Handbook of Organization Development

"Cummings has assembled an organization development dream team to provide an overview of the field, fully mature as a discipline and practice, and ever evolving beyond its origins in psychology...Complete with a name and subject index, this volume is significant in relevance and gravitas, unveiling the hard-fought wisdom of the theorists and practitioners who shaped, and are shaped, by the dynamic work of managing change in organizations. A veritable one-stop resource on the topic of organization development—its history, process, practices, and pitfalls."
—G.E. Leaf, CHOICE


The Handbook of Organization Development reflects the field of organizational development′s rapid growth and success since its inception 50 years ago into a far more diffuse and complex study than it was just a few decades ago. It shows how organizational development has expanded from the need to help organizations cope with internal social problems, to a broader attempt to address more strategic issues of firm structure and competitive advantage in a global environment.

Key Features:

• Reflects the field of OD′s rapid growth and success since it′s inception 50 years ago into a far more diffuse and complex study than it was just a few decades ago.
• Shows how OD has expanded from the need to help organizations cope with internal social problems, to a broader attempt to address more strategic issues of firm structure and competitive advantage in a global environment.
• Provides a synthesis of new methods and perspectives from diverse areas far removed from OD′s psychological origins, including management, economics, sociology, personnel, information systems, and international relations.
• International contributors are included, reflecting similarities and differences from around the world.