Practicing Organization Development: A Guide for Leading Change: A Third Edition

MAJOR FEATURES OF FOUNDATION LITERATURE THROUGH 1980s

This chapter recognizes two features of what will be called the “foundation literature” in its review of analyses of success rates in OD applications, roughly dated from the early studies in the petroleum industry through the research of the 1980s. Two themes dominate in this survey of foundation work. First, attention goes to a brief summary of estimates of success; second, leading factors obfuscating interpretation of those earlier studies of success.

Success Rates in the Foundation Literature

Those seeking guidance about whether OD applications are worth the costs are buffeted by conflicting forces. The small number of evaluative studies encouraged moderated enthusiasm, with success ...