An Overview Of OD Interventions

An Overview of OD Interventions

Prelude
• OD interventions are sets of structured activities in which selected org’nal units
(target groups or individuals) engage in a task or a sequence of tasks with the goals of org’nal improvement and individual development. • Intervention constitute the action thrust of
OD.

Prelude
• The OD practitioner, a professional versed in the theory and practice of OD, brings four sets of attributes to the org’nal setting:
– a set of values
– a set of assumptions about people, org. and interpersonal relationships
– a set of goals for the practitioner and the org. and its members – a set of structured activities that are the means for achieving the values, assumptions and goals.

Prelude
• Interventions such as team building, survey feedback, role analysis and intergroup conflict resolution were developed during the early years of
OD.
• Interventions such as QWL, work redesign using STS theory, collateral organization and strategic planning methods were developed as the field evolved.
• Then, self directed teams, high performance work systems, self designing org. and large system change models. Prelude
• OD is much more than just reaching into the kit bag and executing an intervention.
• OD is a complete strategy for change that encompasses theory, practice methods, and values.
• Interventions are just one component of OD formula. • In this and next several chapters we discuss OD interventions and describe the most important ones. Classifying OD interventions
• The inventory of OD interventions is quite extensive. • Several classification schemes will help you understand how interventions clump together in terms of (1) objectives of the interventions and (2) the targets of the interventions.

Major families of OD interventions
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Diagnostic activities
Team building activities
Intergroup activities
Survey feedback activities
Education and training activities
Technostructural or structural activities
Process