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Lesson 2: Organizational Development and the Impact on Communication

Organizational Development and the Human Factor

"It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change."

— Charles Darwin

In Chapter 1, Brown (2011) defines the concept of organization development in terms of how organizations exist in the 21st century. OD has changed quite a bit since its inception, as you will see in the segment outlining the evolution of OD. The model below outlines factors that have enhanced the challenges that OD faces now in comparison to what firms have faced in the past. These environmental factors continue to become more complex. In parallel to the OD change, consider the communication factor from leadership. Do managers adequately communicate the factors that necessitate change in organizations? Consider if the challenges of change management might be lessened if leaders communicated the logic and reasoning behind the change, as portrayed in Brown’s diagram in Figure 2.1.

The Organizational Environment

Figure 2.1. BROWN, DONALD R., AN EXPERIENTIAL APPROACH TO ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT, 8th Edition, ©2011. Electronically reproduced by permission of Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.
It is important to remember that OD is both a professional field of social action and scientific inquiry.

Several definitions accompany the explanation provided in the text, as noted below, that have slightly different emphases. Some definitions focus on culture as the focus of change still others are concerned with OD's long-term interest and the use of consultants; another emphasizes the processes involved within OD. All definitions provide a full-scale description of OD as it exists in today's contemporary business environment.


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