Assign #1: Overview of OD

Instructions Overview of OD: Answer the following: (10 points each)

1. Define Organizational Development including the underlying principle of OD.
Organizational development (OD) is a strategic approach to improving an
organization's overall health, effectiveness, and adaptability. By creating, enhancing,
and strengthening strategies, structures, and procedures, this crucial and scientific
process increases an organization's ability to adapt and succeed (Vulpen, n.d). The OD
entails deliberate actions and programs intended to foster innovation, growth, and
cultural change, frequently through process optimization, leadership training, and
employee engagement.
Key Principles of Organizational Development:
Based on the article of Omar (2024), OD is based on four foundational principles that
guide interventions and change management:
a. Values-Based. OD upholds the fundamental principles of integrity, support, and trust.
It aims to promote openness and transparency and values cooperation over
competition. Important variables consist of:
Collaboration: Promotes cooperation across the client system and cultivates
cooperative connections between practitioners and clients.
Self-awareness: Through lifelong learning, OD practitioners pursue both
professional and personal growth. They assist individuals in developing self-
awareness.
b. System Focused. OD views organizations and communities as open systems. It
operates under the understanding that modifications to one component of a system
invariably affect other components. It is impossible to maintain modification in one part
of the system without also supporting changes in other parts. Everything is connected.
c. Action Research. To attain intended results, OD continuously reexamines, reflects,
and integrates discoveries throughout the change process. In addition to completing
their work, clients engage in discussions regarding their learnings and reflections in
order to apply them to a common outcome.
d. Data-Driven. In order to identify and generate a compelling need for change and
attainment of a desired future state, OD entails proactive investigation and assessment
of the internal environment. It uses both qualitative and quantitative data collection
methods to help guide decisions.
2. Discuss briefly the goals of OD?
The first goal of the OD is it facilitates organizational change where
Organizations are guided through change management procedures by OD practitioners,
who operate as change agents. With their knowledge, they assist in bringing
relationships and expectations into line with a common goal in order to execute changes
in strategy, structure, policy, procedures, technology, and culture more successfully.
Secondly, it improves the organizational effectiveness of the business through the
application of behavioral science concepts and methods. It improves return on
investment, quality, productivity, and satisfaction, among other effectiveness metrics.
Lastly, OD goals increase employee engagement by enhancing relationships, teams,
leadership, communication, and organizational processes, OD increases employee
commitment, motivation, involvement, job satisfaction, and morale (Emad, 2024).
In the end, OD seeks to establish a productive workplace where management
and staff cooperate to accomplish strategic goals. OD continues to be a vital instrument
for sustaining operational excellence and promoting sustainable growth as businesses
face changing challenges in the fast-paced business environment of today.
3. Why OD is essential for modern businesses?
OD is an important factor for modern businesses because OD supports
deliberate interventions meant to promote innovation, expansion, and cultural change
inside a company. It helps firms stay competitive and adapt to changes in the market by
emphasizing the improvement of processes, structures, and strategies. In addition to
addressing present issues, this strategy gives businesses the resources they need to
successfully handle upcoming changes (Honig, 2023).
The promotion of creativity and problem-solving is another important advantage
of OD. Businesses that don't innovate face the risk of being obsolete in a business
environment that is changing quickly. Through action research and continual learning,
OD enables companies to recognize problems, try out new ideas, and put innovative
solutions into practice. Organizations may stay ahead of the competition and efficiently
handle industry disruptions by cultivating an innovative culture.
To sum up, organization development is essential to the success of modern
businesses. It supports innovation, enhances leadership, increases employee
engagement, helps firms adjust to change, and promotes long-term growth. Businesses
that invest in OD will be better able to handle obstacles and take advantage of
opportunities as the business environment changes. Businesses can build a successful,
future-ready organization that stays competitive in a world that is constantly evolving by
incorporating OD techniques into their operations.
4. Discuss brief history of OD (founders, etc).
 Organizational Development (OD) emerged in the 1950s in response to the
growing complexity of businesses and the need for a systematic approach to improving
organizational effectiveness. Traditional industrial psychology and individual-focused
psychology were found insufficient in addressing workplace challenges, leading to the
development of OD as a field combining theory and practice.
Key Founders of OD:
a. Kurt Lewin – Considered the intellectual father of OD, he introduced action
research, group dynamics, and change theories, which remain foundational in
OD practices.
b. Ron Lippitt – A member of Lewin’s research team, he helped develop T-groups
(training groups) and co-founded the National Training Laboratories (NTL) in
1947.
c. Edgar Schein – Developed concepts related to organizational culture and
process consultation, shaping how organizations approach change.
