Organizing for Change: An Assessment of Organization Development Activities of Training Consultants
type: CreativeWork
description: The purpose of this dissertation was to examine and analyze the background and training of consultants involved in organization development activities, the client organizations served by these professionals, the types of organization development interventions most commonly employed by the training consultants, and the resources utilized by internal and external consultants conducting organization development activities. The data were collected from a review and analysis of organization development research literature and from a descriptive survey questionnaire utilized to obtain information from a sample of 102 practicing consultants from a variety of institutional settings throughout the United States. Both qualitative and quantitative information from the training consultants was collected through the survey questionnaire. The descriptive information gathered by the survey was used to identify commonalities and patterns with regard to the background and professional preparation of organization development consultants, client organizations, interventions of choice, and professional resources. The data obtained by the close questionnaire items were analyzed to determine the number and percentage of total response group selection. Tables and charts with numerical summaries were used to augment the written description of the results. The findings of the study demonstrate that the field of organization development must come to grips with its fragmented rather than integrated identity and the overriding issue of organization development's productivity and cost effectiveness. The training consultants, themselves, come from diverse educational backgrounds, with the majority possessing advanced degrees in fields related to the practice of organization development. They employ a wide variety of interventions with teambuilding and survey feedback being highly favored as the interventions of choice for a multitude of organizational problems. Coursework in organization develop…
abstract: The purpose of this dissertation was to examine and analyze the background and training of consultants involved in organization development activities, the client organizations served by these professionals, the types of organization development interventions most commonly employed by the training consultants, and the resources utilized by internal and external consultants conducting organization development activities. The data were collected from a review and analysis of organization development research literature and from a descriptive survey questionnaire utilized to obtain information from a sample of 102 practicing consultants from a variety of institutional settings throughout the United States. Both qualitative and quantitative information from the training consultants was collected through the survey questionnaire. The descriptive information gathered by the survey was used to identify commonalities and patterns with regard to the background and professional preparation of organization development consultants, client organizations, interventions of choice, and professional resources. The data obtained by the close questionnaire items were analyzed to determine the number and percentage of total response group selection. Tables and charts with numerical summaries were used to augment the written description of the results. The findings of the study demonstrate that the field of organization development must come to grips with its fragmented rather than integrated identity and the overriding issue of organization development's productivity and cost effectiveness. The training consultants, themselves, come from diverse educational backgrounds, with the majority possessing advanced degrees in fields related to the practice of organization development. They employ a wide variety of interventions with teambuilding and survey feedback being highly favored as the interventions of choice for a multitude of organizational problems. Coursework in organization develop…
author: Waller, Katherine, EdD
keywords: assessment, corporate managers, Leadership studies, organization development activities, training consultants
date published: 1988-01-01T08:00:00Z
date modified: 2026-07-24T05:41:49Z
provider: University of San Diego
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of San Diego