Practicing Organization Development: Leading Transformation and Change, 4th Edition

Introduction

Getting the Most from This Book

William J. Rothwell, Jacqueline M. Stavros, and Roland L. Sullivan

In the third edition of Practicing Organization Development, the focus was on using organization development (OD) as a guide for leading change initiatives. Change continues to be a major dynamic in organization life. What we have heard and seen since the last edition is the word transformation. That is when an organization goes through a planned process of profound and dynamic change that takes the organization to the next level—a new direction for its stakeholders. The fourth edition integrates transformation because many organizations are looking for leaders who can understand, lead, and support organizational transformation. According to Don Warrick, “There is an urgent need in organizations of all types and sizes for transformational leaders who have the courage and skills to reinvent and build organizations capable of succeeding in today's times of dynamic change and scarce resources” (2011, 11). This new edition has many contributions to get at the heart of transformational change at the individual, team, department, and/or organizational level.

To embrace transformational change, organizations and their leaders must take innovative strategic paths by applying organization development (OD) and change efforts that foster dialogue around strategic conversations of what is (purpose) and what could be (future). Results from these strengths-based conversations are ...