A process of applying behavioral science knowledge and practices to business settings so as to improve the overall performance and effectiveness of that business, helping the business to achieve its goals within its context.
Social action
Scientific inquiry
Official Book Definition: Organization development is a systemwide application and transfer of behavioral science knowledge to the planned development, improvement, and reinforcement of the strategies, structures, and processes that lead to organization effectiveness.
Differentiates itself from management consulting, innovation, project management, operations management, change management and organization change.
Changes in the strategy, structure, and/or processes of an entire system (organization, single plant, department, work group, or individual role or job).
NOT a narrowed approach focused on improvement of particular products or processes, or to development of production or service delivery functions.
It IS the application and transfer of behavioral science knowledge and practices.
This includes microconcepts (leadership, group dynamics, and work design) and macroconcepts (strategy, organization design, and international relations).
OD concerned with: (1) changing more fundamental things in organizations; (2) applying behavioral science knowledge and skill to bring about this change; (3) managing the planned change and adapting as more information is gathered during the carrying out of the changes; (4) the design, implementation, and subsequent reinforcement of change; and (5) improving organizational effectiveness.
It is NOT focused on: financial performance (management consulting) or productivity (operations management or industrial engineering).
Change management: primarily focuses on values of cost, quality, and schedule. OD is concerned with the transfer of knowledge and skill so that the system is more able to manage change in the future. OD involves all of change management, but change management does not necessarily involve all of OD.
Organizational change is broader than OD. OD is intended to change the organization in a particular direction, toward improved problem solving, responsiveness, quality of work life, and effectiveness. Organizational change is more broadly focused and can apply to any kind of change, including technical and managerial innovations, organization decline, or the evolution of a system over time. These may or may not be directed at making the organization more developed in the OD sense.
