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The NTL Handbook of Organization Development And Change: Principles, Practices, And Perspectives
The NTL Handbook of Organization Development and Change is an essential tool for both practitioners and students who want to know how to effectively bring about meaningful and sustainable change in organizations. Featuring contributions from leading practitioners, academics, and scholars in the field, each chapter comprehensively explores a key aspect of organization development including core theories and methods, OD in the international and world setting, practical applications, the future of OD, and many others. Co-published with the NTL Institute, a long-time leader and champion for the field, The NTL Handbook of Organization Development and Change boasts an extensive range of knowledge, experience, and methods integrated by a philosophical system that underscores the vital mission of OD as well as provides expert guidance in the art and science of making organizational development and change work.
540 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
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July 11, 2021
Beneficial Background for Further Exploration - Recently, I was looking for a book that would provide an update on the Organization Development and Change field, the tradition out of which my professional career progressed. Having checked out a number of texts, I chose this one as it seemed to best tie back to the “roots” of the profession. For instance, during my early work years, I attended an NTL program in Bethel, Maine and was curious about the status of that facility and the current state of the parent organization (see my review of Kripal’s "Esalen: America and the Religion of No Religion").
While the book’s Foreword by NTL mainstays Charlie and Edie Seashore (penned before their deaths in 2013) and other aspects addressed many of my questions, I found it a helpful review and starter in pursuing the further exploration that would be necessary to get a more immediate picture of the field’s standing today.
More specifically, after the introductory material, the book consists of 34 chapters divided into 6 parts: (1) Organization Development as a Profession and Field of Practice, (2) Perspectives on Organization Development Practice, (3) Organization Change, Leadership, and Culture, (4) Working with Groups and Individuals, (5) Multicultural Perspectives, and (6) Areas of Focus in Organization Development.
Among my favorite parts were those that mentioned some of my mentors and people/concepts with which I have been involved during my career. For instance, on page 62, Hinkley speaking about the ‘Birth of the OD Field,” relates “Among the group development theories that are still used today are Jack Gibb’s model of trust formation that identifies four “concerns” (acceptance, data flow, goal, and control); Will Schutz’s ICA model (inclusion, control, and affection); and Tuckman’s well-known model of forming, storming, norming, and performing“ (see my review of Sibbet’s Leading Business Teams: How Teams Can Use Technology and Group Process Tools to Enhance Performance (Addison-wesley Series on Organization Development) ). Further on page 81, Jamieson and Gellermann comment that “From these research and theory contributions, the early values and philosophy of the field were created, leading to radically different strategies and methods for improving organizations and for improving people’s lives in organizations—for example, sensitivity training, T-groups, team building, socio-technical work design, and survey feedback.” Later, on page 372, a Bunker and Albans remark that “socio-technical systems, showed how changes in technology can disrupt system functioning . . . [and] proposed a theory that requires attention to both the technological and the social system for the best productivity [and other results]” (see my review of Mohr and van Amelsvoort’s Co-Creating Humane and Innovative Organizations: Evolutions in the Practice Of Socio-technical System Design ). There is Cote and Mayhew’s discussion of the change dynamics where they include a chart from Hopson and Adams on the “Feelings About Change” (from 1977) that seems to depict what more recently has been called the “Change Acceptance/Adoption Curve” (see my review of Duarte and Sanchez’s "Illuminate: Ignite Change Through Speeches, Stories, Ceremonies, and Symbols"). Then comes the additional material on Kurt Lewin, one of the NTL originators and “Nothing so practical as a good theory” progenitor bringing things back to the beginning.
However, as Livingston opines at the end of the book on 588, “OD practitioners and academicians must adapt their practices in response. VUCA [a more Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous world] represents a continuation and speeding up of the transformation we are already undergoing. Today, change is the dominant theme.” He goes on to say, “VUCA is taxing leaders, who are finding their skills growing obsolete as quickly as their organizations change in this volatile, unpredictable landscape.”
