Oc 6440 future directions of od

1. Organization Development and Change
Thomas G. Cummings
Christopher G. Worley
Future Directions in
Organization Development

2. Cummings & Worley, 8e
(c)2005 Thomson/South-Western
23-2
Learning Objectives
for Chapter Twenty Three
• To explore the trends affecting how OD is
likely to be practiced in the future
• To explore how OD is likely to change in
the future

3. Cummings & Worley, 8e
(c)2005 Thomson/South-Western
23-3
Trends Affecting OD Practice
• Traditional Trends
– Wealth is becoming more concentrated
− Economy is more globalized
− Ideologies are shifting from consumption
to coexistence and ecological
sustainability

4. Cummings & Worley, 8e
(c)2005 Thomson/South-Western
23-4
Trends Affecting OD Practice
• Pragmatic Trends
− Workforce is becoming older, more
diverse, more educated
− Shift toward contingent employment &
change in psychological contract
− No careers

5. Cummings & Worley, 8e
(c)2005 Thomson/South-Western
23-5
Trends Affecting OD Practice
• Scholarly Trends
– Emphasis on values of understanding,
prediction, and control
– Search for variables that explain change
and effectiveness

6. Cummings & Worley, 8e
(c)2005 Thomson/South-Western
23-6
Trends within OD Practice
• Organization Development Will…
−Have more conflict in the short term
− Be more integrated in the long term

7. Cummings & Worley, 8e
(c)2005 Thomson/South-Western
23-7
Contextual Trends and Their
Effects on OD’s Future
Organization
Development
will be:• More embedded in the
organization’s operations
• More technologically
enabled
• Shorter OD cycle times
• More interdisciplinary
• More diverse in client
organizations
• More cross-cultural
• More concerned with
ecological sustainability
Economy
Workforce
Technology
Organizations

8. Cummings & Worley, 8e
(c)2005 Thomson/South-Western
23-8
The Future of OD
• More embedded in the organization’s
culture
• More technologically enabled
• Shorter OD cycle times
• More interdisciplinary
• More diverse client organizations
• More cross-cultural
• Greater focus on ecological sustainability