Explain the process to determine the validity of the problem.

Responsible Consulting

[WLOs 2, 3] [CLOs 1, 3, 5]

Prior to beginning this assignment, read Chapter 3 in the course textbook. You may want to review Chapters 1 and 2 in your course textbook for assistance, too.

Review the guidelines found in Table 1.1 (OD realities and misconceptions) to establish the reasoning for OD interaction. In addition, pay special attention to the criteria for determining the validity of an OD problem. Understanding the process is crucial to becoming a successful OD consultant. Watch the following videos, What Should Consultants Do? (Links to an external site.) and Handling a Complainer, to gain perspective on responsible consulting.

There are many ethical responsibilities within the field of the OD consultant. Suppose that you are just beginning your practice as an external OD consultant and an organization approaches you to help them address an issue or change within their company. Before accepting the job, it is important for you to determine whether the problem is an actual OD issue or an internal matter that is better addressed within.

Explain the process for evaluating an organizational condition to determine if the action required is OD-related. Define the specific criteria for determining the core of the problem and the potential solution.

After assessing the request, there are times that you will find the problem is not an OD concern. Prepare a response to the organization stating why the problem is not OD, why you are not the right person for the job, and what options they might have to remedy their problem.

Once your research is complete, begin preparing your paper. The paper must be four to five pages of content (excluding the cover and reference pages). You must include a minimum of three scholarly, peer-reviewed, or credible sources that provide qualified information related to the role of the OD practitioner. In addition, include the course textbook as a scholarly resource to support theory and concepts related to OD strategy. Remember that Wikipedia is not a qualified resource. Use the Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources (Links to an external site.) document for additional guidance. During the construction of the paper, be specific and refrain from making assumptions. Describe all aspects of the search components listed below.

In your paper,

• Explain the process to determine the validity of the problem.
• Define specific criteria for OD consulting.
• Prepare an appropriate response to the organization regarding their issue.

The Responsible Consulting paper

• Must be four to five double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references and formatted according to APA Style (Links to an external site.) as outlined in the Writing Center’s APA Formatting for Microsoft Word (Links to an external site.)
• Must include a separate title with the following:
  • Title of paper
  • Student’s name
  • Ashford University
  • Course name and number
  • Instructor’s name
  • Date submitted
• Must utilize academic voice. See the Academic Voice (Links to an external site.) resource for additional guidance.
• Must include an introduction and conclusion paragraph. Your introduction paragraph needs to end with a clear thesis statement that indicates the purpose of your paper.
  • For assistance on writing Introductions & Conclusions (Links to an external site.) as well as Writing a Thesis Statement (Links to an external site.), refer to the Writing Center resources.
• Must use at least three scholarly, peer-reviewed, or credible sources in addition to the course text.
  • The Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources (Links to an external site.) table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source for a particular assignment.
  • To assist you in completing the research required for this assignment, view this Ashford University Library Quick ‘n’ Dirty (Links to an external site.) tutorial, which introduces the Ashford University Library and the research process, and provides some library search tips.
• Must document any information used from sources in APA Style as outlined in the Writing Center’s APA: Citing Within Your Paper (Links to an external site.).
• Must include a separate reference page that is formatted according to APA Style as outlined in the Writing Center. See the APA: Formatting Your References List (Links to an external site.) resource in the Writing Center for specifications.