d. Douglas McGregor – Known for Theory X and Theory Y, which emphasized the
role of leadership in influencing employee motivation.
e. Rensis Likert – Introduced survey feedback methods, allowing organizations to
use employee insights for development.
f. Chris Argyris – Contributed to organizational learning and intervention theory,
highlighting the importance of feedback in organizational growth.
g. Richard Beckhard – Played a crucial role in defining OD as a system-wide
change effort, helping formalize the field.
Major Developments in OD:
 1947: Formation of the National Training Laboratories (NTL), focusing on group
dynamics and leadership development.
 1950s-1960s: Growth of the human relations movement, emphasizing employee
engagement and development.
 1960s: Introduction of the socio-technical systems approach by Trist and
Bamforth, integrating social and technical aspects of organizations.
 1970s-1980s: Expansion of OD theories into organizational culture, leadership
development, and strategic change.
OD continues to evolve, incorporating new theories and adapting to modern business
challenges while maintaining its core focus on system-wide effectiveness, change
management, and employee engagement.
5. Differentiate OD and strategic management
Based on Medallion Partners, the key differences between Organizational
Development (OD) and Strategic Management are discussed as follows:
  Scope and Focus: To enhance corporate effectiveness and health, OD focuses
on internal behaviors, procedures, and culture while Strategic management, on
the other hand, concentrates on determining the organization's place in the
external world and making choices about markets, rivals, and general course.
 Time Horizon: OD is frequently focus on continuous, long-term growth and
change processes. Strategic Management may involve both short-term and
long-term planning but is particularly concerned with long-term goals and
competitive positioning.
 Approach: To promote change, OD employs a cooperative and participatory
strategy that involves staff members at all levels. Strategic Management
typically follows a top-down approach, where decisions are made by senior
leaders and then communicated down the hierarchy.
6. Discuss Kurt Lewin's Change Model, Action Research, and Systems Theory
1. Change Model. According to Kurt Lewin's change model, restraining forces affect
how people and organizations behave, which ultimately determines whether change
succeeds or fails. Employees are motivated and guided toward the future state by the
driving forces. The main obstacles to change initiatives are the restraining forces, which
draw attention to possible opposition to change (Malik, 2022). Among Lewin's three
phases of transition were:
 Unfreeze: Assessing why change is needed.
- Gaining the support and buy-in of the intended team members during this
phase of change management requires effective change communication.
- You have to conduct a business process analysis to understand the current
loopholes in the business process and to address employee concerns with
transparency and honesty.
 Change: Implementing or transition to the desired change.
- This stage deals with putting change into action after the status quo has been
upset. You need to think about using an agile, iterative strategy that takes
employee input into account to facilitate the shift.
- Active stakeholder participation is a must for this stage.
- Ensure a continuous flow of information to obtain the support of your team
members.
 Refreeze: Adopting and solidifying the desired change.
- The "institutionalization" of the new beliefs and behaviors as the new status
quo or norm is what the "Refreeze" stage calls for. The new environment
should make the workforce feel secure and at ease.
- You have to collect employee feedback regularly.
2. Action Research. Lewin first used the phrase "action research" in 1944 to describe
an iterative, participatory approach to research that blends action and reflection to
address issues and enhance procedures. It entails a cycle of preparation, action,
observation, and reflection. With this method, businesses can test interventions in real
time, analyze the results, and make the required modifications. Action Research
promotes cooperation and guarantees that the answers are useful and pertinent to the
context by including stakeholders directly in the research process.
3. Systems Theory. Lewin popularized the idea of "field theory," which studies how
people interact with their surroundings. This viewpoint facilitates comprehension of the
interdependencies among different components within an organization. Leaders can
foresee possible obstacles resulting from the interconnectedness of organizational
components and pinpoint leverage points for successful change by examining these
dynamics.

References:
Emad, O. (2024). Introduction to organizational development: Principles and
importance. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/introduction-
organizational-development-principles-importance-emad-1dewf/
Honig, J. (2023). What is organizational development and why is it important.
DocuWare. Retrieved from https://start.docuware.com/blog/document-
management/what-organizational-development-why-important?
utm_source=chatgpt.com
Malik, P. (2022). Lewin’s stage of model of change theory: Overview. Retrieved from
https://whatfix.com/blog/lewins-change-model/
Medallion Partners. (n.d.). What is the difference between organizational strategy and
business strategy?. Retrieved from https://medallionpartnersinc.com/what-is-the-
difference-between-organizational-strategy-and-business-strategy
Vulpen, E. (n.d.). What is organizational development? A complete guide. AIHR.
Retrieved from https://www.aihr.com/blog/organizational-development/
What is OD? A short history. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://mcclo.wordpress.com/wp-
content/uploads/2011/12/what-is-od-a-short-history.pdf