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Organization Development (OD) is an effort to
increase an organization's ability to
improve itself as a humane and effective
system. Elements of OD may include:
1. Finding ways to adapt to the changing context while maintaining and enhancing the
organization's integrity and internal integration.
2. Establishing structures, processes and a
climate that allow it to effectively manage its important and pressing business
(e.g. projects, problems, crises, etc.) while giving adequate attention to
strategic issues (e.g., long term development and renewal, planning and
envisioning, engaging new opportunities, crisis prevention, etc.)
3. Increasing the ability to engage
formation issues such as:
- vision including the
defining of identity, purpose, values, organizational culture and related
programs and activities.
- attracting new people (as
staff and/or members) who support the vision
-
increased competence and
commitment
- creating an
alignment, an adequate "fit" among the various aspects of the
organization’s life, e.g.
-- various
sub-systems (people, structure, strategy, processes,
etc.)
-- vision & resources of leadership, energy and
funds
-- income & expenses
-- physical
facilities & program needs and
possibilities
- establishing relationships with external
"public" or constituencies that have a stake in the organization.
4. Increasing its ability to adapt to new conditions, solve problems and
learn from experience. A capacity for self renewal.
OD does involve problem solving, but its most significant contribution to an
organization is in creating an culture that focuses on the continuous growth and
vitalization of the system. OD is a normal and vital part of a healthy
organization.
© Robert A. Gallagher, 1997
Various Views of Organization Development
Possibly
the Primary Current Definition of OD used by practitioners ---
Organization development is a system-wide application of behavioral science
knowledge to the planned development and reinforcement of organizational
strategies, structures, and processes for improving an organization's
effectiveness.
-- Cummings and Worley, "Organization Development and
Change", Sixth Edition, South-Western Publishing, 1997, p.2.
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Other
definitions ---
Organization Development is an effort
1.planned,
2.organization-wide, and
3.managed from the top
4. to increase organization effectiveness and health through
5. planned interventions in the organization's "processes," using behavioral-science knowledge
(R. Beckhard,1969)
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Organization Development is a response to change, a complex educational strategy intended to change the beliefs, attitudes, values, and structures of organizations so that they can better adapt to new technologies, markets, and challenges, and the dizzying rate of change itself.
(Warren
Bennis,1969)
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Organization Development is a top-management-supported, long-range effort to improve an organization's problem-solving and renewal process, particularly through a more effective and collaborative diagnosis and management of organization culture-with special emphasis on formal work team, temporary team, and inter-group culture- with the assistance of a consultant-facilitator and the use of theory and technology of applied behavioral science, including Action Research
(French & Bell
1990).
-----------------------------------
Organization Development has been defined as a series of planned processes by which human resources are identified, utilized, and developed in ways that strengthen organizational effectiveness by increasing problem solving capabilities and planning
(The Organization Development
Institute)
----------------------------------
Organization Development is the attempt to influence the members of an
organization to expand their candidness with each other about their views of
the organization and their experience in it, and to take greater responsibility
for their own actions as organization members. The assumption behind OD is that
when people pursue both of these objectives simultaneously, they are likely to
discover new ways of working together that they experience as more effective
for achieving their own and their shared (organizational) goals. And that when
this does not happen, such activity helps them to understand why and to make
meaningful choices about what to do in light of this understanding.
-- Neilsen, “Becoming an OD Practitioner”, Englewood
Cliffs, CA: Prentice-Hall, 1984, pp. 2-3.
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Organization Development (OD) is the process of improving organizations. The
process is carefully planned and implemented to benefit the organization, its
employees and its stakeholders. The client organization may be an entire
company, public agency, non-profit organization, volunteer group - or a smaller
part of a larger organization.
The change process supports improvement of the organization or group as a
whole. The client and consultant work together to gather data, define issues and
determine a suitable course of action. The organization is assessed to create an
understanding of the current situation and to identify opportunities for change
that will meet business objectives.
OD differs from traditional consulting because client involvement is
encouraged throughout the entire process. The ways in which people communicate
and work together are addressed concurrently with technical or procedural issues
that need resolution. (Chicago OD Network)
Articles & Websites
Minnesota
Organization Development Network
- Great introduction to the field
Overview
of OD (from Minnesota OD Network)
The
Messy History of OB&D: How Three Strands Came to Be Seen as One Rope
- Eric Dent
Organization
Development Network
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E-LISTS on
OD
Many people find e-lists (or listserves) useful tools for learning and
staying in touch with various professional fields
The OD Network (largest professional association
in that field) has a
number of open listserves. The "main list" is the largest and most active.
Organizational Dynamics A very
active e-list to promote a deeper understanding of organizational
dynamics from a nontraditional perspective. The
overriding objective will be to promote organizational effectiveness by
creating an awareness for how groups and organizations think and operate
at
the irrational and unconscious levels. Discussions typically
include - -Covert and irrational processes in the workplace -Group
dynamics -Narcissistic leadership -Power play in the undercover
organization -Psychosis, neuroses, and toxicity in the workplace -The
interplay of emotions, power, and feelings -Organizational unconscious
and identity -Psychodynamics of team building etc.
