"Models for Organizational Self-Assessment"

Matthew Ford and James Evans

Business Horizons

November-December 2002, pp. 25-32

The authors of this article state that "Self-assessment serves as an information system for managers interested in identifying and improving organizational processes." This article explores the issues involved in selecting an appropriate organizational model to match the type of self-assessment required.

For model selection, the article recommends that the organization look at five key factors. These factors, along with their related questions to ask are:

1. Conceptual domain (objective: Find a model with a conceptual domain similar to the area requiring assessment)—What area of the firm is targeted for self-assessment? What off the shelf models are available that relate to this conceptual domain? If no external models are available, can we develop an appropriate model internally?
2. Concreteness (objective: Model used for self-assessment must relate to experience and real-life events)—Does the model contain many abstract concepts? Is the language written in terms that are easily grasped by managers? Can the model be related to practical experience?
3. Diagnostic guidance (objective: The model should allow managers to understand process strengths and weaknesses and guide them towards areas that need corrective action or improvement)—Does the model allow managers to assess how well the firm is doing? Does the model provide actionable guidance on strengths and weaknesses? Can managers pinpoint processes or behaviors that require improvement based on self-assessment results?
4. Affiliation (objective: Strong affiliation lends legitimacy to the model, which will enhance the self-assessment initiative)—Do you know and respect the developer of the model? Is the model affiliated or promoted by an organization you trust or admire? Is the model internally or externally developed?
5. Validity (objective: A valid model improves the probability of accurate conclusions and effective actions stemming from the self-assessment)—Has the model been tested against existing theory, standards of measurement, and/or real life experience? Has the model been used successfully elsewhere to identify problems and improve organizational performance?

Some representative models are provided to assess each of the following: organizational performance, organizational change, culture, work systems, purchasing & supply management, and quality assurance.

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