About This Book

186 PRACTICING ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT, 2ND EDITION
CONCLUSIONS
Doing this study was a very rewarding and educational experience. Having the
opportunity to communicate with so many leaders in the field about important
issues in OD was more than one with a passion for OD could hope for, and to
see the effort that so many put into answering the questions was humbling to
say the least. Clearly I could spend a great deal of time analyzing and learning
from the results.
What is important, however, is that this study makes at least a small contribution
to developing a better understanding of the field of organization development.
My hope is not so much that others will agree with the findings but
that the findings will stimulate rich discussions and additional studies that will
add clarity to the field.
In evaluating the results, I have concluded that OD is alive and well, but is
struggling through many important issues in adapting to the times and being relevant
for changing organizational needs. In one sense this could be said of any
field such as HR that addresses organizational issues. However, the time to adapt
is shorter than in previous times and the stakes are higher, as the fields that do
not adapt will be marginal players in the future if they are players at all. The sense
of urgency will, I hope, awaken leaders in OD who will play key roles in articulating
the importance of OD, adapting OD to changing times, accelerating OD
processes and methods, and developing new theories, methods, and applications.
Another conclusion is that there may be more agreement on the fundamentals
and values of OD than many people think. Different experts may say things
in different ways and, yes, there are areas of disagreement and different perspectives,
as you would expect in any field. However, when it comes to the
essentials, OD is not as complex and confusing as we often make it. Again, this
may be a challenge for leaders in OD to simplify and clarify the field and to do
a better job of articulating the value of OD.
Finally, having done this study, I have developed an even greater respect for
the pioneers who launched a new field that has been such a valuable contributor
to what we know about change and how to build healthy, high performance
organizations. I urge those who have carried on and added to the
pioneers’ legacy to stay the course in diligently practicing and training others in
OD, in hopes that they and others will be re-energized to further develop and
promote this valuable field.
References
Beckhard, R. (1969). Organization development: Strategies and models. Reading, MA:
Addison-Wesley.
Beer, M. (1980). Organization change and development. Santa Monica, CA: Goodyear.