Evolution of Organizational Development
Advances in Developing Human Resources http://adh.sagepub.com The Evolution of Organization Development at Cornell University: Strategies for Improving Performance and Building Capacity
Chester C. Warzynski Advances in Developing Human Resources 2005; 7; 338 DOI: 10.1177/1523422305277175 The online version of this article can be found at: http://adh.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/7/3/338
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Academy of Human Resource Development
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10.1177/1523422305277175 Advances in Developing Human Resources Warzynski / ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT A CORNELL T
August 2005
The Evolution of Organization Development at Cornell University: Strategies for Improving Performance and Building Capacity
Chester C. Warzynski
The problem and the solution. Beer and Nohria propose that there is an inherent tension between organizational strategies designed to improve economic performance (Theory E) and organizational strategies designed to build organizational capacity (Theory O). They argue that the most effective approach to change integrates the two theories along six dimensions: goals, leadership, focus, process, rewards, and use of consultants. This article assesses the efficacy of the Beer and Nohria hypothesis in explaining organizational change by examining four senior leadership initiatives at Cornell University during the past decade and the organizational development strategies that emerged to support them. The article
Chester C. Warzynski Advances in Developing Human Resources 2005; 7; 338 DOI: 10.1177/1523422305277175 The online version of this article can be found at: http://adh.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/7/3/338
Published by: http://www.sagepublications.com On behalf of:
Academy of Human Resource Development
Additional services and information for Advances in Developing Human Resources can be found at: Email Alerts: http://adh.sagepub.com/cgi/alerts Subscriptions: http://adh.sagepub.com/subscriptions Reprints: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.nav Permissions: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav
Downloaded from http://adh.sagepub.com at CORNELL UNIV on December 13, 2007 © 2005 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution.
10.1177/1523422305277175 Advances in Developing Human Resources Warzynski / ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT A CORNELL T
August 2005
The Evolution of Organization Development at Cornell University: Strategies for Improving Performance and Building Capacity
Chester C. Warzynski
The problem and the solution. Beer and Nohria propose that there is an inherent tension between organizational strategies designed to improve economic performance (Theory E) and organizational strategies designed to build organizational capacity (Theory O). They argue that the most effective approach to change integrates the two theories along six dimensions: goals, leadership, focus, process, rewards, and use of consultants. This article assesses the efficacy of the Beer and Nohria hypothesis in explaining organizational change by examining four senior leadership initiatives at Cornell University during the past decade and the organizational development strategies that emerged to support them. The article
References: Ansoff, H. I. (1979). Strategic management. London: Macmillan. Beer, M., & Nohria, N. (2000, May-June). Cracking the code of change. Harvard Business Review, pp. 133-141. Cornell University QIP Design Team. (1992, December 17). QIP implementation plan for teams. Unpublished document, Cornell University. Emery, M. (Ed.). (1993). Participative design for participative democracy. Canberra: Australian National University. Greiner, L. (1998, May-June). Evolution and revolution as organizations grow. Harvard Business Review, pp. 3-11. Holland, J. (1995). The hidden order: How adaptation builds complexity. New York: Perseus Books. Lehman, J. H. (2004). Call to engagement. Retrieved from http://www.cornell.edu /president/engagement.cfm Piore, M. J. (1992). Fragments of a cognitive theory of technological change and organizational structure. In N. Nohria & R. Eccles (Eds.), Networks and organizations: Structure, form, and action (pp. 430-444). Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Plesek, P., & Wilson, T. (2001). Complexity, leadership, and management in health care organizations [Electronic version]. British Medical Journal, 323, 746-749. Retrieved from www.http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/323/7315/746 Rogers, F. (1997, November 26). Leadership challenges of Project 2000. Unpublished document, Cornell University. Downloaded from http://adh.sagepub.com at CORNELL UNIV on December 13, 2007 © 2005 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution. 350 Advances in Developing Human Resources August 2005 Schein, E. (1988). Process consultation volume I: Its role in organization development. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. Workforce planning update on Workforce Planning Initiative. (2004, July 7). Retrieved from www.http://dpb.cornell.edu/wp/prject_overview.htm Chester C. Warzynski is the director of organizational development services and a lecturer in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University. He is responsible for providing management and organizational consulting services— including leadership development, strategic planning, organization design, team building, performance management, professional development, and conflict resolution—to academic and administrative units of the university. He teaches graduate courses in personal and organizational development and leadership. Warzynski, C. C. (2005). The evolution of organization development at Cornell University: Strategies for improving performance and building capacity. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 7(3), 338-350. Downloaded from http://adh.sagepub.com at CORNELL UNIV on December 13, 2007 © 2005 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution.