1. CAIRO UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF COMMERCE
MBA PROGRAM-BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
SECOND YEAR-ENGLISH
Introduction to OD
Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed Salem
11/6/2009

2. November 6, 2009 [INTRODUCTION TO OD]
Introduction to OD
History of OD
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 underpin 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 Laboratories (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. In the late 1960s organizational development was implemented in
organizations via consultants, but was relatively unknown as a theory of practice and
had no common definition among its practitioners. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s
organizational development became a more established field with courses and
programs being offered in business, education, and administration curricula. In the
1990s and 2000s organizational development continued to grow and evolve and its
influences could be seen in theories and strategies such as total quality management
(TQM), team building, job enrichment, and reengineering. Important too was the
joint TIHR journal Human Relations, although nowadays the Journal of Applied
Behavioral Sciences is seen as the leading OD journal.
The term "Organization Development" is often used interchangeably with
Organizational effectiveness, especially when used as the name of a department
within an organization. Organization Development is a growing field that is
responsive to many new approaches including Positive Adult Development.
Definitions of OD
Organization development (OD) is defined as a planned, top-down, organization-
wide effort to increase the organization's effectiveness and health. It 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. It is a particular kind of change process designed to bring about a
particular kind of end result. OD can involve interventions in the organization's
"processes," using behavioral science knowledge as well as organizational reflection,
system improvement, planning, and self-analysis.
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3. November 6, 2009 [INTRODUCTION TO OD]
OD is a long range effort to improve organization's problem solving and renewal
processes, particularly through more effective and collaborative management of
organizational culture, often with the assistance of a change agent or catalyst and
the use of the theory and technology of applied behavioral science.
Organization development is a "contractual relationship between a change agent
and a sponsoring organization entered into for the purpose of using applied
behavioral science in a systems context to improve organizational performance and
the capacity of the organization to improve itself.
Organization development is an ongoing, systematic process to implement effective
change in an organization. Organization development is known as both a field of
applied behavioral science focused on understanding and managing organizational
change and as a field of scientific study and inquiry. It is interdisciplinary in nature
and draws on sociology, psychology, and theories of motivation, learning, and
personality.
Some Other Definitions of OD
Burke (1982) “Planned process of change in an organization’s culture through the
utilization of behavioral science technologies, research, and theory.
French & Bell “A long-range effort to improve an organization’s (1978) problem
solving and renewal processes, particularly through a more effective and
collaborative management of an organization culture . . . with the assistance of a
change agent, or catalyst, and the use of the theory and technology of applied
behavioral science, including action research.
Margulies & “A value-based process of self-assessment and Raia (1972) planned
change, involving specific strategies and technology, aimed at improving the overall
effectiveness of an organizational system.
Porras & “Planned, behavioral science-based interventions in Robertson work
settings for the purpose of improving (1992) organizational functioning and
individual development.
Jamieson, Bach “Long-term, planned changes in the culture, Kallick, & Kur
technology, and management of a total (1984) organization or at least a significant
part of the total organization.
Warrick (1984) “Planned, long-range systems and primarily behavioral science
strategy for understanding, developing, and changing organizations to improve their
present and future effectiveness and health.
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4. November 6, 2009 [INTRODUCTION TO OD]
Organization development is a planned process of promoting positive humanistically
oriented large-system change and improvement in organizations through the use of
social science theory, action research, and behaviorally based data collection and
feedback techniques.
Regardless of the definition that one subscribes to, however, it should be apparent
when reviewing these definitions that although they differ on several important
dimensions—for example, some focus on the importance of technology in the
change process, whereas others explicitly mention top management support, and
still others reference values explicitly—they share common components as well.
Given the nature of these definitions and the experience in and exposure to others
in the field over the past decade, the OD should be conceptualized as representing
three essential components.
First and perhaps foremost, OD is fundamentally a data-driven process; diagnosis
and intervention are based on some form of behaviorally relevant data (such as
observations, assessments, and surveys) collected through a process known as
action research.
Second, the OD model represents a total systems approach to organizational change
in which this change is a formal and planned response to targeted organization-wide
issues, problems, and challenges.
Finally, although this component is controversial and by no means universally
accepted as yet (Church, Burke, & Van Eynde, 1994), it is believed that values
represent a third key component to the field. OD is (or should be) a normative and
humanistic values-based approach to organizational improvement. In short, OD work
should be focused on and conducted for the good of the individual, as well as the
good of the organization. Although balancing issues of effectiveness and profitability
are certainly important for economic success and survival, it is argued that an OD
approach does not prioritize these concerns over the human perspective.
