1. Joseph Davis, Brian Fallon,
Kimble Medley, Quillon
Orta, Roger Richardson
This presentation was
prepared for MSLD 630,
Organizational Change and
Development, taught by Dr.
Michael Powers.

2. Stage 1
Anticipate Need
for Change
Stage 2
Develop the
Practitioner-
Client
Relationship
Stage 3
The Diagnostic
Phase
Stage 4
Action Plans,
Strategies, and
Techniques
Stage 5
Self-Renewal,
Monitor, and
Stabilize
Traits
Manager
believes the
organization is
in a state of
disequilibrium
and needs
improvement
Traits
Relationship
development
begins,
characterized
by the
exchange of
expectations
and obligations
OD Practitioner
enters the system
Traits
Question
clients
diagnosis for
bias begin
gathering data
through
interviews,
surveys, and
questionnaires
OD Practitioner has
intervened
Traits
Interventions,
activities, or
programs
aimed at
solving
problems and
increasing
organizational
effectiveness
Traits
Monitor results
and stabilize
desired
changes, assess
effectiveness of
changes in
attaining
objectives
Begin Continuous
Improvement Cycle

3. “We choose to go to the
moon… because that
challenge is… one we are
unwilling to postpone and
one we intend to win” (O
Sallent, 2009).
Stage 1

4. Stage 1

5. Stage 1

6. Investigated cause of Space Shuttle
Columbia tragedy
Findings: 3 areas:
 “Systemic safety cultural and
organizational issues’
 What’s need to return to flight,
safely
 Technical superiority (BST,
2004, p. 5).
Focused on organizational causes
identified in the CAIB
Recommendations: 7 topics:
 Leadership
 Learning
 Communication
 Processes and Rules
 Technical Capabilities
 Organizational Structure
 Risk Management
 “Intended as a first step in
the process” (BST, 2004, p.7).
Stage 1

7. Conduct & Assess current status
Positive attributes identified
 “Legacy of technical excellence”
 Team spirit
 “Can-do” attitude (BST, 2004, p. 3).
Stage 1

8. Stage 1

9. CAIB and
Diaz Reports
findings led
NASA to
anticipate need
for change and
recruit an
External OD
Practitioner
Stage 1
Anticipate Need for
Change
Traits
Manager
believes the
organization is in
a state of
disequilibrium
and needs
improvement
Stage 2
Develop the
Practitioner-Client
Relationship
Traits
Relationship
development
begins,
characterized by
the exchange of
expectations and
obligations
OD Practitioner
enters the system

10. Stage 2
After the loss of Space Shuttle Columbia, NASA realized need for change
BST
a “message to the organization’s
members that the climate of the
organization is under scrutiny
and that new and more effective
ways of doing things are being
sought” (Brown, 2011, p. 94).

11. Who Leads Change
BST selected as External OD
Practitioner
“BST is a global safety consulting
firm that helps organizations create
injury-free workplaces. Since
1979…[BST has] established a
reputation for innovation and
thought leadership that helps
[their] clients reduce incidents,
engage employees, and achieve
world-class safety performance
that supports operational
excellence” (BST, 2016).
Who is the Client
NASA Agency, contractors,
led by NASAAdministrator
O’Keefe
Viewed as a system of
interacting elements:
practitioner,
client sponsor
or contact,
client’s
target system
Stage 2

12. Stage 2
Are the learning goals of OD appropriate?
Yes – The “scope of the effort [was] to
develop and deploy an organizational
culture change initiative within NASA, with
an emphasis on safety climate and culture”
(BST, 2004, p. 3).
Is the cultural state of the client system
ready for organizational development?
Somewhat – “The culture reflects an
organization in transition, with many
ongoing initiatives and lack of clear sense at
working levels of ‘how it all fits
together’”(BST, 2004, p. 3).
Are the Key people involved?
Yes – Due to the horrific nature of the
accident, the entire organization including
key members are involved, from
Government officials, to external
investigation boards, to NASA
Administrators, down to the low level
employees and contractors.
Are members of the client system prepared
and oriented to organization development?
Partially - BST, 2004, identifies that several
recommendations in the CAIB were too
focused in nature, but that items in the Diaz
Report identify broader cultural issues that
need to be addressed.
Four Key Questions
to Gauge OD
Preparedness
“The OD process involves a collaborative relationship between a
practitioner and a client system” (Brown, 2011, p. 92).

13. Stage 2

14. Stage 2
NASA
• NASA established the objective of completely transforming its
organizational safety culture.
BST
• Assist NASA in the development and implementation of a plan
for changing the safety climate and culture agency wide.
Scope
• Develop and deploy an organizational culture change initiative
within NASA, with the emphasis on safety climate and culture.
Task
• Conduct an assessment of the current status and develop an
implementation plan, both to be completed within 30 days
(BST, 2004).

