ABSTRACT
This chapter seeks to contribute an understanding of change. One central interface is the notion of change, perhaps the most basic concept in life. Organization Development (OD) designs are conceptualized in terms of what might be called alpha-changes measured by self-reports, using pretest and posttest designs with or without comparison groups. Beta-change is characterized by variations in the intervals used by respondents to measure some dimension of reality, as contrasted with alpha-changes, which are measured along more or less invariant intervals tapping a stable dimension of reality. Gamma-change refers to a change from one state to another, as contrasted with a change of degree or condition within a given state. One can straightforwardly establish how acknowledging beta-changes or gamma-effects can severely complicate the interpretation of research findings. Substantial confidence seems appropriate that any evidence of gamma-effects cannot be considered an artifact of a specific procedure.