Since this text appeared it seems NTL is facing its own challenges along these lines. The Bethel site was spun off to become The Lewin Center which apparently has seen little use in recent years. American University discontinued its joint NTL degree programs. Finally, the most viable OD/change management practice areas have apparently shifted from universities and boutique providers to the larger consulting firms (see my review of Kiechel's "The Lords of Strategy: The Secret Intellectual History of the New Corporate World"). Questions arise around how the skills and knowledge of this tradition get further transferred and applied to the emerging social and work scene where there is seemingly less appreciation for the depth and quality of interaction described (see my review of Dignan’s "Brave New Work: Are You Ready to Reinvent Your Organization? ").
None the less, this handbook still provides beneficial background for further exploration by those who are progressing, can address such concerns and provide future updates on the OD and change management field.
While the book’s Foreword by NTL mainstays Charlie and Edie Seashore (penned before their deaths in 2013) and other aspects addressed many of my questions, I found it a helpful review and starter in pursuing the further exploration that would be necessary to get a more immediate picture of the field’s standing today.
More specifically, after the introductory material, the book consists of 34 chapters divided into 6 parts: (1) Organization Development as a Profession and Field of Practice, (2) Perspectives on Organization Development Practice, (3) Organization Change, Leadership, and Culture, (4) Working with Groups and Individuals, (5) Multicultural Perspectives, and (6) Areas of Focus in Organization Development.
Among my favorite parts were those that mentioned some of my mentors and people/concepts with which I have been involved during my career. For instance, on page 62, Hinkley speaking about the ‘Birth of the OD Field,” relates “Among the group development theories that are still used today are Jack Gibb’s model of trust formation that identifies four “concerns” (acceptance, data flow, goal, and control); Will Schutz’s ICA model (inclusion, control, and affection); and Tuckman’s well-known model of forming, storming, norming, and performing“ (see my review of Sibbet’s Leading Business Teams: How Teams Can Use Technology and Group Process Tools to Enhance Performance (Addison-wesley Series on Organization Development) ). Further on page 81, Jamieson and Gellermann comment that “From these research and theory contributions, the early values and philosophy of the field were created, leading to radically different strategies and methods for improving organizations and for improving people’s lives in organizations—for example, sensitivity training, T-groups, team building, socio-technical work design, and survey feedback.” Later, on page 372, a Bunker and Albans remark that “socio-technical systems, showed how changes in technology can disrupt system functioning . . . [and] proposed a theory that requires attention to both the technological and the social system for the best productivity [and other results]” (see my review of Mohr and van Amelsvoort’s Co-Creating Humane and Innovative Organizations: Evolutions in the Practice Of Socio-technical System Design ). There is Cote and Mayhew’s discussion of the change dynamics where they include a chart from Hopson and Adams on the “Feelings About Change” (from 1977) that seems to depict what more recently has been called the “Change Acceptance/Adoption Curve” (see my review of Duarte and Sanchez’s "Illuminate: Ignite Change Through Speeches, Stories, Ceremonies, and Symbols"). Then comes the additional material on Kurt Lewin, one of the NTL originators and “Nothing so practical as a good theory” progenitor bringing things back to the beginning.
However, as Livingston opines at the end of the book on 588, “OD practitioners and academicians must adapt their practices in response. VUCA [a more Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous world] represents a continuation and speeding up of the transformation we are already undergoing. Today, change is the dominant theme.” He goes on to say, “VUCA is taxing leaders, who are finding their skills growing obsolete as quickly as their organizations change in this volatile, unpredictable landscape.”
Since this text appeared it seems NTL is facing its own challenges along these lines. The Bethel site was spun off to become The Lewin Center which apparently has seen little use in recent years. American University discontinued its joint NTL degree programs. Finally, the most viable OD/change management practice areas have apparently shifted from universities and boutique providers to the larger consulting firms (see my review of Kiechel's "The Lords of Strategy: The Secret Intellectual History of the New Corporate World"). Questions arise around how the skills and knowledge of this tradition get further transferred and applied to the emerging social and work scene where there is seemingly less appreciation for the depth and quality of interaction described (see my review of Dignan’s "Brave New Work: Are You Ready to Reinvent Your Organization? ").
None the less, this handbook still provides beneficial background for further exploration by those who are progressing, can address such concerns and provide future updates on the OD and change management field.
Displaying 1 of 1 review