It is argued that employees' perceived ideal organizational conditions are important to change agents because this information provides an indication of organizational members' preferences. Arguments for using the ideal in conjunction with existing organizational conditions are made. This may suggest coordinating different interventions within an…

Tested differences in values between 60 managers and 51 organizational development consultants, using the Management Values Inventory (MVI). Results revealed that the differences between the two groups were modest, even when statistically significant. Often-stated differences between these groups were not present on the MVI. (Author/WAS)

Explores the current organization development assessment milieu and proposes a model to help clarify assessment. Each feature of the model is defined, and characteristic problems are discussed in light of current methods and theory. Guidelines are proposed to enhance the assessability of potential change activities. (Author)

Predictable affective responses are evoked during each phase of a group or organizational problem-solving process. With the needs assessment phase come hope and energy; with goal-setting, confusion and dissatisfaction; with action planning, involvement and accomplishment; with implementation, "stage fright" and joy; with evaluation, pride or…

Describes an organization development program for educational systems and reviews an experiment conducted to assess its impact on elementary schools and their teaching staffs. Results indicate that the program was generally successful in establishing collective structures and increasing the perceived adequacy of collective decision processes in…

Surveyed 107 college faculty members to study their involvement in consultation activities. Results suggested professors consulted most often with large businesses and did more training than organizational development. Respondents reported courses in research methods and professional association workshops were helpful to their consulting work.…

Describes the origins and developmental requirements of the Informant Panel, an inexpensive, time-efficient, retrospective method for obtaining consequently meaningful information needed to guide organizational change projects. The panel combines features of the Nominal Group and Delphi Techniques. (WAS)

Suggests that organizational development consultants should use more explicit representations of the problems they work on with client teams. Offers an approach to overcome difficulties and provides a strategy for intervening in the processes of problem definition in teams. (Author)

Determined differences between supervisor's self-perception of leadership style and subordinate's perception of that style. A significant difference was found between the magnitude with which supervisors perceived themselves as using the high task/high relationship style and the degree to which subordinates perceived their supervisors as using it.…

The purpose of organization development (OD) is to improve an organization's effectiveness in making decisions and changes and to reach the full potential of its personnel. Objectives of OD and essentials for successful programs are listed. Definitions of essentials and how they add to the effectiveness of OD are presented. (Author/BEF)

In planning for University Associates' organization development conference, OD '80, a Delphi study was conducted to predict trends and problems in this field for the coming decade. Included are preliminary results as well as comparative data from a group of OD practitioners. (Author)

Organizational change approaches were reviewed and analyzed in terms of the impact they have on major system variables in organizations, the type of change agent most likely to utilize each approach, and the relative affective, cognitive, and trusting behaviors required by the client system. (Author)

Trist discusses his own training and his research in organizational development, networks, and management systems. His work in the United States is explored. Trist is professor of organizational behavior at York University, Toronto, and professor emeritus at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. (Author/BEF)

Effects of organizational development interventions depend on type of product organization is concerned with (end vs process), type of organization (input vs output), and field of forces in situations (driving vs restraining). OD results depend on accuracy of system analysis, intervening correctly, and encouraging belief of positive effects.…

T-groups methodology plays an important role as an experiential learning approach both within and outside of organizational settings. An understanding of differences and similarities between T-group training and team development is critical for communication and for intelligent decisions concerning their utility in organizational development…