1. Thomas G. Cummings Christopher G. Worley
Organization Development and Change
Chapter Twenty Five :
Future Directions in
Organization Development
Thomas G. Cummings
Christopher G. Worley

2. Learning Objectives for Chapter Twenty Five
To explore the trends affecting how OD is likely to be practiced in the future
To explore how OD is likely to change in the future

3. Trends Affecting OD Practice
Traditional Trends
Return to original humanistic values
Increasing focus on process interventions

4. Trends Affecting OD Practice
Pragmatic Trends
Emphasize vales of effectiveness
Increasing focus on relevant practice

5. Trends Affecting OD Practice
Scholarly Trends
Emphasis on values of understanding, prediction, and control
Search for variables that explain change and effectiveness

6. Trends within OD Practice
Organization Development Will…
Have more conflict in the short term
Be more integrated in the long term

7. Contextual Trends and Their Effects on OD’s Future
Organization Development
will be:
Economy
More embedded in the organization’s operations
More technologically enabled
Shorter OD cycle times
More interdisciplinary
More diverse in client organizations
More cross-cultural
More concerned with ecological sustainability
Workforce
Technology
Organizations

8. Implications for OD’s Future
More involved in driving effectiveness in a broader range of organizations
More involved in supporting technological and managerial innovation
More concerned with preserving cultural diversity
Focus on ecological sustainability