15. NASA and
BST gather
data about the
system to
understand
problems,
identify forces
causing a
situation, and
select a change
strategy.
Stage 2
Develop the
Practitioner-Client
Relationship
Traits
Relationship
development
begins,
characterized
by the exchange
of expectations
and obligations
Stage 3
The Diagnostic
Phase
Traits
Question clients
diagnosis for
bias begin
gathering data
through
interviews,
surveys, and
questionnairesOD Practitioner
has intervened

16. C A I B
First diagnosed cultural issues at
NASA.
Determined NASA’s culture
significant contributing factor to
Columbia mishap(BST, 2004).
DIAZ REPORT
“Some of the recommended actions
are those one might expect in an
organization trying to change its
culture, but the goals offered by the
Team are intended only as a first step
in the process” (BST, 2004, p. 7)
Figure 1. Columbia Breaking Apart (Walker, 2008) Figure 2. Image (Masters, 2003).
Stage 3

17. Stage 3
BST employed several diagnostic tools to identify problems within
NASA’s culture and find root causes.
• Administered to more than 250 different organizations
• 11 scales of measuring organizational functioning
(BST, 2004).
Safety Climate &
Culture Survey
• 45% response rate, except JPL with 14.4%
• Response rates similar to previous NASA culture
surveys (BST, 2004).
All NASA Facilities
• Validated survey results (BST, 2004).
Response Bias
• Perceived Organizational Support
• Upward Communication
• Each tied to Leadership
Tools Identified Two
Major Areas of Concern

18. Lowest survey scores:
Perceived Organizational
Support (POS).
Upward Communication (UC)
(BST, 2004).
Stage 3
Perceived Organizational Support (POS)
“Measures perceptions about the
organization’s concerns for the needs
and interests of employees” (BST,
2004, p. 15).
POS influences employee beliefs about
the organization’s values for safety,
and employee willingness to raise
safety concerns (BST, 2004).
Upward Communication (UC)
Measures perceptions about:
Quality/quantity
Comfort level of raising
and discussing safety
Issues with supervision

19. Survey results diagnosed some positive cultural issues
NASA employees related well with each other.
Strong team functioning at the local level.
Solid communication among employees (BST, 2004).
Stage 3

20. Stage 3
NASA’s culture causal to
Columbia Mishap.
Diaz Report recommended
several changes to NASA’s
culture.
BST Solutions used tools
to diagnose cultural issues
within NASA.
45% of NASA employees
responded to safety and
climate survey (except
JPL).
Lowest survey scores in
Perceived Organizational
Support (POS) and
Upward Communication.
Employees feel NASA does
not support / respect them,
leads to hesitancy to raise
safety concerns with
management (BST, 2004).

21. Stage 3
The Diagnostic Phase
Traits
Question clients
diagnosis for bias begin
gathering data through
interviews, surveys,
and questionnaires
Stage 4
Action Plans, Strategies,
and Techniques
Traits
Interventions,
activities, or programs
aimed at solving
problems and
increasing
organizational
effectiveness
Key areas BST
identified for
improvement:
leadership, upward
communications,
perceived
organizational
support (BST, 2004).
Specific action plans,
strategies, and
techniques focused
on organizational
development will be
implemented in stage
4 (Brown, 2011).

22. Stage 4
Guiding Principles
• Open Communication
• Rigorously Informed Judgment
• Personal Responsibility
• Integrated Technical Competence
• Individual Accountability (BST, 2004)
Establish Strategy
Resolve Problems
Increase Organizational
Effectiveness
Promote Safety
Intent of the principles:
Describe key cultural attributes to deliver excellence in
safety and mission success.
Goal of the principles:
Create a guideline that will increase the environment of
safety throughout the entire NASA organization.
Baseline of principles: Organizational development plan will be developed to
support this cultural transformation.

23. Stage 4
Objective
• Transform the organizational culture within three
years to help drive a commitment to excellence
within the agency; this will entail significant
changes to the behavioral, structural, and technical
elements of the organization.
• Implemented through a series of initiatives aimed
at aligning for flawless execution which in turn will
drive a cultural transformation (BST, 2004).

24. Sample Initiative
Leadership Coaching Top Ten NASA Executives
•Action Plan: Conduct detailed confidential coaching to help
each senior leader understand his/her strengths and
developmental needs.
• Strategy: Develop a specific individual action plan for
providing effective strategic leadership for living the NASA
values and guiding principles.
• Technique: Individual interviews with each leader, 360
leadership surveys sent to peers and subordinates, individual
leaders assessment reports, and coaching sessions (BST, 2004).
Stage 4

25. Stage 4
• Leadership
• Upward Communications
• Perceived organizational support (BST, 2004).
Barriers to Change
• NASA to implement changes
• Align leadership behaviors
• Focus on agency values and guiding principles (BST, 2004).
Identified Initiatives
• Provides honest feedback
• Behavioral based methods
• Single change initiative
• Accelerate change
• Minimize resistance
• Overcome barriers (Brown, 2011).
BST

26. Plotting
Stage 4
• Behavioral leadership enhancement
• Team effectiveness training
• Cognitive bias training
• Safety & mission assurance training
• Competency-based performance management system
Due to the changes required in the behavioral, structural, and technical elements of the
organization a method to implement and analyze the initiatives needed to create cultural
change must be put in place (BST, 2004).
Allows NASA to
see relationships
between initiatives
via visual
representation and
also provide a
method to share
this data openly
throughout NASA
(Brown, 2011).

