Discussion Board

 Discussion 1: The toy industry is going through a radical change. Children are growing out of 
traditional toys such as Barbie dolls at a younger age. Mattel is the world's largest toy company and 
its divisions such as Tyco and Fisher-Price have been affected. Consequently, Mattel is embarking on a 
program to redefine its core business from that of a traditional toy company to a children's product 
company. Mattel has a history of nearly falling apart every decade since the 1970s. In the decade of the 2000's,
 CEO Robert Eckert is moving Mattel to be less dependent on licensed properties from companies such as Walt Disney, 
which can be very costly. He is also moving Mattel to a 
system that can better control inventory and to the development 
of more toys in-house. Eckert has streamlined manufacturing and has made it clear 
that new ideas are to move quickly out the door. Eckert is looking to expand overseas 
as the market for toys matures in the U.S. For example, packaging includes multiple languages 
to save on marketing and production costs. Faced with continuing economic pressures and increasing
 competition, many other organizations are being forced to radically change and reinvent their
 processes. Discuss the challenges organizations such as Mattel face in managing change effectively. 
What is the role of the OD professional in managing the change effectively? 

Discussion 2: OD practitioners often use models to assist in identifying organizational problems. 
Discuss at least three diagnostic models that might be used. Give an example of a situation in which 
the model would be useful in diagnosing problems within an organization. What type of data would need
 to be collected in order to use the model?