Organization Development and

Change

Chapter Twenty Five:

Future Directions in
Organization Developmen
Thomas G. Cummings
Christopher G. Worley

Learning Objectives
for Chapter Twenty Five
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

Cummings & Worley, 9e (c

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Trends Affecting OD Practice

Traditional Trends
Return

to original
humanistic values
Increasing focus on
process interventions
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Trends Affecting OD Practice

Pragmatic Trends
Emphasize

vales of
effectiveness
Increasing focus on
relevant practice
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Trends Affecting OD Practice

Scholarly

Trends

Emphasis

on values of
understanding, prediction, and
control
Search for variables that explain
change and effectiveness

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Trends within OD Practice

Organization Development Will

Have

more conflict in the short

term

Be more integrated in the

long term
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Contextual Trends and Their

Effects on ODs Future
Economy
Workforce
Technology

Organizations
Cummings

Organization
Development
will
be:embedded in the
More
organizations
operations
More technologically
enabled
Shorter OD cycle times
More interdisciplinary
More diverse in client
organizations
More cross-cultural
More concerned with
ecological
& Worley,sustainability
9e (c 25-7

Implications for ODs Future

More involved in driving effectiveness
in a broader range of organizations
More involved in supporting
technological and managerial
innovation
More concerned with preserving
cultural diversity
Focus on ecological sustainability

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