Lecture 1

Question 1

What is organizational development

Answer 1

The LONG-RANGE EFFORT to improve:
1)an organization’s/system’s problem-solving capabilities and
2) its abilities to cope with changes in the external environment
with the help of external or internal behavioral-scientist consultants or
change agents, as they are sometimes called (Wendell French, 1969).

Question 2

Characteristics of OD

Answer 2

• Planned
• Effectiveness
• Scientific approach (e.g. team dynamics, work design)
• Systemic approach

Question 3

Research process of an OD consultant

Answer 3

Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 4
Stage 5
Stage 6

Question 4

Positive approach

Answer 4

4 Ds:
Discovery
Dream
Desire
Destiny

Question 5

Feedback for the environment in OD

Answer 5

Organizations continually Interact with their environments;
feed-back from the environment helps the system to adapt

Question 6

Forms of organization adaptation

Answer 6

Reactive management
Renewing transformational management
Sluggish thermostat management
Satisficing management

Question 7

Changing the culture

Answer 7

Culture is a system of shared values and beliefs that interact with an
organization’s people, structure and systems to produce behavioral
norms;
- “the way we do things around here”
It includes:
- artifacts: clothes, language, behaviors;
- norms and values: unwritten rules;
- deep assumptions;

Question 8

Lewinian Model of Action Research