Evaluation of Organization Development Interventions: A Literature Review.

摘要

This literature review covers those issues and elements necessary to implement a proper evaluation of the effects of an organization development (OD) intervention. Brief discussions of the purposes of OD interventions and evaluations are given, followed by a description of each step necessary in carrying out an evaluation. An optimal evaluation takes into account each of the following steps: the definition of goals; the selection of criteria; the selection of measures and problems associated with measuring change; threats to internal validity and research design; and statistical analysis of data collected. Each of these steps is discussed in detail, followed by an assessment of the current state of the art of OD research in light of these considerations. Recommendations are then made as to how OD evaluations can be improved in light of the discrepancies found between the state of the art and the ideal or optimal evaluation. (Author)