OD Chaps.

2&3

Overview
Definitions OD Characteristics Historical Overview of OD

Definitions
OD is a long-term effort, led and supported by top management to improve an organization s visioning, empowerment, learning and problem solving processes, through an ongoing, collaborative management of org.culture - with special emphasis on the culture of intact work teams & other team configurations using the consultantfacilitator role and the theory of applied behavioral science including action research

Characteristics of OD
OD focuses on Culture & Processes Specifically, OD encourages collaboration between org leaders & members in managing culture & processes Teams of all kinds are particularly important for accomplishing tasks and are targets of OD activities OD focuses on human/social side of the org and in so doing also intervenes in the technological and structural sides

Characteristics of OD
Participation & involvement in problem solving & decision making by all levels of the org are hallmarks of OD OD focuses on total system change & views orgs as complex social systems OD practitioners are facilitators, collaborators and co-learners with the client system An overarching goal is to make the client system able to solve its problems on its own by teaching the skills/knowledge of continuous learning through self-analysis methods

Characteristics of OD
OD views organization improvement as an ongoing process in the context of a constantly changing environment OD relies on an action research model with extensive participation by client members OD takes a developmental view that seeks the betterment of both individuals and the organization Creating win-win solutions is standard practice in OD programs

Historical Overview of OD
OD is rich with contributions form behavioral scientists, practitioners Four important trunk stems of a tree
Laboratory Training stem (T-Group) Survey research & feedback stem Action Research Socio-technical & socio-clinical approches

Laboratory Training Stem The T-Group

Laboratory training essentially unstructured, small group situations in which participants learn from their own actions & the groups evolving dynamics Each group, in addition to group members & a leader has an observer who made notes about interactions among members At the end of each day, the observers met with the staff & reported what they had seen Finally, all the participants attend the reporting sessions leading to analysis of their behavior These sessions are significant learning experiences

Laboratory Training Stem The T-Group

The T-group emerged from an awareness of the importance of helping groups and group leaders focus on group & leadership processes T Group statements included: self-insight; understanding the conditions which inhibit/facilitate group functioning; understanding interpersonal operations in groups; developing skills for diagnosing the individual, group & OB

Survey Research & Feedback Stem

Survey research techniques & approaches to bring improvement in management & performance Based on survey feedback method When survey results were shared by the manager with his team & plans to bring changes in processes/structure Intensive group discussions for introducing positive in business organizations

Action Research Stem

A collaboration, client-consultant inquiry

Values, Assumptions & Beliefs in OD Chap. 3

Values, assumptions and beliefs constitute an integral part of OD They shape goals and methods of the field A belief is a proposition about how the world works that the individual accepts as true Values are also beliefs and are defined as beliefs about what is desirable or a good and what is an undesirable or a bad

Values, Assumptions & Beliefs

Assumptions are beliefs that are regarded as so valuable and obviously correct that they are taken for granted and rarely examined or questioned Thus values, assumptions and beliefs are all cognitive facts or propositions with values being beliefs about good & bad, and assumptions being strongly held,relatively unexamined beliefs accepted as the truth

Values, Assumptions & Beliefs

Values, assumptions and beliefs provide structure and stability for people as they attempt to understand the world around them