the latest technological solutions. That necessity, in turn, creates a need for greater financial resources — broadly translated as a requirement for superior levels of operational efficiency. Higher efficiency levels can only be achieved with the full support of a highly skilled and committed team of staff members. In essence, a comprehensive process of organizational change is implied.

Impact of Organizational Culture

The organizational culture at the Mobile Mine Assembly Group is interesting from two perspectives. First, it carries the hallmarks of a military institution: the culture is focused on discipline and respect, with great emphasis placed on rank and the importance of following orders from a superior commander. Second, the organizational culture exhibits features common to the business community. From this perspective, MOMAG promotes the values of honesty, integrity, hard work, and teamwork. The main features of the organizational culture at the Mobile Mine Assembly Group are summarized below:

MOMAG strives to implement the principles of sustainability, flexibility, agility, and mobility. The organization recognizes the importance of high-quality mines that support peace efforts across the globe: "U.S. Naval Forces must develop, procure, maintain, and deploy a modern family of sea mines optimized for potential future military encounters associated with expeditionary warfare operations in littoral regions" (MOMAG Website).

In order to achieve these objectives, MOMAG places great emphasis on discipline and teamwork, on strong planned initiatives that support both current mines and future developments, and on trained and skilled personnel: "The U.S. Naval Sea Mining Vision must also embrace the recognition of its most important asset: people. Continuous improvements in training, tactics, threat awareness, and support services will enable the Navy to continue to field the best trained MIW force in the world. Only through trained and motivated people are we able to support national interests through the timely application of force from the sea" (MOMAG Website).

Given this understanding of the organizational culture, it becomes clear that the shared values will support the process of change. Both the organizational culture and the change process are directed toward the creation of a strong organization capable of delivering at the highest standards of quality.