CAIRO UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF COMMERCE
MBA PROGRAM-BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
SECOND YEAR-ENGLISH

Introduction to OD
Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed Salem
11/6/2009

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
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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.
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 organizations
culture through the utilization of behavioral science technologies,
research, and theory.
French & Bell A long-range effort to improve an organizations
(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.

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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.
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 dimensionsfor example, some
focus on the importance of technology in the change process,
whereas others explicitly mention top management support, and
still others reference values explicitlythey 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
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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-termthe 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.

Change Agent:
It involves change agentthere 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:
Its action-orientedinstead 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 principlesindividuals, groups and managers at
all levels of the organization must re-learn how to function together.
Managers who embrace organizational development must be
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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.

Problem Solving:
It is problem-orienteda 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,
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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 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. 223229. 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.

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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. 224226. 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.
chapter 8. ISBN 0136416624 9780136416623 0136416543 9780136416548. OCLC
314258.
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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