Organization Development

Unit -I
 Organization development is a systematic process for
applying behavioral science principles and practices' in
organizations to increase individual and organization
development.
 Emerged from the insights of
 Planned change
 Group dynamics
 the major goals of OD programs are
 To improve the functioning of individuals, teams and the total
organization
 To teach organization members how to continuously improve
their own functions
Preview
 Planned change
 Deliberate/ accidental
 Revolutionary/ evolutionary
 Fundamental/ second order change
 OD as a distinctive consulting method
 OD as a process that focuses on organizational culture,
processes, and structures
The action research model
 Preliminary diagnosis
 Data gathering from the client group
 Data feedback to the client group
 Exploration of the data by the client group
 Action planning by the client group
 Action taking by the client group
 Evaluation and assessment of the results of the actions by the
client group
Definitions:
 Organization development is an effort planned , organization
wide, managed from the top to increase organization
effectiveness an health through planned interventions in the
organizations processes using behavioral science knowledge.

 OD can be defined as a planned and sustained effort to apply

behavioral science for system improvement using reflexive,
self analytic methods.
Recent definitions:
 OD is a set of behavioral science- based theories, values,
strategies and techniques aimed at the planned change of the
organizational work setting for the purpose of enhancing
individual development and improving organizational
performance through the alteration of organizational
member’ on the job behaviors
 OD is a systematic application of behavioral science
knowledge to the planned development and reinforcement of
organizational strategies, structures and processes for
improving an organization’s effectiveness.
Important definition:
 OD is a long term effort, led and supported by top
management , to improve an organization’s visioning,
empowerment, learning and problem solving process
through an ongoing collaborative management of
organization culture- with special emphasis on the culture of
intact work teams and other team configurations- using the
consultant facilitator role and the theory and technology of
applied behavioral science , including action research.
Characteristics :
 OD focuses on culture and process
 OD encourages collaboration between organizational leaders
and members in managing culture and processes
 Teams of all kinds are particularly important for
accomplishing tasks and are targets for OD activities
 OD focuses on the human and social side of the organization
and in so doing also intervenes in the technological an
structural sides
 Participation and involvement in the problem solving and
decision making by all levels of the organization are hall
marks of OD
Contd.,
 OD focuses on total system change and views organizations as
complex social system.
 OD practitioners are facilitators, collaborators and co-learners
with the client system.
 An overarching goal is to make the client system able to solve its
problems on its own by teaching the skills and knowledge of
continuous learning through self analytical methods.
 OD views organization improvement as an ongoing process in the
context of constantly changing environment.
 OD relies on an action research model with extensive
participation by client system members.
 OD takes a development view that seeks the betterment of both
individuals and the Organization.
History of OD:
Hawthorne
experiment – Berger
and Elton mayo

T- Group – 1946
Kurt lewin

Socio-technical
system- Tavistock
1920

Survey feedback
research
Second generation of OD
 Organizational transformation
 Organizational culture
 Learning organization
 Intensified interest in TQM
 Interest in Teams
 Visioning & future search
 Whole system into room
 Reengineering –BPR & core process redesign.
 , and

: Proposition about how the world works that the

individual accepts it as true.
: beliefs about what is desirable or good and what is
undesirable or bad
: Valuable & obviously correct that they are
taken for granted & rarely examined or questioned.
Humanistic
Optimistic
Democratic
 Implications for dealing with individuals
 Implications for dealing with group
 Implication for designing & running
Organizations
Foundations of OD
 Models & theories of planned change
 Systems theory
 Participations and empowerment
 Teams & team work
 Parallel learning structures
 A normative re-educative strategy of changing
 Applied behavioral science
 Action research
 Models and theories

Planned
Features Variables Relationship Literature
change
Kurt Lewin:
 Unfreezing :
 Disconfirmation or lack of confirmation
 Creation of guilt or anxiety
 Provision of psychological safety
 Moving
 Identifying with a new role model mentor etc
 Scanning the environment for new relevant information
 Refreezing
 The total personality and self concept
 Significant relationships
Ronald Lippitt:
 Developing a need for change
 Establishing a change relationship
 Clarifying or diagnosing the client system’s problems
 Examining alternative routes and goals
 Transforming intentions into actual change efforts
 Generalizing and stabilizing change
 Achieving a terminal relationship
Ralph Kilmann(total system change)
 Initiating the program
 Diagnosing the problems
 Scheduling the tracks
 Implementing the tracks
 Evaluating the results
 Kilmann 5 critical leverage points:
 The culture tracks
 The management tracks
 The team building tracks
 The strategy structure track
 The reward system track
Burke -Litwin
 First order change
 Second order change

 Organization climate
 Organizational culture
Porras and Robertson model

 OD interventions alter features of the work setting causing

changes in individuals behaviors' which in turn lead to
individual and organizational improvements.
Systems theory

Transforming
Input outputs
mechanism
Congruence among system elements

Formal
input Strategy Work output
organization
 Socio technical system theory and open system planning
 Scanning the environment
 Developing scenarios of possible features both realistic and
ideal
 Developing the action plans
 Open systems thinking- learning organizations
Participation & empowerment

Participation Empowerment

Leadership Open book

challenge management
Teams & team work:
 Fundamental beliefs
 Why teams are important for many reasons

 Parallel learning structures:

 Co-lateral learning organization
 Parallel learning structures
Normative re-educative strategy of
changing
 Empirical rational self interest
 Normative re-educative
 Power coercive strategy

 Applied behavioral science

 Action research
Systems outlook:
 Third wave management
 Agricultural revolution
 Industrial revolution
 Information and technology revolution

 Practices
 Assess the potential for action
 Get the whole system into room
 Focus on the future
 Structure the tasks that people can do for themselves.

 Organization transformation.
Ethics in Organization development:
 Ethical dilemmas
 Mis representation of the data
 Mis use of Data
 Coercion
 Values and goal conflict
 Technical ineptness

Contd.,
Responsibilities to overcome ethical
issues

Responsibility to ourselves

Responsibility to professional development and competence

Responsibility to clients

Responsibility to the OD community

Social responsibility