ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the importance of scientific evaluation and the challenges involved in conducting research in organizations. An effective assessment of organizational change must identify key outcome variables and use an appropriate research strategy. The chapter reviews the major research methods used to assess the impact of organizational change and provides a summary of the research findings on the effectiveness of Organization Development (OD) interventions. One approach to assessing change in an organization involves focusing on process and outcome variables. While process variables refer to the group dynamics within the organization, outcome variables refer to the results of organizational activities, such as productivity and product quality. Another approach to measuring organizational change involves the use of training evaluation models. Kirkpatrick's four levels of criteria model proposes that researchers should examine changes in attitudes and behavior by focusing on the reaction, learning, and behavior of participants as well as the results of the intervention.
