The Comparative Impact of Different OD Techniques and Intervention Intensities

Abstract

A wide range of organization development techniques has been developed but little has been done to compare their impact. It is expected that different techniques would affect organizational variables in unique ways. Some techniques would probably be more effective in changing certain variables than others. Similarly, interventions of varying intensities would also be expected to yield different results. This study attempts to assess the OD empirical research literature in an effort to determine the comparative impact of the more common change techniques and varying intervention intensities. Thirty-five empirical assessments of the impact of OD are used as the data source. Eleven hypotheses derived from the OD literature are proposed and tested. The findings indicate that most of the predictions are not supported by the available data. A discussion of the implications of these results is included.