WHAT IS ORGANISATION DEVELOPMENT? We are often asked this question as to what is consulting in Organization Development?

Often asked this question because currently theres no agreement on the meaning of the term organization development, and it is still less clear what a consultant in organization development is. That is why I am going to explain what we mean by that. We firmly believe that only companies having an internal structure corresponding to their goals are able to develop successfully. That is why our main goal is to help our clients to organize their internal resources in the most efficient way for their development. For instance, to distribute functions and authority, to create transparent system of interaction and control, to develop a common set of values, to unite various divisions into an efficient team for the purpose of performing clearly defined tasks... For us the key term is development. And development is a process, and this implies the fact that besides analysis and advice, helping to carry out organizational changes is also a significant part of our work. My approach from the very beginning would be from simple to complex issues for better comprehension of all the concepts both in particular and in general. Therefore before discussing the intervention techniques I would like you to be acquainted with the basic concepts like: What is OD? What is the Historical background of OD? Foundations of OD Change and OD Organization Culture and OD What is Organization Development? An organization is a system consisting of four interacting subsystems: structure, technology, people and task. Structure refers to the formal interactions within the organization as evidenced in the organizational chart or organ gram. Task refers to the set of activities to be performed. In other words, the behavioral specification associated with a job. Technology relates to the level of sophistication determining the workflow and performance of jobs in an organization. Higher technology, most often, means higher job knowledge and skills of employees. Organizations may be classified as to their level of technology: high, medium, low or obsolete. People variable refers to the human input in the organization i.e., individuals (in terms of their physical and mental skills, personality etc.) working in the organization. Organization as a system can be changed and developed to achieve its goals in the best possible way. The goals of an organization generally are: survival, stability, profitability, growth and service to society. From one organization to another, the goal or goals may differ depending upon at what stage of development the organization is. Organization can achieve its goal if it is able to respond to changes within the external and internal environment. The external environment is in terms of forces in the social, political, economic and cultural factors. Competition from similar organizations, changing needs of the public, knowledge explosion, and rapid growth of technology All constitute threat to organizational effectiveness. Organization has also to take into cognizance its internal environment, which includes existing structure, technology, needs and expectations of its people and the changing scenario of labor force.