Organizational development (OD) is a systematic process of applying behavioral science knowledge and practices to help organizations change and improve. It focuses on organizational culture and processes through collaboration at all levels. Some key OD interventions include training and development, team building, and structural changes aimed at both individual and organizational effectiveness. The typical OD process involves problem identification, data collection, diagnosis, planning and implementing interventions, and evaluation and feedback in iterative cycles.

1. Unit -5: Organization Development
Yerramareddy Roopa
Department of veterinary and animal
husbandry extension education

2. • The term organizational development was coined by Richard Beckhard in
the mid 1950s.
• Organizational development is an acronym of two words i.e., organization
and development.
• Organization: A social unit of people that is structured and managed to
meet a need or to pursue collective goals.
• Development: The systematic use of scientific and technical
knowledge to meet specific objectives or requirements.

3. • Organization Development is a systematic process for applying
behavioral science principles and practices in organization to
increase individual and organizational effectiveness.
• OD is about how people and organizations function and how to get
them to function better.
• The field is based on knowledge from behavioral science
disciplines such as psychology, sociology, systems theory,
organization behavior and management.
• OD practitioners are consultants trained in the theory and practice
of OD with knowledge from the behavioral sciences.

4. • OD Programs are long term planned with, sustained efforts.
• The two major goals of OD programs are-
a) To improve the functioning of individuals, teams and the total
organization.
b) To teach organizations members how to continuously improve their own
functioning.
• OD deals with the “people problems” and work system problems” in
organizations; poor morale, low productivity, poor quality, interpersonal
conflict, intergroup conflict, unclear or inappropriate goals, inappropriate
leadership styles, poor team performance, poorly designed tasks, poor
customer relations, culture and processes and the like.

5. Definition of OD
• OD is a planned process of change in an organization’s culture
through the utilization of behavior science technologies, research
and theory.
Burke, 1994
• OD is a set of behavioral science-based theories, values, strategies
and techniques aimed at the planned change of the organizational
work setting for the purpose of enhancing individual development
and improving organizational performance, through the alteration of
organizational members on the job behaviors.
Porras & Robertson, 1992

6. • Kurt Lewin (1898–1947) is widely recognized as the founding father of
OD, although he died before the concept became current in the mid-1950s.
• From Lewin the ideas of group dynamics and action research were came
and underpin the basic OD process.
• Institutionally, Lewin founded the "Research Center for Group Dynamics"
(RCGD) which moved to Michigan after his death.
• RCGD colleagues were among those who founded the National Training
Laboratories (NTL), from which the T Groups and group-based OD
emerged.
History of OD

8. The Laboratory Training Stem
 Inter- Group Relations workshop held at the State Teachers College in
New Britain, in the summer of 1946 influenced the emergence of
Laboratory Training.
 A T-group is a less group session for about 10-12 members and a
professional trainer who act as catalyst and facilitator for the group.
 The data for discussion are the data provided by the interaction of the group
members.
 Actions, reactions, interactions and feeling accompanying them are the data
for the group.
 The group typically meets for three days up to 2 weeks

9.  Learnings derived from the T-group vary for different individuals, but
they are usually described as, learning how others react to one’s
behavior and learning about the dynamics of group formation, and
group norms, and group growth.
 The T-group is a powerful learning laboratory where individuals gain
insights into the meaning and consequences of their own behavior, the
meaning and consequences of others behaviors, and the dynamics and
processes of group behavior.

10. • Uses of T-group relative to OD are varied but they are particularly
appropriate for enhancing basic skills relevant to that group.
• To illustrate, a one week T-group experience might involve three trainers
and 30 to 36 participants, all strangers to each other at the beginning of
the lab.
• Another format involves several clusters of two or three persons from the
same organizations, with people who know each other assigned to
different T –groups.

11. Growth of T-group in India
 Rolf Lynton conducted the first T-group in India in 1957 for youth
leaders.
 He established “Aloka” in Mysore in order to develop the capacity of
youth.
 He implemented leadership training for 12 weeks including
unstructured group exercise.
 In North India, Max Coley, Dean of Teachers, Columbia University,
USA stayed in delhi from 1959 to 1966 as a consultant to the Ministry
of Education. He conducted T-groups in his house and Udai Pareek was
one of participants.

12.  Udai Pareek visited USA in 1961 and was trained by NTL. After his return
to India, the first full scale Laboratory Training in India was implemented
in 1962 in Ferozpur by Coley and Pareek.
 At the same time IIM Calcutta(IIM-C) invited some NTL Members as
visiting professors, and they implemented Laboratory Training there.

13. Merits of T-group training
• The trainees learn more about themselves, specially their
weakness and emotions.
• They understand that how they react to others and how others
react to them.
• They discover how the groups work and identify human
relation problems.
• Develop more capable and genuine relations in which feelings
are expressed openly.
• Confront interpersonal problems directly to find out solution
instead of avoiding them.

