| Abstract: | The term  organization development encompasses a number of techniques developed largely in private industry to facilitate communication and collaborative problem solving in work groups. OD approaches now are being introduced into mental health organizations, so administrators need information related to making good decisions about whether an OD program might be beneficial in their settings. This discussion focuses on defining OD, describing its current use in mental health and other human service organizations, and assessing the potential payoffs and disadvantages of implementing an OD program in a mental health setting.Edward M. Glaser, Ph.D., is the president of the Human Interaction Research Institute, Los Angeles, and the managing associate of Edward Glaser & Associates, consulting psychologists to management, Los Angeles.Thomas E. Backer, Ph.D., is a senior staff associate of the Human Interaction Research Institute, Los Angeles, and consulting psychologist of Edward Glaser & Associates, Los Angeles.This article was prepared under the support of the National Institute of Mental Health, Mental Health Services Development Branch, Grant No. R12 MH27566-01.The authors are indebted to the following persons for their perceptive critiques of several draft versions of this article: Dr. John Bell, V. A. Hospital, Palo Alto; Dr. Leonard Goodstein, University of Arizona; Mr. Jim Kouzes, San Jose State University; and Mr. Marvin Weisbord, Organization Research & Development. Inputs from our editorial consultant, Ms. Molly Lewin, also were most helpful. |
