The Shift in OD from Process to Product

Abstract

Early concepts of OD where practitioners facilitated the change process have recently given way to expert consultants directing the change through purposeful planning and systematic methodolo gies. The focus ofmany contemporary OD efforts is on the methods, techniques, or intervention approaches used to bring about the de sired change. The shift in the approach used by OD consultants from facilitating the change process to purposefully directing indi vidual and organizational change has brought about confusion and trouble at the core of OD theory and practice. This article ar gues for the return to OD practice where the responsibility for initi ating and implementing change resides with the client organization or individual, not the expert consultant.