Organization development (OD), as an applied arm of the field of organizational
behavior, purports to facilitate organizational change through the use of a variety
of change interventions. Its proponents feel that the tools and techniques of OD
can improve an organization's problem-solving ability, increase its ability to adapt
to rapid societal change, and provide managers an updated set of concepts and
methods for managing their organizations. This article reviews and evaluates the
research on the impact of organization development interventions. Although there
is an abundance of literature on OD, there is very little research on its effects that
can withstand the rigorous testing most social scientists would expect. Further
more, there is research available on only six interventions of the wide variety re
ported in the literature. Although there is a paucity of research information in this
area, what is available does help to identify what is known and what is speculation
about OD. More important, the review reported here indicates areas for improved
research and directions for future research.
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