14. • During the training, the trainer often create stressful situation. In such
situation, the training may do a job of tearing apart people instead of
bringing them together.
• The changes trainees acquire during the training tend to face out when
trainee returns to insensitive environment of workplace.
• This training may make the management trainee as sensitive towards others
that they become unwilling to take necessary hard decisions.
• Such training may make people frustrated and upset as many stressful
situations are created during this technique.
Demerits T-group training

15. • T-group training is more suitable for developing organisation. If such
openness and flexible organizational structure is not available, this
training is not appropriate.
• The participants should be selected on the basis of their emotional
stability and anxiety tolerance.
• The participation should be strictly voluntary.
• The trainees should know in advance that what sort of training they
are going to receive.
• The transfer of learning back to the organization should be ensured.
Some basics to implement the T group training

16. Action Research / Survey Feedback
• Began in 1940s, major work by Lewin, Collier & Whyte.
• A collaborative effort was initiated between organization
members & social scientists to collect research data about
organization’s functioning, to analyze it for causes & to devise
& implement solutions.

17. • After implementation further data was needed to assess the results & thus
the cycle of data collection & assessment continued.
• Major researches in this field- overcoming resistance to change &
participative management as a means of getting employees involved in
planning & managing change.
• The chief point of action research was systematic collection of survey data
that was fed back to the client organization.

18. Participative Management
Based on the belief that human relations approach was the best way to manage
organizations.
The four types of management systems are as follows
1. Exploitative authoritative: top down, carrot & stick (combination of
rewards and punishment to induce behavior), resulting in mediocre (not
very good)performance.
2. Benevolent authoritative: employees allowed a little more interaction &
freedom in decision making but within limits.

19. 3. Consultative: increased employee interaction in decision making but
mgt. still makes the final decision.
4. Participative: high involvement, communication laterally &
vertically, work groups involved in goal setting, decision making &
appraisal.

20. Productivity & Quality of Work Life (QWL)
The impact on OD took place in two phases.
• In phase I the movement began in Europe (1950) & US (1960).
• Developed work designs aimed at integrating technology & people.
• Involved joint participation of union & management

21. • Phase II began in 1979
• Low cost high quality foreign goods
• Led to the rise of quality circles & TQM
• Now emphasis has shifted from TQM to employee involvement (EI) to
employee empowerment (power to the lower levels)

22. • A restructuring of an organization's business or marketing plan that is
typically performed in order to achieve an important objective. For
example, a strategic change might include shifts in a corporation's
policies, target market, mission or organizational structure.
• Emphasis on competitive strategy, finance & marketing, team buliding &
action research.
Strategic Change

23. With the opening of economy intense competition from internal & external
corporate
• Indian minds are less systems-driven & more people & relationship driven
•Indian mindsets are tradition bound, fatalistic and resistant to change
• Tendency to work for short term than long term goals
• Therefore a need for OD

24. Characteistics
of
Organizational
development
Focus on culture and process
Collaboration
Accomplishment of tasks
Participation
System change
Facilitation
Over arching goals
Development view
Focus on culture and process
Collaboration

25. 1. Focus on culture and process:
Organizational development which follows positive culture level and process
leads to success of that organizational development program.
2. Collaboration
Organizational development has to encourage collaboration between top
management, managers and employees.
3. Accomplishment of tasks
Various kinds of teams and groups play important roles for accomplishment of
organization development activities. Thus targets can also be achieved.

26. 4. Participation
Participation and involvement of managers and employee can make the
organization development process a success. It helps to exchange views and
ideas related to organization development.
5. System change
OD focus on total system change. Because in OD every change is inevitable for
the success of any development program.
6. Facilitation
Cooperation between the facilitators, collaborators and co-learners can help the
organization to develop

27. 7. Over arching goals
An overarching goal of the organization is to make the client system able to solve
its problems. It is done by teaching the skills and knowledge and the continuous
learning through self analytical methods.
8. Developmental view
OD takes a developmental view for the betterment of both process and
organization. Another practice in organization development programs is to create
win-win solutions.

28. Characteristics of OD
• OD focuses on culture and processes.
• It is a system-wise process
• It is based on behavioral science knowledge
• It is concerned with strategies, structures, processes, people and culture to
bring organizational change.
• It is about organizational effectiveness

29. • Specifically, OD encourages collaboration between organization leaders and
members in managing culture and processes.
• Teams of all kinds are particularly important for accomplishing tasks and are
targets for OD activities.

30. Objectives of OD program
1) Individual and group development.
2) Development of organization culture and processes by constant
interaction between members, irrespective of levels of hierarchy.
3) Inculcating team spirit.
4) Empowerment of social side of employees.
5) Focus of value development.

31. 6) Employee participation, problem-solving and decision-making at
various levels.
7) Evaluate present systems and introduction of new systems thereby
achieving total system change if required.
8) Achieve organization growth by research and development,
innovations, creativity and exploiting human talent.
9) Behaviour modification and self managed team as the basic unit of
an organization.

