Exploring the Relationship between Organization Development and Change Management

Both organization development (OD) and change management (CM) provide necessary and crucial support to successful change. This chapter explores the dynamics between the fields of OD and CM. It presents the disciplines side-by-side, attempting to add clarity by delineating them and then drive convergence by showing the differences and overlaps. Through the examination, there emerges a common set of shared values and perspectives that should serve to unify the disciplines rather than promote divergence, namely the critically important contribution of individual employees to the overall health and success of organizations in times of change. With a better understanding and foundation of each discipline, practitioners can better identify when each provides the greatest value and addresses the issues they are facing at a given point in time.