27. Stage 4
Action Plans,
Strategies, and
Techniques
Traits
Interventions,
activities, or
programs aimed
at solving
problems and
increasing
organizational
effectiveness
Stage 5
Self-Renewal, Monitor,
and Stabilize
Traits
Monitor results
and stabilize
desired changes,
assess effectiveness
of changes in
attaining
objectives
After
implementing the
action plans in
stage 4 NASA
must begin to
monitor the results
and stabilize the
desired changes to
ensure a means is
in place to
maintain the
change (Brown,
2011).
Begin
Continuous
Improvement
Cycle

28. Stage 5
Recognized need
for cultural
change as a
cultural shift
across the entire
organization.
NASA BST
Recognition starts
with asking what
should “we” do to
improve respect
for each other.
Ask “Yes, if” and
not “No, because”
(C-SPAN, 2004).
A cultural change is
needed beginning with
senior leadership.

29. • Employees identify with their profession or organization
Member Identity
• Degree to which work activities are organized around teams rather
than individualsTeam Emphasis
• Degree to which management empowers the employees within the
organization.People Focus
• Degree to which departments within the organization are
encouraged to operate in a coordinated or interdependent manner.Autonomy
• Degree to which rules, regulations, and direct supervision are used
to control employee behavior.Control
• Degree to which employees are encourage to be agressive,
innovative, and risk-seeking (Brown, 2011). .Risk Tolerance
MEASURE CORPORATE CULTURAL INDEX…
Stage 5

30. VISIT EVERY NASA FACILITY
CREATE:
 LEADERSHIP ASSESSMENTS IN ALL
FACILITIES
 INDIVIDUAL ACTION PLANS FOR
LEADERS
 CONTINUAL FEEDBACK
 TEAM BUILDING AND TRAINING
(C- SPAN, 2004).
Stage 5

31. THREE THINGS WE MUST DO TO
REALIZE GOALS.
 RESPECT FOR EACH OTHER!
SHOW THIS IN EVERY WAY, EVERY
DAY
 HAVE NEEDED RESOURCES!
BUDGET SHOWS THAT THIS
IS IN PLACE
 SOMEONE NOTICES!
STARTS AT THE TOP WITH O’KEEFE
AND CONTINUES TO GROW
MANAGE BY WALKING AROUND
CORE VALUES SHOULD DRIVE
OUR MISSION
EVERY INDIVIDUAL SHOULD BE
ABLE TO DO THEIR JOB
WITHOUT INTERFERENCE
FROM MANAGEMENT
DRIVE TOWARD A SINGLE
INITIATIVE
SAFETY
PEOPLE
EXCELLENCE IN MISSION
THINK COLLECTIVELY
Stage 5

32. • Understand the old culture
• Follow outstanding units
• Encourage change in employees
• Involve employees
• Lead with a vision
• Recognize that large scale
change takes time
• Live the new culture (Brown,
2011)
Stage 5
Figure 3. Columbia Tragedy, (A&E Networks, 2016)

33. “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because
they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize
and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that
we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we
intend to win.” John F. Kennedy (O Sallent, 2009)
Stage 5
Figure 4. NASA (Ashok, 2016).

34. A&E Networks. (2016). Columbia Space Shuttle Disaster. [Video file]. In Speeches and Audio.
History Channel. Retrieved from http://www.history.com/speeches/columbia-space-
shuttle-disaster
Ashok, I. (2016, Jan. 12). NASA’s logo at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. (Getty
Images). In Science. International Business Times. Retrieved from
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/nasa-forms-new-defence-office-protect-earth-asteroids-1
537377
Brown, D.R. (2011). An experiential approach to organization development. (8th ed.). Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
BST. (2004, March 15). Assessment and Plan for Organizational Culture Change at NASA.
Retrieved from NASA: http//www.nasa,gov/pdf/57382main_culture_wed.pdf
BST. (2016). Great safety starts with great people. In About. Retrieved from
http://bstsolutions.com/en/about/company

35. C-SPAN. (2004, April 13). NASA Cultural Changes. [Video file]. National Cable Satellite
Corporation. Retrieved from http://www.c-span.org/video/?181348-1/nasa-cultural-
changes%20
Masters, M. (2003, March 24). Failure Analyst Identifies Cause of Columbia Disaster.
Retrieved from YOWUSA: http://yowusa.com/scitech/2003/scitech-2003-03a/1.shtml
MP3 Gratis. (2016). Apollo 13 Soundtrack (All systems go – The Launch).mp3. [Audio file].
Retrieved from http://mp3gratis.co/mp3/apollo-13-soundtrack/
O Sallent. (2009, June 27). John F. Kennedy: “We choose to go to the moon” speech. [Video
file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/kwFvJog2dMw
Walker, C. (2008, January 20). Shuttle Columbia Disaster RARE FOOTAGE. Retrieved from
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNfEUkxmliQ