Organization Development

Overview of "Organization Development" by Wendell L. French and Cecil H. Bell Jr.

Key Themes:

1. Organization Development (OD) Theory and Practice: The book provides a comprehensive exposition of the theory, practice, and research related to organization development. It focuses on improving organizations through planned, systematic, long-range efforts aimed at the organization's culture and its human and social processes.
2. Behavioral Science Interventions: The authors explore how behavioral science interventions can be applied to improve organizational performance. This includes examining the role of culture, human and social processes, and the interdependency of various parts of the organization.
3. Holistic Approach: The book emphasizes a holistic approach to understanding organizations, considering the total system including its environment, departments, workgroups, and individual behaviors. It recognizes the principle of interdependency, where change in one part of the system affects other parts.

Plot Summary: The book is structured to cover various aspects of organization development, including:

• Theory and Research: It presents a concise and comprehensive overview of the theoretical foundations and research related to OD.
• Practical Applications: The authors discuss practical strategies and models for implementing OD interventions.
• Recent Developments: The sixth edition reflects the most recent developments, advances, and expansions in the field of OD, ensuring the book remains relevant and up-to-date.

Critical Reception:

• General Feedback: The book is generally considered useful but has been criticized for containing a lot of repetition and unnecessary material.
• Reviews:
  • Arwa AlSmaeel: Found the book useful but noted it had a lot of repetition and unnecessary material.
  • Pubudu Liyanage: Described it as a great book with strong theory explained.
  • Pam Jacob: Considered it better than most textbooks, not as dry, and suitable for class use.

Additional Insights

• Six-Box Model: The book might include or reference the six-box model for understanding organizations, which includes purposes, structure, relationships, rewards, leadership, and helpful mechanisms. This model helps in diagnosing and improving organizational performance.

Overall, "Organization Development" by Wendell L. French and Cecil H. Bell Jr. is a foundational text in the field of organization development, offering a comprehensive and practical guide to improving organizational performance through behavioral science interventions.