Reinventing Organization Development

"A hard hitting yet hopeful look at a field concerned with renewal that is in need of renewal itself. This book is full of intelligent questions, provocative appraisals, and prescriptions for action that they serve." -- Rosabeth Moss Kanter, chaired professor, Harvard Business School; author, Confidence: How Winning Streaks and Losing Streaks Begin and End "Wise, invaluable advice that the field and its practitioners should heed if the field of OD is to take its rightful place as an applied behavioral science that can make a difference in the economic and human affairs of organizations." --Michael Beer, professor emeritus, Harvard Business School; chairman, Center for Organizational Fitness "Few disciplines in decline have subjected themselves to so profound a self-evaluation. It should lead to a rejuvenation of the field. Whether or not it does, there is a great deal to learn here about organizations and relevant professional practice.?--Russell Ackoff, professor emeritus, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania "Two of the leaders of the field of OD have collaborated to present us with a compelling and controversial state of the art." --Len Schlesinger, vice chairman and chief operating officer, Limited Brands "The book challenges OD consultants to think broadly about their organizational roles and to assert their rightful place in organizations." --Jean M. Bartunek, Robert A. and Evelyn J. Ferris Chair Professor of Organization Studies, Boston College

David L. Bradford is senior lecturer in organizational behavior in the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University and the dean of the Stanford Executive Program on Leadership. Bradford is the coauthor of the bestselling books Managing for Excellence, Influence Without Authority, and Power Up, all from Jossey-Bass. W. Warner Burke is the Edward Lee Thorndike Professor of Psychology and Education and coordinator for the graduate programs in social-organizational psychology in the Department of Organization and Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University in New York City. He is the author, coauthor, editor, or coeditor of fourteen books and the winner of numerous awards including The Lippitt Memorial Award, from the American Society for Training and Development.

Introduction. 1. The Crisis in OD (W. Warner Burke and David L. Bradford). 2. The Future of OD, or Why Don't They Take the Tubes out of Grandma? (Jerry B. Harvey). 3. Contemporary Challenges to the Philosophy and Practice of Organization Development (Robert J. Marshak). 4. A Historic View of the Future of OD: An Interview with Jerry I. Porras (David L. Bradford and Jerry I. Porras). 5. Organization Development: Requiem or Reveille? (Tony Petrella). 6. OD: Wanted More Alive Than Dead! (Larry E. Greiner and Thomas G. Cummings). 7. On the Demise of Organization Development (Chris Argyris). 8. Organization Development: A Wedding of Anthropology and Organizational Therapy (Edgar H. Schein). 9. A Paradigm for Professional Vitality (Peter P. Vaill). 10. Ideas in Currency and OD Practice: Has the Well Gone Dry? (Barbara Benedict Bunker, Billie T. Alban, and Roy J. Lewicki). 11. The Future of OD? (David L. Bradford and W. Warner Burke). About the Editors. About the Contributors. Index. Pfeiffer Publications Guide.