INTRODUCTION
In
the history of the world, man has always have one thing in mind, to achieve
success in all life endavours such as economic social, political and even
religious endavours and for man to do these, he must engage in one organization
or another (formal or informal organizations). Professor Paugh Shaughnessy
(1976:11) organization is the study of the structure, function and performance of
group and individuals within the organization. Professor Umoh S. M. sees
organization, as the utilization of human resources and carries series of
pressing problems.
BRIEF HISTORY OF ORGANIZATION
DEVELOPMENT
The
history of organization, is as old as man’s existence, but it’s (organization)
development can be dated back to (1878). Kurt lewin (1878) is widely recognized
as the founding father of organization development, although he died before the
concept became current in the mid-1950s. From lewin came the idea of group
dynamics and action research which underpins the basic organization process as
well as providing it’s collaborative consultancy or clients. Kurt lewin played
a key role in the evolution of organization as it is known today. Before the World
War II lewin conducted an experiment with collaborative change process where he
used (himself and a client group) based on a three step process of planning,
taking action and increasing results. This was the fore runner of action
research and became an important element of organization development. Lewin
participated in the beginning of laboratory training, or (T. groups) and after
his death in 1947, his close associates helped to develop a survey research
methods at university of Michigan. Douglas Micgregor and Richard bechard while
consulting together at general mills in the 1950s, the two coined the term
organization development to describe innovative bottoms-up change effort that
fit no traditional consulting categories (Weishard 1987 p. 112).
WHAT ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT ENTAILS (
A TECHNIQUES FOR CHANGING ATTITUDES)
Organization
Development (OD) is a deliberately planned efforts to increase an organizations
relevance and viability. (vasudevan) has referred to organization development
as, future readiness to meet change, thus a systemic learning and development
strategy intended to change the basic of beliefs, attitudes and relevance of
values and structure of the current to better absorb disruptive technologies
shrinking or exploding market opportunities and ensuing challenges and choas.
organization development is the framework for a change process designed to lead
to desirable positive impact to all stakeholder and the environment.
organization development can design intervention with application of several
multi-disciplinary methods and research besides traditional organization
development approaches.
The
purpose of organization development is to (address perenial evolving needs of
successful organization) a concerted collaboration of internal and external
experts in the field to discover the process an organization can use to become
more stakeholder effective. Organization development is an ongoing systematic
process of implementing effective organization change.Organization, development
is known as both a field of applied behavioural sciences focused on
understanding and managing organizational change and as a field of scientific
study and inquiry. It is inter-disciplinary in nature and draws on sociology,
psychology and theories of motivation, learning and personality. organization
development is a growing field that is responsive to mainly new approaches
including positive adult development.
CHANGE AGENT
A
change agent in the sense used here is not a technical expert skilled in such
functional areas as accounting, production and finance. The change agent is a
behavioural scientist who knows how to get people in an organization involved
in solving their own problems. A change agent main strength is a comprehensive
knowledge of human behaviour supported by a number of intervention techniques.
The change agent can be either internal or external in an organization. An
internal change agent is usually a staff person who has expertise in the
behavioural science and the intervention technology of organization development.
Beckhard reports several case in which line people have been trained in
organization and have retuned to their organization to engage in successful
change assignments. In the natural evolution of change mechanism in
organization, this would seem to approaches the idea arrangement qualified
change can be found in some university faculties or they may be private
consultants associated with organization such as national training laboratories
institute for applied behavioural science. The agent may be staff or line
member of the organization who is schooled in organization development theory
and technique. In such a case, ‘the contractual relationship is an in house
agreement that should probably be explicit with respect to all of the condition
involved except fee.
ACTION RESEARCH
Wendell
French and Cecil Bell defined organization development at one point as
“organization improvement through research. If one idea can be said to
summarize organization development’s underlying philosophy, it would be action
research as it was conceptualized by Kurt lewin and later elaborated and
expanded by other behavioural scientists. Concerned with social changes and
more particular with effective, permanent social change Lewin believed that the
motivation to change was strongly related to action: if people are more likely
to adopt a new ways “Rational social management”, proceeds in a spiral of
steps, each of which is composed of a circle of
planning, action and fact-finding about the results of action”
While
there are many different organization development techniques, they are all
aimed at accomplishing the following objectives
(a)
Increasing the
levels of support and trust among participants
(b)
Increasing open
confrontation of organizational problems
(c)
Increasing the
openness and authenticity of organizational communication.
(d)
Increasing
personal enthusiasm and self-control.
This
emphasis on the ‘people’ aspect of organization does not mean that
practitioners, don’t try to bring about change in organization structure,
policies or practices: they often do, but the typical organization development
program is aimed at changing the attitudes values, and beliefs of the employees
so that the employees themselves can identify and implement such organizational
changes.
REFERENCES
Wesibord,
Marvin (1981) Productive Workplace: Organizing and Management for dignity, meaning and community Jossery-Bass Publishers, San Francisco.
Richard
Arxid Johnson (1976) Management systems and society and Introduction pacific
palisades Califosia: Goodyear
Publishers pp 223-229.
Newton
Margulies (1972) organizational development: values, process and technology New York, MacGraw hill Book Co. pp.3.
Richard
Beckhard (1969) organization development: strategies, and models reading, mass address Wesley p. 114.
Wondel
L. French: Cecil Belc: Organization Development: Behavioural science intervention for organization improvement. Engle wood cliff, Nowjersey,
Prentice Hall.
Bradford
D. C. and Buke, Ww (eds) (2005) Organization Development
San Francisco Pfeiffer.
Bradford
D. C. and Burke WW.(eds) 2005, Reinventing Organization
Development.