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ERIC Number: ED101071
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1974-Aug
Pages: 20
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Once Again: What Is Organization Development?
Ebeltoft, Arne
Organization Development (OD), conceived by behavioral scientists to humanize psychological aspects of working conditions which deprive employees of opportunities to develop and utilize their inherent resources, is based on the assumption that human resources can be released if people are given other conditions for work and cooperation. There is no uniform theory or practice, but five areas must be considered for perfect OD, presupposing economic and political conditions encouraging to optimal terms for the organization's internal conditions: (1) Human relationships, or, the cooperation mission. It is naive to start cooperation training without changing the methods by which the leaders have been selected and trained to be competitive and ruthless. (2) Production technology, or, tool modification--largely a question of manipulating "the world of things." An entire industrial culture will have to be eradicated first. (3) Organizational structure, or, flexible work divisions. This issue is inevitably ideological and political. (4) Organizational ideology. For OD, the underlying ideology is person-oriented, the welfare state's breakthrough in the working life. (5) Relationship with external environment. Many believe OD is impossible without extensive changes in society. OD means action which secures for all members of an organization adequate terms for sound and all-round cooperation (participation). (Author/AJ)
Publication Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: N/A
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Norway
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A