Cultural, economic and political trends are changing the way public administrations are organized and this book examines the new challenges managers face, with the need for a shift from a traditional bureaucratic model to a competency-based approach to organizational design and management in the areas of recruitment, training, career development and assessment. Through the analysis of an experimental project launched jointly by the Italian National School for Administration (SNA) and the Prime Minister’s Office, this book showcases how a competency-based system can be a key tool in reforming HR in the public sector, with significant effects on the organization and management of public administration.

This book defines organizational development (OD) and discusses the philosophy of OD in terms of its assumptions and values. It addresses the issue of change in organizations and deals with groups and group processes since they are the forerunners of teams in organizations.

Designed for use in undergraduate and graduate programs in organization development, management, human resource development, and industrial and organizational psychology, Organization Development provides readers with an overview of the field and acquaints them with the basic principles, practices, values, and skills of OD. Covering every aspect of the work of an OD professional and featuring numerous illustrative case studies, it shows how OD professionals actually get work and what the first steps in any OD effort should be. Author Gary McLean surveys different ways to assess an organizational situation—including a comparison of the Action Research and Appreciative Inquiry models—and provides forms for devising an action plan based on that assessment. He then looks at how to choose and implement a range of interventions at different levels, as well as how to evaluate the results of an intervention. Organization Development goes beyond the organizational level to look at the application of OD on community, national, regional, and global levels. And it successfully combines theory and practice; process and outcomes; performance and affective results; effectiveness and efficiency.

A Dynamic New Approach to Organizational Change Dialogic Organization Development is a compelling alternative to the classical action research approach to planned change. Organizations are seen as fluid, socially constructed realities that are continuously created through conversations and images. Leaders and consultants can help foster change by encouraging disruptions to taken-for-granted ways of thinking and acting and the use of generative images to stimulate new organizational conversations and narratives. This book offers the first comprehensive introduction to Dialogic Organization Development with chapters by a global team of leading scholar-practitioners addressing both theoretical foundations and specific practices.

This engaging and accessible textbook shows the importance and role of organizational development around the world, within the context of organizational change. Fostering an analytic approach to organizational issues, it charts the evolution of the field and shows how today OD fosters organizational effectiveness and individual wellbeing. Firmly grounded in a global perspective, it provides a contemporary analysis of OD and highlights the key diagnostic and intervention techniques that can be used to build organizational effectiveness. With a range of critical perspectives, skills development exercises, and practitioner insight, this book blends theory and practice to show OD's conceptualization and its application to contemporary issues faced by organizations. Suitable for upper undergraduate, postgraduate and MBA level, this is the ideal textbook for anyone studying organizational development.

First published in 1977. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.