Appreciative Inquiry A forum for
individuals interested in learning more about the practice of
Appreciative Inquiry. Questions are welcome, as are case postings,
observations, and other experiences that can help all list subscribers
improve their organization change practice.
Congregational
Development - Exploration of OD in a religious system
(Episcopal Church); a place to ask for and offer help; seek and provide
resources; explore, wonder about and discover issues in congregational
development.
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Organizational
Behavior
and
Organization
Development: Reading List
Organization Development, French & Bell; Prentice Hall,
1995.
Organization Development, W. Burke; Addison-Wesley, Reading,
Mass., 1992.
Practicing Organization Development: A Guide for Consultants, W.
Rothwell, R. Sullivan, G. McLean, Pfeiffer and Co., 1995.
An Experiential Approach to Organization Development, Harvey and
Brown; Prentice Hall, NJ, 1996.
Organization Development & Change, Cummings and Worley, 1997
Organizational Behavior, Schermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn; John Wiley
& Sons, NY, 1997.
Management of Organizational Behavior, Hersey, Blanchard,
Johnson; Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 1996.
Essentials of Organizational Behavior, S. Robbins; Prentice
Hall, 1997.
A Primer on Organizational Behavior, Bowditch and Buono; John
Wiley & Sons, NY, 1997.
The Emerging Practice of Organization Development, Ed. W. Sikes,
A. Drexler, J. Gant, NTL Publ., Alexandria, Vir, 1989.
Leadership and the New Science: Learning about Organizations from an
Orderly Universe, Margaret Wheatley, Berrett-Koehler Publ., 1994.
Practicing Organization Development: The Change Agent
Series for Groups and Organizations -- Jossey-Bass
OD Series
Rewiring
Organizations for the Networked Economy: Organizing, Managing and Leading
in the Information Age
Stanley M. Herman
Organization
Development and Consulting: Perspectives and Foundations
Fred Massarik, Marissa Pei-Carpenter
Relationships
that Enable Enterprise Change: Leveraging the Client-Consultant Connection
Ron A. Carucci, William A. Pasmore
Guiding
Change Journeys: A Synergistic Approach to Organization Transformation
Rebecca Chan Allen
Balancing
Individual and Organizational Values: Walking the Tightrope to Success
Ken Hultman with Bill Gellermann
The
Conscious Consultant: Mastering Change from the Inside Out
Kristine Quade, Renée M. Brown
Finding
Your Way in the Consulting Jungle: A Guidebook for Organization
Development Practitioners
Arthur M. Freedman, Richard E. Zackrison
Facilitating
Organization Change: Lessons From Complexity Science
Edwin E. Olson, Glenda H. Eoyang
Appreciative
Inquiry: Change at the Speed of Imagination
Jane Magruder Watkins, Bernard J. Mohr
Beyond
Change Management: Advanced Strategies for Today's Transformational
Leaders
Dean Anderson, Linda Ackerman Anderson
The
Change Leader's Roadmap: How to Navigate Your Organization's
Transformation
Linda Ackerman Anderson, Dean Anderson
Coming Soon
The Innovation Equation: Building Creativity
and Risk Taking in Your Organization
Jacqueline Byrd and Paul Lockwood Brown
Consulting to Family Businesses: A Practical
Guide to Contracting, Assessment, and Implementation
W. Gibb Dyer, Jr. and Jane Hilburt-Davis
Relationships that Enable Enterprise Change:
Leveraging the Client-Consultant Connection
Ron Carucci, William Pasmore, and the colleagues
of Mercer Delta Consulting
Other Pfeiffer and Jossey-Bass OD Titles
Following is a list of non-series OD books
published by Jossey-Bass or Pfeiffer. Just click on the appropriate title
to get more information.
The
Action Learning Guidebook: A Real-Time Strategy for Problem Solving,
Training Design, and Employee Development
William J. Rothwell
The
Consulting Process in Action, 2nd Edition
Gordon Lippitt and Ronald Lippitt
Douglas
MacGregor, Revisited: Managing the Human Side of Enterprise
Gary Heil, Warren Bennis, and Deborah C. Stephens
Flawless
Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used, Second Edition
Peter Block
Organizational
Culture and Leadership, Second Edition
Edgar H. Schein
Practicing
Organization Development: A Guide for Consultants
William J. Rothwell, Roland Sullivan, and Gary N.
