A planned systematic process in which applied behavioural science principles and practices
are introduced into an ongoing organization towards the goals of effecting organizational
improvement, greater organizational competence, and greater organizational
effectiveness. The focus is on organizations and their improvement or, to put it another
way, total systems change. The orientation is on action – achieving desired results as a
result of planned activities.
The classic and ambitious approach to OD was described by Bennis (1960) as follows: ‘Organization development (OD) is a response to change, a complex educational strategy intended to change the beliefs, attitudes, values, and structure of organizations so that they can better adapt to new technologies, markets, and challenges, and the dizzying rate of change itself.’
Origins of OD
The origin of OD can be traced to the work of Kurt Lewin (1947, 1951), who developed the concept of group dynamics (the phrase was first coined in 1939). Group dynamics is concerned with the ways in which groups evolve and how people in groups behave and interact. Lewin founded the Research Centre for Group Dynamics in 1945 and out of this emerged the process of ‘T-group’ or sensitivity training, in which participants in an unstructured group learn from their own interaction and the evolving dynamics of the group. T-group laboratory training became one of the fundamental OD processes. Lewin also pioneered action research approaches.
The formative years of OD
During the 1950s and 1960s behavioural scientists such as Argyris, Beckhard, Bennis, Blake, McGregor, Schein, Shepart and Tannenbaum developed the concepts and approaches that together represented ‘OD’. They defined the scope, purpose and philosophy of OD, methods of conducting OD ‘interventions’, approaches to ‘process consulting’ and methodologies such as action research and survey feedback.
The classic and ambitious approach to OD was described by Bennis (1960) as follows: ‘Organization development (OD) is a response to change, a complex educational strategy intended to change the beliefs, attitudes, values, and structure of organizations so that they can better adapt to new technologies, markets, and challenges, and the dizzying rate of change itself.’
Origins of OD
The origin of OD can be traced to the work of Kurt Lewin (1947, 1951), who developed the concept of group dynamics (the phrase was first coined in 1939). Group dynamics is concerned with the ways in which groups evolve and how people in groups behave and interact. Lewin founded the Research Centre for Group Dynamics in 1945 and out of this emerged the process of ‘T-group’ or sensitivity training, in which participants in an unstructured group learn from their own interaction and the evolving dynamics of the group. T-group laboratory training became one of the fundamental OD processes. Lewin also pioneered action research approaches.
The formative years of OD
During the 1950s and 1960s behavioural scientists such as Argyris, Beckhard, Bennis, Blake, McGregor, Schein, Shepart and Tannenbaum developed the concepts and approaches that together represented ‘OD’. They defined the scope, purpose and philosophy of OD, methods of conducting OD ‘interventions’, approaches to ‘process consulting’ and methodologies such as action research and survey feedback.
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