What is Organizational Development? And why does it matter?

If you scour the internet (by scour I mean "do a quick Bing search") for the definition of "organizational development" you are likely to find a few variations. For example, according to the Organizational Development Network, "Organization Development (OD) refers to the interdisciplinary field of scholars and practitioners who work collaboratively with organizations and communities to develop their system-wide capacity for effectiveness and

vitality. It is grounded in the organization and social sciences". On the other hand, the Corporate Finance Institute provides a simpler definition: "objective-based methodology used to initiate a change of systems in an entity". For yet a third perspective, Maryville University defines it as "a planned, systematic change in the values or operations of employees to create overall growth in a company or organization".

While these definitions certainly have a lot in common, they are not precisely the same which raises a few questions. Why does defining Org. Dev. even matter? It's important because it is very easy for companies to implement change without fully recognizing the degree of impact that could be made. Well, if it's so important, why are there so many ways to define organizational development? I believe that organization development itself is affected by the very changing nature of the world of business in which it operates. Therefore, once one definition surfaces, the nature of change could make it outdated pretty quickly. It is also likely the case that OD differs across industries, cultures, and even environments.

I've also worked to devise my own definition based on my experience in teaching and technology. In my position as an English language teacher in South Korea, I found myself explaining new vocabulary words on a daily basis. When teaching my students the meaning of the word "development", I made sure to tell them that it's not just changing from one thing to another, but the change can also be made with the intent to make a better experience, more efficient, or less wasteful. I think that these components are especially important within organizations. Change without intent to improve wastes resources and time which all point back to unnecessary loss of money.

When we look at "organization" we aren't referring to how well organized something is in terms of neatness or placement. Rather we refer to a business or group of people who are working together. It is also important to recognize that organizations themselves shift in personnel, goals, and leadership values. Therefore, really evaluating the organization's characteristics is crucial prior to engaging in development. Taking into consideration both of these components any working definition of "organizational development" should recognize the value of intentional change and the organization's unique characteristics.

Therefore, my definition would be:

Organizational development refers to a process of change involving the use of behavioral sciences, instigated by an organization, and with a focus on company goals and values. Development is instigated for the purpose of achieving a better working experience for employees, a better collaborating experience for customers, and/or a more efficient and less wasteful operating strategy.

And now that I've made my own definition, I'm sure it will become outdated very quickly. But that is the nature of change and what makes it so exciting.