Organizational

Development

DEFINITION
Organizational development is a long-term
effort led and supported by top management,
to improve an organization's visioning,
empowerment, learning, and problem-solving
processes, through an ongoing, collaborative
management of organizational culture-with
special emphasis on the consultantfacilitator role and the theory and technology
of applied behavioral science, including
participant action research.

Features of OD
Planned activity diagnosing problems,
implementing plan
OD effects entire organization ripple
effects
OD requires support all levels
OD aims to improve organizational
effectiveness and health
Goals flow from deliberate interventions

OD Key Characteristics
OD initiated in response to need/problem turnover, absenteeism, low job satisfaction =
reactive
Often conducted by outside consultant gives
independence
Views organization as a system
interdependent set of components
Involves extensive planning: deal with
resistance, systematic diagnosis, develop
change plan, get buy in etc

OD Key Characteristics
Interventions based on behavioural science
knowledge/theory large range available
Processes often experiential
Process can take relatively long time never
really finished
Should conclude with formal evaluation of results

Reasons for OD
External:

*Knowledge explosion
*Competitor pressure
*Changing employee demands want
more decision-making and responsibility
want empowerment

Internal:

*identified problem/s turnover etc

*natural growth stages

Pre down-sizing structure

Post down-sizing structure

The OD Process
Its success can determine an
organizations future survival
A key process component is overcoming
resistance to change
Without buy-in the best OD efforts can fail

Action Research

OD INTERVENTIONS
A sequence of planned activities,
actions, and events intended to help
an
organization
improve
its
performance and effectiveness

INTERVENTIONS
Team: team building, force field analysis
Intergroup: fish bowl, organisation mirror
Interpersonal: sensitivity training,
transactional analysis
Structural: job redesign, quality circles,
socio-technical system