Page 101 - DMGT520_ORGANIZATION_CHANGE_AND_DEVELOPMENT

Organization Change and Development

Notes 7.2 Characteristics of Organisation Development Interventions

There are eight characteristics of organisation development interventions from more traditional
interventions:

 An emphasis, although not exclusively so, on group and organisational processes in contrast
to substantive content.

 An emphasis on the work team as the key unit for learning more effective modes of
organisational behavior.
 An emphasis on the work team management of work-team culture.

 An emphasis on the management of the culture of the total system.
 Attention to the management of system ramifications.
 The use of the action research model.
 The use of a behavioral scientist-change sometimes referred to as a “catalyst” or “facilitator.”

 A view of the change effort as an ongoing process.
Another characteristic, number, a primary emphasis on human and social relationships, does
not necessarily differentiate OD from other change efforts, but it is nevertheless an important
feature.

7.3 Classification of OD Interventions

There are various OD interventions and they are classified in different ways. Further, various
consultants and practitioners have different opinions about the activities which can be included
in interventions.
A brief analysis of OD interventions using a classification proposed by M. Kormanik are given
below:

Major OD Interventions

OD interventions aim at improving organizational performance and employees’ well being.
According to Robbins (1994), OD integrates a collection of planned change interventions that
relies on humanistic and democratic values, aimed at improving organizational effectiveness,
and employees’ well being. OD interventions rely on the following values: respect for people,
trust and support, power equalization, confrontation and participation. Kormanik (2005) proposes
a classification of OD interventions in 6 groups: large scale, strategic, techno structural,
management and leadership development, team development and group processes, and
individual and interpersonal processes.

Large-scale Interventions

Large scale interventions typically involve a full-size group of stakeholders, working toward
the definition of a future state. These interventions start from top levels of the organization, to
analyze, plan, and define the intervention’s outcomes, then, people are involved in the solution,
creating with this a shared commitment, and a “contagious of effect” effort, which will support
the implementation of defined actions in the long term. Some examples include the following:
appreciative inquiry summit, future search, open space and real time strategic change. Large
scale interventions are highly structured; each activity is carefully planned beforehand – this is

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