Organizational Development

Introduction
Believed to be the founding father of Organization Development (OD), Kurt Lewin

played a major role of its existence today (Meyer et al., 2011). The training program or known as
the T-group that he and his colleagues have started in the late 1940s would later be the starting
point of OD. He would never have realized that after his death is the spur of his ideas of group
dynamics and action research which is essentially the source of the basic OD process and the
consultancy credibility (Massarik and Pei-Carpenter, 2002). According to John (2012), its
evolution can primarily be understood through the implemented changes over time, which
includes (1) social processes; (2) work designs; (3) human resources; and (4) organization
structures.
Social Processes
In the early 1950s, organizations grew larger and became more bureaucratic; hence, the
emergence of various social problems. Over time, communication within the organization,
decision-making, and management control were considered to be pressing problems. In response
to the situation, a training program based on Lewins and his colleagues was used by Bradford
and applied in the community. It included cognitive learning about leadership and informal
feedback on behavior. As Meyer et al. (2011) puts it, the training is a process where the
management learns about the here and now experience of the participating members, where the
latter also learn from such experiences. To highlight, action research and survey feedback played
a major role in guiding the early applications of OD. Starting in the 1940s, both have been used
by organizations in improving organizational processes through collaborative research and
participative systems that together create meaningful change.
Work designs
In 1950s, employees started to complain, expressing how work is boring,
meaningless, and alienating, which then resulted to problems in the areas of absenteeism,
turnover, quality, and productivity (John, 2012). This situation brought about the emergence of
this branch of OD history. Work was designed to be more fulfilling, interesting, and motivating
to members, therefore scrapping the traditional ideas on technical rationality and repetitive work.
Based on the work of Eric Trist and Herzberg in job enrichment, interventions were made
towards designing new work designs that are geared to meeting employee needs and
aspirations (2012). Workers were basically self-managed and multi-skilled, where they were
interdependent and are empowered to make relevant decisions. This resulted to greater
productivity, employee and motivation and satisfaction, thus rewarding to both the management
and employees.
Human Resources
In this aspect, the primary focus is the theory of giving rewards to motivate employees.
They wanted people to join as well as stay and grow in the organization. Lawler (1981) and his
work helped organizations in integrating rewards to improve performance through (1) gain
sharing where members in specific groups are encouraged to work together, inspire each other,
and innovate using their ideas, (2) skill-based pay where members are being rewarded for the
various jobs they can do thus motivating them to learn new skills and helping the organization
create a flexible workforce (as cited by John, 2012).
Organizational structures
At this time, in early 1990s, organizations are facing a competitive environment, which
basically compelled them to realign their structures with their strategies and the environment.
This brought about the famous SWOT analysis, and new structures such as high-involvement
organizations, boundary-less organizations, and virtual organizations that are more fit to the
rapidly changing environment.
Today: How is OD used in Companies

Today, OD is greatly relevant to organizations. Defined as the planned change process,
managed from the top, taking into account both the technical and the human sides of the
organization (Schien, 1992; as cited by John, 2012), OD is being used in companies to know the
methods of implementing planned changes, and determine its effects to employees and the
organization as well as the factors influencing its success or failure. Today, OD is being used in
three major areas, (1) managing conflicts, (2) revitalizing organizations, and (3) adapting to
mergers (inkling.com, n.d.). In managing conflicts, an OD expert or practitioner, usually under
the image of a coach, advises executives in improving relationships within the organization. In
revitalizing organizations, globalization, and information technology are being considered by OD
they are the major shapers of todays organizations. Lastly, in adapting to mergers, there are so
many stress and uncertainties that organizations face which is why they hire OD experts to whom
they ask for consultations. In return, these consultants do extensive research and use their
knowledge to help integrate two varying firms together in consideration of the varying cultures,
offerings, and processes.
OD usually follows a cycle: (1) Diagnosis, (2) Intervention, (3) Evaluation, and (4)
Feedback, and back to the first and so on and so forth (inkling.com, n.d.).
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is basically asking the problem. OD consultants use instruments like surveys,
questionnaires, interviews, and other feedback tools, records, and even direct observation tactics
to achieve information and identify problem and stress areas.
Intervention
The next step involves the treatment process. This follows the idea of problem-solving.
After diagnosing the situation and learning problem areas, OD consultants (wither internal or
external) work with managers as well as members by cascading to them the results in surveys so
the members too can contribute and participate in the said process. This aims better cohesiveness
and unity among work groups.
Evaluation
After every project, evaluation is always done in order to see if the intervention actually
worked for the good or bad. OD consultants then compare past results from future ones through
recorded statistics and previously mentioned tools. They analyze the results and come up with
explanations why such happened.
Feedback
This steps leads to further refinement of the process used. Is there something wrong with
the diagnosis? This leads us back to the first step until it is well and better for the organization.
Future: Trends
According to a survey conducted by Church, Waclawski, and Berr (2002), the areas in
OD which will be mostly in demand in the future are executive coaching and development,
team building and team effectiveness, facilitating strategic organizational change, systemic
integration, and diversity and multiculturalism (as cited by Meyer et al., 2011). Participants,
who are OD practitioners, listed the different areas where OD face challenges. These areas
include the need for speed, resistance to change, interpersonal skills and awareness, and
differentiating organizational development. The last refers to how OD practitioners differ in
their views on OD, and its effects on the concerning clients and consultants. This is why many
researchers call for the reinvention of OD (Bradford and Burke, 2005; as cited by Meyer et al.,
2011).
One major change that OD experts and practitioners have started is the examination of
OD from an emotional-based standpoint. Today, as globalization and hypercompetition are
influencing the business environment, employees feel the negative effects of downsizing,
outsourcing, mergers, restructuring, continual changes, invasions of privacy, harassment, and
abuses of power (deKlerk, 2007; as cited by Meyer et al., 2011). These feelings and emotions
are mostly related to fear, anxiety, aggression, and cynicism. Therefore, there is an impending
need for organizations and OD experts to be more knowledgeable on these areas in order to
prevent the decrease in productivity due to these emotions. More specifically, the existence of
trauma among employees who have experiences these situations must be considered by OD
consultants by confidentially discussing about their feelings, dealing with their responses, and
giving them a new perspective (Wheatley et al., 2003; as cited by Meyer et al., 2011).
As organizations turn their shift to their people, considering them as assets to the
organizations, OD will greatly be used in making them stay and continue to provide value to the
organization.
References
John, B. (2012). Introduction. Shodhganga: A reservoir of Indian Theses. Retrieved from:
http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/3343/7/07_chapter%201.pdf
Meyer et al. (2011). Organization Development: Yesterday Today and Tomorrow. Retrieved
from:
http://www.cehd.umn.edu/olpd/research/StudentConf/2011/MeyerODYesterday
TodayTomorrow.pdf
(n.d). Organization Development: What it is and what it can do. On inkling.com.
https://www.inkling.com/read/management-angelo-kinicki-brian-williams-5th/chapter10/10-2-organizational-development
University of the Philippines Cebu

Business Management Cluster
A Comprehensive Paper
Organization Development
In partial fulfillment
of the requirements in
MGT 197- Special Topics in Management
Submitted to
Prof. Leahliz Sia
2 October 2014
Submitted by
Ma. Jelin Shane L. Itong

Organizational Development

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Introduction

Believed to be the founding father of Organization Development (OD), Kurt Lewin

Today: How is OD used in Companies

University of the Philippines Cebu

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