From the Editor
Vol 40, No 2 (2008)
From The Editor
Our Spring issue is a potpourri of articles about OD theory and interventions; something for everyone’s passion and interest.
In the first offering Bauback Yeganeh and Ante Glavas explore Green Organization Development. From a recognition of cross organizational need for green to a clear description of the components of Green OD this is an article you don’t want to miss reading. We believe you will carry the challenge and the ideas with you long after finishing the read.
Susan Lubeck and Zak Sinclair, writing about community organizing and OD, surely remind readers of how many of us entered the OD field from community organizing. In this writing, the authors “… explore the features community organizing has to offer OD” with emphasis on purpose, relationship building as a leadership capability, and collective action that can change organizations.
These days employee engagement is a hot subject in OD practice. Debra Orr and Hona Matthews provide readers with an introduction that includes insight into the organizational importance of the subject. The section on “Why Employees Leave” provides information you may well want to share with clients beleaguered by departing employees. A table on “Employee Engagement Practices” provides the practice and the OD strategy in three areas: Communiction, Consistency and Co-Workers & Supervisors.
Carol Rusaw and Jeff Sandoz offer a fine article on diagnosing and intervening in the narcissistic organization. This is a reading to which you will want to allocate plenty of time to reflect upon, both for its content and potential learning and for the possibility of identifying one of your client groups that might well be narcissistic. A case example provides insight and supports a choice of interventions.
An essay entitled “Learning to Discover and Work Differently Together,” by Mary T. Lewis, “… reports on the use of the principles of Appreciative Inquiry, Dialogue and Collaboration to create the conditions that support shared exploration, and discovery that includes challenging assumptions, systems thinking and building a shared vision.” The client group in this case consisted of child welfare professionals. Here is a creative piece of work that offers readers multiple opportunities for considering quite a different case approach.
Joydip Dey brings readers a successful merger and integration story. The parent company is Questra Technology in India, that acquired two high technology companies, one located in India and the second in the US, in order to “… yield synergies from economies of scale and scope, best practices, and the sharing of capabilities and opportunities.” Pass/Fail Performance Appraisals have not done well, and according to practitioner Stanley Ridley, author of the article “Measurement and Evaluation: OD Lessons Learned from
Pass/Fail Performance Appraisals’ Predictable Death,” they have, in fact, failed. This is an excellent M & E writing that culminates in a summary of recommendations “... that extend beyond M&E/PA to other change initiatives.
This issue’s case study, presented by Therese Yaeger and Peter Sorensen, focuses on a struggling airline challenged by the cost of fuel and increased competition and the differences in values experienced by CEO Harold and OD Specialist, Mike. The three OD Consultant Responders are: Bruce Mabee, Kathryn Kasdorf and Deb Orr. You may notice perspectives by these three consultants both different and similar to your own.
A special supplement entitled “Building Organization Development: Change as an Academic Discipline” concludes the Spring issue. Glenn Varney’s introduction clarifies the purpose of the OD Summits that have assembled annually since 2005. Three articles follow: the first written by Deborah A. O’Neil (Bowling Green University); the second by George W. Hay (Benedictine University), Richard W. Woodman (Texas A&M University), and Ram V. Tenkasi (Benedictine University); and the final writing by Robert J. Marshak (AU/NTL, American University).
We hope that you enjoy this issue of OD Practitioner and that it adds some creative thoughts and intervention ideas to your OD practice.
~ Marilyn Blair