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Wanted

OD More Alive Than Dead!

Thomas G. Cummings

University of Southern California

The authors examine the evolution of organization development (OD) from its exciting startup to its confusing current state, ending with their concern for OD’s future viability. There have been many ups and downs to the OD field, including its faddish rise in the 1960s, its downturn while under attack in the 1970s, and its subsequent morphing into many forms during the 1980s and 1990s. The current diffuse nature ofODsuggests that it is hardly recognizable in most organizations, portending its possible demise as a historical artifact. However, the authors believe that ODstill has a role to play if it can revitalize itself by taking on a strategic role in organizations to focus its core values on solving problems it has largely avoided or ignored in the past.

Key Words: organization development • organization change • human resources

The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, Vol. 40, No. 4, 374-391 (2004)
DOI: 10.1177/0021886304270284


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