Suchergebnisse

The author reviewed OD evaluation as described in the literature and assessed twenty-six studies against Campbell and Stanley's twelve criteria for validity; only three met all criteria. The studies varied from highly rigorous, experimental designs to nondesigns totally inadequate for an assessment of validity. Most of the studies reviewed did not utilize designs rigorous enough to adequately determine the outcomes of the OD process. The present underdeveloped state of the art of OD evaluation demonstrates that practitioners must (1) determine appropriate meas ures for assessing; (2) develop more adequate instruments for measuring change related to OD; and (3) consistently utilize more rigorous designs for their studies.

This research was conducted to measure the impact of a six-month organ ization development (OD) effort with a top management group in a large state government organization. Such research is needed because little is known about the effects of OD on public-sector organizations. Six pre- post measures were used to control for threats to validity of the research. The impact of the OD was assessed by measuring change in collaboration, communication, and role clarity as well as the managers' ability to select and apply effective leadership styles. Although no change in management styles was detected, the data demonstrated that OD in the public sector can result in mild to moderate improvement in role clarity, collaboration, and communication effectiveness among participants. The multiple- measures design proved to be more rigorous than designs typically used for evaluating OD.