What Is Organization Development (OD)?

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What Is Organization Development (OD)?

• William J. Rothwell, Ph.D.

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Part IIntroduction
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Purpose

• Organization development (OD) has recently
  become one of the hot topics of the HR field. Why
  is that? Decision-makers are recognizing the
  critical importance of leaders who can energize
  change, involving people and unleashing their
  potential. This session defines OD.

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Objectives

• Upon completion of the session, participants
  will be able to
• ? Define organization development (OD) and
  explain the unique approach to managing change
  that it represents.
• ? Describe one important model that can help
  drive organization change efforts.

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Organization of the Session
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Your Experiences with Change

• Lets spend a moment to frame this topic.
• Could I have some of you share with us some
  examples of change?
• What are some examples of changes that your
  organizations are experiencing?
• What are some examples of changes that you
  (personally) are facing in your job?

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Part IIWhat Is Organization Development (OD)?
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What Are Six Ways to Manage Change?

• Coercive
• Persuasive
• Leadership change
• Legalistic/policy
• Dialectic
• Education/changed norms (OD)

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The Coercive Approach

• People will change if they are threatened with
  punishment--such as discipline or dismissal.
  That is called a coercive approach to change.
  However, coercion is usually a counterproductive
  change strategy because it creates anxiety, fear,
  and stress.

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The Persuasive Approach

• People will change when they are convinced
  that change is in their best interests.
  Advocates of persuasion as a change strategy
  advise managers to examine who is affected by
  proposed changes and then make a concerted effort
  to explain how those affected will benefit from
  the change.

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The Leadership Change Approach

• Another way to initiate and implement change
  is to appoint a new leader. Each person, of
  course, brings to a leadership role his or her
  own attitudes, values, and beliefs that undergird
  subsequent action. By selecting a leader whose
  beliefs are in line with an intended direction
  for change, an organization's strategic direction
  may be changed.

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The Legalistic/Policy Approach

• Another way to initiate and implement change
  is to enact a law or policy and then punish
  people who break the law or do not comply with
  the policy.

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The Dialectic Approach

• Another way to initiate and implement change
  is to debate the point. Two co-equal sides are
  formed and argue the point in front of
  decision-makers. The group that provides the most
  compelling argument is the winner.

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The Education/Changed Norms Approach (OD)

• Another way to initiate and implement change
  is to discover a new approach through innovation,
  creativity, participation, and education. Norms
  are informal rules, and OD seeks to unfreeze old
  norms and create new norms. It changes culture.

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An Activity on the Six Approaches to Change

• Form six groups
• Each group should spend about 20 minutes to
  prepare a skit to demonstrate what one approach
  to change looks like
• Each group should then act out the skit at the
  front of the room

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Debrief of the Activity on the Six Approaches

• What insights did you gain from participating in
  or watching these skits?

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Advantages and Disadvantages of the Six
Approaches to Change

• What do you believe are the advantages and
  disadvantages of the six approaches to change?
• Recall that the approaches are
• Coercive
• Persuasive
• Leadership change
• Legalistic/policy
• Dialectic
• Education/changed norms (OD)

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What Is OD?

• Organization development (OD) focuses on
  helping groups to change. It uses an educational
  approach to help unleash group energy and
  creativity.

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Key Points About OD

• OD is long-range in perspective.
• OD should be supported by top managers.
• OD effects change chiefly, though not
  exclusively, through education.
• OD expands people's ideas, beliefs, and behaviors
  so they can apply new approaches to old problems.

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Key Points About OD

• OD emphasizes participation in diagnosing
  problems, considering possible solutions,
  selecting a solution, identifying change
  objectives for solving problems, implementing
  planned change, and evaluating results.

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Why Is OD Useful?

• How do you think OD could be useful?
• Why do you think so?

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Part IIIWhat Model Can Help to Drive Change
Efforts?
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What Is One Model That Drives OD?Introducing
the Action Research Model
16. Have consultant depart
1. Recognize an organizational problem
15. Ensure acceptance
14. Evaluate results
2. Hire a consultant
13. Implement the action plan
3. Investigate the organization
12. Get agreement on an action plan
4. Collect information about the problem
11. Feed back information
5. Feed back information about the problem
10. Collect information on an action plan
6. Get agreement on the problem
9. Get agreement on a solution
8. Feed back information about the solution
7. Collect information about the solution
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What Does the Action Research Model Mean in
Practice?

• People must know that they need to change.
• The model is problem-driven.
• The model assumes that there is a need for a
  change champion.
• The model assumes that a consultant is needed to
  facilitate change.
• What other assumptions do you feel are implied by
  the model?

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Part IVConclusion