Organization development
Encyclopedia : O : OR : ORG : Organization development
Organization development, according to Richard Beckhard, is defined as:
- (1) a planned effort
- (2) organization-wide
- (3) managed from the top
- (4) to increase organization effectiveness and health
- (5) through planned interventions in the organization's 'processes', using behavioural science knowledge"
According to Warren Bennis, organization development (OD) is a complex strategy intended to change the beliefs, attitudes, values, and structure of organizations so that they can better adapt to new technologies, markets, and challenges.
Warner Burke emphasizes that OD is not just "anything done to better an organization"; it is a particular kind of change process designed to bring about a particular kind of end result. OD involves organizational reflection, system improvement, planning, and self-analysis.
Definition
At the core of OD is the concept of an organization, defined as two or more people working together toward one or more shared goals. Development in this context is the notion that an organization may become more effective over time at achieving its goals.History
Kurt Lewin (1898 - 1947) is widely recognized as the founding father of OD, although he died before the concept became current in the mid-1950s. From Lewin came the ideas of group dynamics, and action research, which underpins the basic OD process, as well as providing its collaborative consultant/client ethos. Institutionally, Lewin founded the Research Center for Group Dynamics at MIT, which moved to Michigan after his death. RCGD colleagues were among those who founded the National Training Laboratory (NTL), from which the T-group and group based OD emerged. In the UK, working as close as was possible with Lewin and his colleagues the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations was important in developing systems theories. Important too was the joint TIHR journal Human Relations; although nowadays the Journal of Applied Behavioral Sciences is seen as the leading OD journal.
Currently
OD is taught in many institutions worldwide, with no-one legitimately being able to claim to be the center of OD training. The leading institutions include the TIHR, Bowling Green State University, Case Western Reserve University, Claremont Graduate University, Pepperdine, Phillips Graduate Institute, the University of Southern California, Alliant University, Sheffield Hallam University in England and Assumption University of Thailand.
Important figures
The OD field, which emerged in the first half of the 20th century, has been influenced by many figures including:
- Richard Beckhard
- Kenneth Benne
- Robert R. Blake
- Leland Bradford
- W. Warner Burke []
- Tom Cummings
- Fred Emery
- Elliott Jaques
- Kurt Lewin
- Rensis Likert
- Gordon Lippitt
- Ronald Lippitt
- Jane Mouton
- Edgar Schein
- Peter Senge
- Eric Trist
OD topics
Topics in OD include:
- Action research
- Diversity management
- Employee research
- Group process
- Knowledge management
- Leadership development
- Managing change
- Meetings
- Organizational communication
- Organizational culture
- Organizational learning
- Organizational performance
- Performance improvement
- Process improvement
- Storytelling
- Strategic planning
- Succession planning
- Systems intelligence
- Systems thinking
- Team building
- T-groups
- Quality
Milestones
OD in context
OD is related to:
- Coaching
- Facilitation
- Human resources
- Industrial and organizational psychology
- Training & Development
- Change Management
External links
- [An overview of OD tools]
- [www.odinstitute.org] — The most frequently cited OD publication in the world
- [www.theodcompany.com] — An intro to OD
- [OD Glossary] - A glossary of OD Terms
- [www.orgdct.com] — reading list
- [Is OD still relevant?] by Chris Worley
- [Multi-Axial Modular Organizational Survey]
Professional associations for OD practitioners
- [The Society for Industrial Organizational Psychology]
- [The Organization Development Network]
- [The Organization Development Institute]
- [The American Society for Training & Development]
- [The Association of Internal Management Consultants] The nationwide network of corporate OD professionals
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