Introduction

Organizational development is an ongoing, systematic process to implement

effective change in an organization. Organizational 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
Definitions of OD
OD as is an effort that is (1) planned, (2) organization-wide, and (3)
managed from the top, to(4) increase organization effectiveness and health
through (5) planned interventions in theorganizations processes, using
behavioral-science knowledge.
Richard Beckhard (1969)
Organization development is a response to change, a complex educational
strategy intended to change beliefs, attitudes, values, and structures of
organizations so that they can better adapt tonew technologies, markets,
and challenges, and the dizzying rate of change itself.
Warren Bennis (1969)
Organization development is a system wide application and transfer of
behavioral science knowledge to the planned development, improvement,
and reinforcement of strategies, structures, and processes that lead to
organization effectiveness.
Cummings and Worley (2005)
Organization development is a long-term effort, led and supported by top
management, to improve an organizations visioning, empowerment,
learning, and problem-solving processes, through an on-going, collaborative
management of organization culture - with special emphasis on the culture of
intact work teams and other team configurations - utilizing the consultant
facilitator role and the theory and technology applied behavioral science,
including action research.
French & Bell (1995)
Process of Organization Development

Desired Outcomes/Goals of OD
_ Advance organizational renewal
_ Engage organization culture change
_ Enhance profitability and competitiveness
_ Ensure health and well-being of organizations and employees
_ Facilitate learning and development
_ Improve problem solving
_ Increase effectiveness
_ Initiate and/or manage change
_ Strengthen system and process improvement
_ Support adaptation to change
Characteristics/Nature of OD
OD is an interdisciplinary and primarily behavioral science approach that
draws from such fields as organization behavior, management, business,
psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics, education, counseling, and
public administration.
_ A primary, though not exclusive, goal of OD is to improve organizational
effectiveness.
_ The target of the change effort is the whole organization, departments,
work groups, or individuals within the organization and may extend to
include a community, nation, or region.
_ OD recognizes the importance of top managements commitment, support,
and involvement. It also affirms a bottom-up approach when the culture of
the organization supports such efforts to improve an organization.

_ It is a planned and long-range strategy for managing change, while also

recognizing that the dynamic environment in which an organization operates
requires the ability to respond quickly to changing circumstances.
_ The major focus of OD is on the total system and its interdependent parts.
_ OD uses a collaborative approach that involves those affected by the
change in the change process.
_ It is an education-based program designed to develop values, attitudes,
norms, and
management practices that result in a healthy organization climate that
rewards healthy behavior. OD is driven by humanistic values.
_ It is a data-based approach to understanding and diagnosing organizations.
_ It is guided by a change agent, change team, or line management
whose primary role is that of facilitator, teacher, and coach rather than
subject matter expert.
_ It recognizes the need for planned follow-up to maintain changes.
_ It involves planned interventions and improvements in an organizations
processes andstructures and requires skills in working with individuals,
groups, and whole organizations. It is primarily driven by action research
(AR).
When and Why Should an Organization Use OD(scope)?
OD can be applied any time an organization wants to make planned
improvements using the OD values. OD might be used in any of the following
situations:
_ To develop or enhance the organizations mission statement (statement
of purpose) or vision statement for what it wants to be
_ To help align functional structures in an organization so they are working
together for a common purpose
_ To create a strategic plan for how the organization is going to make
decisions about its future and achieving that future
_ To manage conflict that exists among individuals, groups, functions, sites,
and so on, when such conflicts disrupt the ability of the organization to
function in a healthy way
_ To put in place processes that will help improve the ongoing operations of
the organization on a continuous basis
_ To create a collaborative environment that helps the organization be more
effective and efficient
_ To create reward systems that are compatible with the goals of the
organization
_ To assist in the development of policies and procedures that will improve
the ongoing
operation of the organization
_ To assess the working environment, to identify strengths on which to build
and areas in which change and improvement are needed

_ To provide help and support for employees, especially those in senior

positions, who need an opportunity to be coached in how to do their jobs
better
_ To assist in creating systems for providing feedback on individual
performance and, on occasion, conducting studies to give individuals
feedback and coaching to help them in their individual development.
History of OD
The four major trunk/ stems of OD are as under:
(a) T- Group (Laboratory Training) Innovations are carried out to solve
complex organizational problems through laboratory training.
(b) Survey research and feedback methodology.
(c) Action research.
(d) Socio-technical and socio-clinical approaches.
(a) T- Group (Laboratory Training): Kurt Lewin had established a research
center called Research Center for Group Dynamics (RCGDs) at MIT in 1945.
Laboratory training methodology was practiced in the center to develop
organization. Study of group dynamics, change process and action research
was jointly carried out by distinguish people like Marian Radke, Leon
Festinger, Ronald Lippitt and Dorwin Cartwright. A leader carried out sessions
and feedback at the end of the day was practiced. That is how T Group
emerged. Organizational development included training into applied
behaviour science, role-playing, concept in learning and change,
transactional analysis and studies of environment. The T-group focused on
group
and leadership processes where the participants learnt from their own action
and the groups evolving dynamics.
(b) Survey research and feedback methodology: Developing reliable
questionnaires, collecting data from personnel, analyzing it for trends, and
feeding the results back to everyone for action planning.
(c) Action research: It is an iterative process of diagnosing, taking action,
re-diagnosing and taking new action.
(d) Socio-technical and socio-clinical approaches: Integrate social
requirements of employees with technical requirements needed to do the
work in provided environment.
Second generation OD
Second generation OD efforts revolved around the following lines:
(a) Change is a continuous phenomenon: Organizations are required to
study external and internal environmental factors, identification of
drawbacks, obsolescence and carryout change. The change may take place
in organizational structure, work design, processes and various operational
systems. Change is required to be undertaken for organizational growth.
There are two basic strategies of change namely (1) Fundamental change
strategy and (2) Incremental change strategy.
(b) Organizational transformation: It refers to carrying out fundamental
change in the organization. It is a commitment made by high-level

managerial staff to carry out modification to existing systems. It is a systems

approach. Organizational culture is required to be changed to adjust to the
external environment.
(c) Learning organization: An organization that has developed the
continuous capacity to adapt and change. An all out effort is required on the
part of managers to keep its employees educated on the latest technology,
systems, knowhow and processes for ex. By conducting workshops with top
management teams for strategy formulation and learning. It is a part and
parcel of the OD requirement.
(d) Total quality management: Edward Deming and Crosby have done
pioneering work on Total Quality Management (TQM). TQM involves
employee involvement, teamwork, decisionmaking, problem-solving, high
level involvement, adopting a work culture aimed at growth and quality of
product and services. TQM requires total commitment, removing fear
psychosis caused due to failure at lower levels, development of successful
work culture and continuous improvement.
(e) Visioning: Visioning envisages as to what the organization would look
like in the future. It is related to the shape in terms of HR facilities, the
growth and the needs of people it is likely to fulfill. Based on the vision,
database is required to be built, leading to interpretation of information,
arriving at suitable decisions and setting a course of action leading to
growth. Visioning refers to looking at the organization in totality.
(f) Virtual organizations: Getting whole system in one room, evolving
action plan and
implementation.
(g)Business Process Re-engineering (BPR): Thorough rethinking of all
business processes, job definitions, management systems, organizational
structure, work flow,
and underlying assumptions and beliefs. BPR's main objective is to break
away from old ways of working, and effect radical (not incremental) redesign
of processes to achieve dramatic improvements in critical areas (such as
cost, quality, service, and response time) through the in-depth use of
information technology. It is also called business process redesign.