Value Dilemmas In Organization Development

Abstract

Friedlander and Brown's review of the current status of organization development (OD) makes the observation that value issues are central to the further development of OD practice and theory. In the present paper, some of the more crucial dilemmas are examined with special attention to the tendency of value dilemmas to reduce the effectiveness of the consultant. Argyris's model of the primary intervention cycle as a definition of the OD consultant's basic task is contrasted to the mere traditional definitions of OD, and the conclusion is drawn that Argyris's model offers promise in helping the consultant and the profession reformulate the consulting task so that the value dilemmas that inevitably arise provide opportunities for learning and developing competence rather than inhibiting the effectiveness of the consultant. Finally, it is concluded that the Argyris model does not preclude the consultant from participating in the process of changing the system, nor does it obviate the consultant's assumption of responsibility for the uses made of the knowledge he or she provides to the client system.