ABSTRACT
This chapter relates to the British Psychological Society’s area of Work Design, Organisational Change and Development – which plays an essential role in helping organisations to adapt within the environment of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity in which they operate today.
It offers an introduction to this field of work, providing insights into the evolution and theoretical underpinnings of both traditional and contemporary organisation development (OD), and describing the relevance of these change approaches to different organisational structures, cultures and needs. The chapter then turns to practical applications, describing two popular contemporary approaches – Appreciative Inquiry and The World Café – before highlighting some important considerations for practitioners on how to approach OD interventions. The chapter ends by highlighting some core practitioner skills and providing insights about working as a practitioner; including the types of roles which are commonly available and how they fit alongside other professional activities, given the wider context for occupational psychology in organisations today.
