ABSTRACT
Chapters 3, 4 and 5 of The Nature of Contemporary Organization Development comprise the presentation of empirical evidence on the nature of OD from the author’s research study.
Evidence on the form and nature of OD (as found in the analysis of job advertisements over a forty-year period) is presented in Chapter 3. This provides evidence on the magnitude (growth of) and changes in the form of OD practiced in the UK and on how it has evolved over forty years.
The bibliometric data presented in Chapter 4 informs the reader on the findings from a variety of bibliometric searches. Since much of the writing on OD influences what academics and scholars think OD is, not only is the content of literature examined in the previous chapter, but it is also important to examine who is writing the accounts of OD of influence and when and where they are writing.
In Chapter 5 of The Nature of Contemporary Organization Development the findings from subject expert interviews are documented. Research interviews were conducted with Senior Practitioners and Business Leaders (from a range of sectors and business types), Academics and those who influence others on the development of OD.
