Organizational development

The field of organizational development (OD) is concerned with the performance, development, and effectiveness of human organizations. An organization is defined as two or more people brought together by one or more shared goals.

Table of contents

1 Important Figures 2 OD Topics 3 Milestones 4 OD in Context 5 Also see 6 External Links

Important Figures

The OD field, which emerged in the first half of the 20th century, has been influenced by many figures including:

• Kurt Lewin
• Edgar Schein
• Fred Emery & Eric Trist
• Richard Beckhard
• Roger Harrison
• Rensis Likert
• Robert R. Blake & Jane Mouton
• William Bridges
• Kathie Dannemiller
• David Cooperrider
• Elliott Jacques
• Peter Senge
• Marv Weisbord

OD Topics

Topics in OD include:

• strategic planning
• systems
• team building
• leadership development
• managing change
• organizational culture
• performance improvement
• employee research
• quality
• process improvement
• meetings
• organizational learning

Milestones

• Hawthorne studies
• Human Relations Movement
• Appreciative Inquiry

OD in Context

OD is related to:

• Human resources
• Training & Development
• Facilitation
• Coaching
• Industrial and organizational psychology

Also see

• organizational behavior
• organizational commitment

External Links

There are several professional associations for OD practitioners including:

• The Organizational Development Network: http://www.odnetwork.org
• The Organizational Development Institute: http://members.aol.com/odinst/
• The American Society for Training & Development: http://www.astd.org
• An intro to OD: http://www.mnodn.org/members/speakers/OD_101.pdf

An article by Chris Worley on the future of OD as a profession:

• Is OD still relevant? http://www.consultingtoday.com/downloads/Consulting%20Todayarticle%20-Is%20OD%20Still%20Relevant.pdf