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Evolution or Revolution in the Values of Organization Development: Commentary on the State of the Field

Allan H. Church (W. Warner Burke Associates, Inc., New York, USA)
Robert F. Hurley (Fordham University, USA)
W. Warner Burke (Teachers College, Columbia University, USA)

Journal of Organizational Change Management

ISSN: 0953-4814

Article publication date: 1 April 1992

444

Abstract

A series of interviews were conducted with 12 experienced Organization Development (OD) practitioners in order to explore the impact that changes in the business world may have had on the values of the field. Eight major themes emerged from these interviews: (1) OD practitioners are driven by large system change; (2) humanistic values remain at the core of OD efforts; (3) practitioners are focusing more on business effectiveness issues; (4) achieving personal goals and rewards are strong motivators; (5) practitioners sometimes project their own issues and problems onto clients; (6) some operate as fringe dwellers on the margin of commitment to organizations; (7) the OD missionary is alive but not well; and (8) training for the field is a severe problem – there are too few mentors for the number of people entering the field. Addresses implications for the field of OD.

Keywords

Citation

Church, A.H., Hurley, R.F. and Warner Burke, W. (1992), "Evolution or Revolution in the Values of Organization Development: Commentary on the State of the Field", Journal of Organizational Change Management, Vol. 5 No. 4, pp. 6-23. https://doi.org/10.1108/09534819210021438

Publisher

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MCB UP Ltd

Copyright © 1992, MCB UP Limited

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