Characteristics of OD
Long term plane:
It is planned and long-term–the process is based on gathering data and planned with
the expectation of changes taking years.
Change:
OD is a planned strategy to bring about organizational change. The change effort
aims at specific objectives and is based on a diagnosis of problem areas.
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5. November 6, 2009 [INTRODUCTION TO OD]
Change Agent:
It involves change agent–there is a distinct role for an active facilitator and
ombudsmen of the process, to ensure that changes are real; he stimulate, facilitate,
and coordinate change.
Action oriented:
It’s action-oriented–instead of being descriptive of necessary changes, organizational
development is diagnostic and prescriptive, seeking measurable results.
Collaborative:
OD is typically involves a collaborative approach to change that includes
involvement and participation of the organization members most affected by the
changes.
Performance:
OD programs include an emphasis on ways to improve and enhance performance
and quality.
Learning:
It involves learning principles–individuals, groups and managers at all levels of the
organization must re-learn how to function together. Managers who embrace
organizational development must be committed to effecting fundamental changes in
the organization. The learners' experiences in the training environment should be
the kind of human problems they encounter at work. The training should NOT be all
theory and lecture.
Systems orientation:
OD represents a system approach concerned with the interrelationship of divisions,
departments, groups, and individuals as interdependent subsystems of the total
organization, must work together.
Scientific:
OD is based upon scientific approaches to increase organization effectiveness.
Humanistic Values:
Positive beliefs about the potential of employees.
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6. November 6, 2009 [INTRODUCTION TO OD]
Problem Solving:
It is problem-oriented–a multidisciplinary approach is taken to apply theory and
research to effect solutions; problems are identified, data is gathered, corrective
action is taken, progress is assessed, and adjustments in the problem solving process
are made as needed. This process is known as Action Research.
Contingency Orientation:
Actions are selected and adapted to fit the need.
Levels of Interventions:
Problems can occur at one or more level in the organization so the strategy will
require one or more interventions.
Key features of successful OD
1) The organization's environment,
2) The organization itself,
3) Initial contact for the OD projects,
4) Formal entry procedures and commitment,
5) data-gathering activities,
6) Internal and
7) External change agent characteristics, and
8) Exit procedures.
Researches indicated an absence of single dimensions that are either essential or
sufficient to distinguish between the successful and unsuccessful organizations.
Three general areas, however, did serve to differentiate organizations in the two
categories:
1. Organizations that are more open to and involved in adjusting to change are more
likely to be successful in their OD effort than are those that are more stable and
status-quo oriented.
2. Internal change agents who are more carefully selected did not receive training
prior to the current OD efforts, and who possess assessment-prescriptive skills is
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7. November 6, 2009 [INTRODUCTION TO OD]
most evident in the successful organizations. 3. More specific interest in and greater
commitment to the OD projects are associated with successful change.
References
1. Smith, 1998, p261. Training and Development in Australia
2. Richard Arvid Johnson. Management, systems, and society: an introduction. Pacific
Palisades, Calif.: Goodyear Pub. Co..
3. Richard Beckhard (1969). Organization development: strategies and models.
Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley. pp. 114. ISBN 0876205406 9780876205402.
OCLC 39328.
4. Wendell L French; Cecil Bell. Organization development: behavioral science
interventions for organization improvement. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall.
5. Richard Arvid Johnson (1976). Management, systems, and society : an introduction.
Pacific Palisades, Calif.: Goodyear Pub. Co.. pp. 223–229. ISBN 0876205406
9780876205402. OCLC 2299496.
6. Bradford, D.L. & Burke, W.W.(eds), 2005, Reinventing Organization Development.
San Francisco: Pfeiffer.
7. deKler, M. (2007). Healing emotional trauma in organizations: An O.D. Framework
and case study. Organizational Development Journal, 25(2), 49-56.
8. Kurt Lewin (1958). Group Decision and Social Change. New York: Holt, Rinehart
and Winston. pp. 201.
9. Richard Arvid Johnson (1976). Management, systems, and society: an introduction.
Pacific Palisades, Calif.: Goodyear Pub. Co.. pp. 224–226. ISBN 0876205406
9780876205402. OCLC 2299496.
10. Wendell L French; Cecil Bell (1973). Organization development: behavioral science
interventions for organization improvement. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall.
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11. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, Vol. 12, No. 4, 471-492 (1976)
DOI: 10.1177/002188637601200402
12. Gibson, J.L., Ivancevich, J.M., & Donnelly, J.H., Jr. (1994). Organizations:
Behavior, structure, processes (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Irwin.
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