McLean
Addison-Wesley Organization Development
Series
- Organizational
Transitions: Managing Complex Change, Second Edition
- by Richard Beckhard, Richard Beckhard Associates, and
Reuben T. Harris, The Tom Peters Group
- Organizational
Development: Strategies and Models
- by Richard Beckhard, Richard Beckhard Associates
- Organizational
Development: Its Nature, Origins and Prospects
- by Warren G. Bennis, University of Southern California
- Designing
Complex Organizations
- by Jay Galbraith, University of Southern California
- Developing
Organizations: Diagnosis and Action
- by Paul R. Lawrence, and Jay W. Lorsch, Harvard University
- Process
Consultation: Its Role in Organization Development, Volume I, Second
Edition
- by Edgar H. Schein, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Process
Consultation: Lessons for Managers and Consultants, Volume II
- by Edgar H. Schein, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Integrated
Strategic Change: How OD Builds Competitive Advantage
- by Christopher G. Worley and David E. Hitchin both of
Peppperdine University, and Walter L. Ross, Covey
Leadership Center
- Organization
Development: A Process of Learning and Changing, Second Edition
- by W. Warner Burke, Columbia University
- Managing
Transitions: Making the Most of Change
- by William Bridges, Mills College
- The
Change Riders
- by Gary Kissler, Andersen Consulting
- Change
by Design
- by Robert R. Blake, Jane Srygley Mouton and Anne Adams McCanse, all
of Scientific Methods, Inc.
- Organizational
Transitions: Managing Complex Change, Second Edition
- by Richard Beckhard, Richard Beckhard Associates, and
Reuben T. Harris, The Tom Peters Group
- Stream
Analysis: A Powerful Way to Diagnose and Manage Organizational Change
- by Jerry I. Porras, Stanford University
- Organizational
Dynamics: Diagnosis and Intervention
- by John P. Kotter, Harvard University
- Integrated
Strategic Change: How OD Builds Competitive Advantage
- by Christopher G. Worley and David E. Hitchin both of
Peppperdine University, and Walter L. Ross, Covey
Leadership Center
- Competing
with Flexible Lateral Organizations
- by Jay R. Galbraith, University of Southern Florida
- The
Dynamics of Organizational Levels: A Change Framework for Managers and
Consultants
- by Nicholas S. Rashford, St. Joseph's University and David
Coghlan, National College of Industrial Relations, Dublin
- Parallel
Learning Structures: Creating Innovations in Bureaucracies
- by Gervase Bushe, Simon Fraser University, and A.B. Shani, California
Polytechnic State University
- Self-Designing
Organizations: Learning How to Create High Performance
- by Susan Albers Mohrman and Thomas G. Cummings, both of The
Graduate School of Business -- University of Southern California
- Desiging
Organizations for High Performance
- by David P. Hanna, The Proctor and Gamble Company
- Work
Redesign
- by J. Richard Hackman, Yale University, and Greg R. Oldman,
Univeristy of Illinois
- Pay
and Organization Development
- by Edward E. Lawler, Consultant
- Matrix
- by Stanley M. Davis, Columbia University, Graduate
School of Business and Boston University's School of Management,
and Paul R. Lawrence, Harvard University Graduate, School of
Business Administration
- Integrated
Strategic Change: How OD Builds Competitive Advantage
- by Christopher G. Worley and David E. Hitchin both of
Peppperdine University, and Walter L. Ross, Covey
Leadership Center
- Self-Designing
Organizations: Learning How to Create High Performance
- by Susan Albers Mohrman and Thomas G. Cummings, both of The
Graduate School of Business -- University of Southern California
- Desiging
Organizations for High Performance
- by David P. Hanna, The Proctor and Gamble Company
- Process
Consultation: Its Role in Organization Development, Volume I, Second
Edition
- by Edgar H. Schein, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Process
Consultation: Lessons for Managers and Consultants, Volume II
- by Edgar H. Schein, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Organizational
Transitions: Managing Complex Change, Second Edition
- by Richard Beckhard, Richard Beckhard Associates, and Reuben T.
Harris, The Tom Peters Group
- Feedback
and Organization Development: Using Data-Based Methods
- by David A. Nadler, Columbia University
- The
Conflict-Positive Organization: Stimulate Diversity and Create Unity
- by Dean Tjosvold, Simon Fraser University
- Power
and Organization Development
- by Larry Greiner, University of Southern California, and
Virginia Schein, Gettysburg College
- Managing
Conflict: Interpersonal Dialogue and Third Party Roles, Second Edition
- by Richard E. Walton, Harvard University
- Managing
in the New Team Environment: Skills, Tools, and Methods
- by Larry Hirschhorn, Wharton Center for Applied Research
-
- Change
by Design
- by Robert R. Blake, Jane Srygley Mouton and Anne Adams McCanse, all
of Scientific Methods, Inc.
- Team
Building: Issues and Alternatives, Second Edition
- by William G. Dyer, Brigham Young University
- Integrated
Strategic Change: How OD Builds Competitive Advantage
- by Christopher G. Worley and David E. Hitchin both of
Peppperdine University, and Walter L. Ross, Covey
Leadership Center
- Becoming
a Learning Organization
- by J. Swieringa and AFM Wierdsma, both of Free University of
Amsterdam
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- The
Technology Connection: Strategy and Change in the Information Age
- by Marc S. Gerstein, President, Marc Gerstein Associates, Ltd.
- Career
Dynamics: Matching Individual and Organizational Needs
- by Edgar H. Schein, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
OD
videos - from
the Greater Boston OD Video Library
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