Organisational Development (OD): A Systems Wide Change Strategy

Although the field of OD is broad, it can be differentiated from other systems of organizational change by its emphasis on process rather than problems. Indeed, traditional group change systems have focused on identifying problems in an organization and then trying to alter the behavior that creates the problem. OD initiatives focus on identifying the behavioral interactions and patterns that cause and sustain problems. Then, rather than simply changing isolated behaviours, the OD process aims at creating a behaviourally healthy organization that will naturally anticipate and prevent problems.