AS Nov 26 pm

Various fields and disciplines associated with organizational development, improvement, and change.

Organizational development (OD) is a discipline within Industrial and Organizational (I/O) Psychology which studies the work behaviors of people. Organizational development then focuses on those behaviors. It utilizes behavioral concepts from fields such as psychology, sociology, and anthropology. It identifies how those behaviors can be adapted and influenced to increase the effectiveness of an organization (Nguyen, 2016).

What OD is and what it is not.

OD does not focus on the financial improvement of organizations, but on the human side of them and how behavioral changes can improve the overall culture of an organization (Organizational Development, n.d.). OD focuses on the adaptation of behaviors to improve performance. It does not study the behaviors themselves, as that falls under the larger discipline of I/O psychology. It also focuses on the performance of the organization as a whole and how behavioral changes within the whole organization can improve effectiveness. Change management on the other hand focuses more on the individual and their needs to improve performance (Nguyen, 2016). For example, I/O may identify positive morale improves performance. OD focuses on resources needed to improve positive morale within the organizational culture, and change management focuses on what an individual needs to increase their positive morale.

How OD professionals can work collaboratively with other practice areas to provide additional benefits to client organizations.

OD is an important field to improve effectiveness as it allows people to have a voice on their professional culture (Burke, 2018). When it works in collaboration with other practices that can offer benefits to the organization it provides a holistic approach to organization effectiveness. When employees are part of the decision process it can reduce conflict and the overall wellness of the organization and individuals (Walden University, 2012b). For example, Partnering with mental health professionals can improve resources available to improve overall and individual wellness. Collaboration with financial systems as well can simplify processes within an organization streamlining procedures that increase cost effectiveness.

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