Organizational Development: Principles of Adaptation and Change Management

What is Organizational Development (OD)?

OD is a response to changes, designed to better adapt the Organization to new situations, markets, technologies, problems, and challenges. It is manifested by changes in attitudes, values, behavior, and structure.

It involves planned cultural and structural changes within the Organization and its social system.

Foundational Concepts of OD

Basic Assumptions for Organizational Adaptation

Individuals, groups, and dynamic communities are living systems that must continuously adapt.

The Interaction Between the Individual and the Organization

According to Maslow, if we create an environment capable of meeting individual demands, individuals can grow, expand, and find satisfaction in furthering the objectives of the Organization.

The Fusion of Two Trends in Organizational Study

Organizational Development is the fusion of the study of structure and human behavior in organizations. Systems theory encompasses both structural and behavioral aspects, facilitating the emergence of OD.

The Concept of Change

The world today is characterized by a constantly changing environment. The 1960s were known as the "decade of the explosion" and featured new environments:

• The general environment: highly dynamic, involving the explosion of technology.

The Concept of Development

The natural tendency of all Organizations is growth and development.

The Organizational Development Process

The OD process consists of a collection of techniques and methods designed for rapid organizational improvement. It emerged from the behavioral sciences.

Key steps in the OD process include:

• Data Collection
• Organizational Diagnosis
• Action Intervention

Applications of Organizational Development

OD is necessary when organizations need to address issues such as:

• Improving inter-group collaboration.
• Improving the communication system (structure and quality).
• Improving planning and goal setting.

Models and Types of Organizational Development

OD requires structural changes in the formal Organization and behavioral changes.

Fusion of Study Tendencies

There is a fusion of two tendencies in the study of Organizations:

1. The study of the structure
2. The study of human behavior in the Organization

Blake and Mouton's Types of Development

Blake and Mouton include three different types of development:

• Evolutionary Change: Slow and smooth.
• Revolutionary Change: Fast and intense.
• Systematic Development: Differs from the above two types of changes.

Systematic Development typically follows three phases:

1. Phase 1: Pioneer Phase: The initial phase led by the Organization's founders.
2. Phase 2: Expansion Stage: The Organization grows and expands.
3. Phase 3: Regulation Phase: Coordination rules must be established due to organizational growth.

Conclusions on Organizational Development

OD seeks to improve technical and administrative systems and personal interaction.

It consists of data collection, organizational diagnosis, and intervention action.

OD requires structural changes in the formal organization or changes in behavior.