32. Values, Beliefs and Assumptions in OD
• Belief: A belief is a proposition about how the world works that the
individual accepts as true; it is a cognitive fact for the person.
• Values: Values are also beliefs and are defined as “ beliefs about what is
desirable or a ‘good’ and what is undesirable or a ‘bad’.
• Assumptions: Assumptions are beliefs that are regarded as so valuable and
obviously correct that they are taken for granted and rarely examined or
questioned.

33. • Thus, values, assumptions, and beliefs are all cognitive
facts or propositions, with values being beliefs about good
and bad, and assumptions being strongly held, relatively
unexamined belief accepted as the truth.

34. Assumptions of OD
The organization development has a number of underlying
assumptions which can be examined so as to determine how the
organizational development programmes can be utilized to the
fullest potential.

35. • Most individuals have drives towards personal growth and
development.
The work habits are a response to work environment rather than personality
traits.
Accordingly, efforts to change work habits should be directed towards
changing how the person is treated rather than towards attempting to change the
person.
• Highest productivity can be achieved when the individual goals are
integrated with organization goals.
With this integration, the quality of product may highly improved

36. • Cooperation is more effective than competition.
Conflict and competition tend to erode trust, prohibit collaboration and
eventually limit the effectiveness of the organization.
In healthy organizations, efforts are made at all levels to treat conflict as a
problem subject to problem solving methods.
• The suppression of feelings adversely affects problem solving, personal
growth and satisfaction with ones work.
Free expression of feelings is an important ingredient for commitment to
work.

37. • The growth of individual members is facilitated by relationships, which
are open supportive and trusting.
The level of interpersonal trust, support and cooperation should be as high as
possible.
• The difference between commitment and agreement must be fully
understood
Agreeing to do something is totally different from being committed to do
something.
Sense of commitment makes it easy to accept change and the implementation
of change for the purpose of organizational development is even easier when such
a commitment is based upon participation in the process.

38. Organizational Development Process
 The OD Process is based on the action research model which begins with
an identified problem or need for change. It can also begin when
leadership has a vision of a better way and wants to improve the
organization.
 The process proceeds through assessment. This assessment can be
conducted in many ways including documentation review, organizational
sensing, focus groups, interviewing, or surveying.
• The assessment could be conducted by outside experts or by members of
the organization.

39.  Next is planning of an intervention.
 The type of change desired would determine the nature of the
intervention.
 Interventions could include training and development, team
interventions such as team building for management or employees
structural interventions, or individual interventions.
 Once the intervention is planned, it is implemented.

40.  During and after the implementation of the intervention, relevant data is
gathered to evaluate the intervention, and determining if satisfactory
progress has been made or if there is need for further intervention.
 It is reported to the organization’s decision-makers.

41.  The decision-makers determine if the intervention met its goals. If the
intervention met its goals, the process can end, which is depicted by the
raising of the development bar.
 If it did not, the decision is made whether to continue the cycle and to
plan and carry out another intervention or to end it.
 The process is cyclical and ends when the desired developmental result is
obtained.

42. Problem identification
Data Collection
Diagnosis
Planning and implementation
Evaluation and Feedback
OD process

43. Problem identification:
The first step in OD process involves understanding and identification of
the existing and potential problems in the organization. The awareness of
the problem includes knowledge of the possible organizational problems
of growth, human satisfaction, the usage of human resource and
organizational effectiveness.
Data Collection:
Have to understand the exact problem in this phase, the relevant data is
collected through personal interviews, observations and questionnaires.

44. Diagnosis:
OD efforts begin with diagnosis of the current situation. Usually, it is not
limited to a single problem. Rather a number of factors like attitudes,
assumption, available resources and management practice are taken into
account in this phase.
Planning and implementation:
After diagnosing the problem next is planning and implementation part of the
change process.
Evaluation and feedback:
Any OD activity is incomplete without proper feedback. Feedback is a process
of relaying evaluations to the client group by means of specific report or
interaction

45. Organization Development Interventions
• This may be introduced by a change agent as part of an improvement
program, or may be used by the client and following a program to check
on the state of the organization's health.
• Every action that influences an organization's improvement program in a
change agent-client system relationship can be said to be an intervention.
• "Interventions" are principal learning processes in the "action" stage of
organization development. Interventions are structured activities used
individually or in combination by the members of a client system to
improve their social or task performance.

46. • Interventions range from those designed to improve the effectiveness of
individuals through those designed to deal with teams and groups, intergroup
relations, and the total organization.
• There are interventions that focus on task issues (what people do), and those
that focus on process issues (how people go about doing it).
• Finally, interventions may be roughly classified according to which change
mechanism they tend to emphasize: for example, feedback, awareness of
changing cultural norms, interaction and communication, conflict, and
education through either new knowledge or skill practice.

47.  One of the four conditions gives rise to the need for OD interventions.
- First, the organization has a problem; something is broken.
- Second, the organization sees an unrealized opportunity; something it
wants is beyond its reach.
- Third, features of the organization are out of alignments; parts of the
organization are working at cross-purposes.
- Fourth, the vision guiding the organizations changes;
yesterday‟s vision is no longer good enough.