OD practitioners are faced with the dilemma of using their diagnostic
skills to create high-quality change plans, yet the clients must be involved
to increase the likelihood of the change plans being implemented. Sys
tems Improvement Research (SIR) resolves the dilemma by establishing a
team composed of inside workers and outside consultants who jointly
collect data and make plans for change. The development of SIR, its
theoretical bases, and several field experiences with the approach are
described.
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