characteristics proposed by T.V.Rao, could be used to discern an intervention as Organization Development:
a. It should be planed ( up planed activities and problem solving effort are not Organization Development.
b. It follows a sequential process .Burke (1992) presented the following 8 steps of entry: start up, diagnosis or assessment and feedback , action planing, intervention,evaluation including an assessment of change and improvement,adoption,and separation or disengagement.
c. It should be long term.Short term intervention, one time activities and specific time bound tasks or problem solving experiences by themselves are not Organization Development.
d. It should aim at the whole organization. The organization may be a sub-unit within the unit but the whole of it must be deal with. Tinkering with the small unit cannot be considered as Organization Development. Can improvements in delegation by the top management through a task force be considered Organization Development? The answer is No. The same may be considered as Organization Development if it is initiated by a specialist.
e. Should start from top. This ensures seriousness and implementation.
f. Should be used on behavioral science knowledge. Should be a collaborative effort between the organization and the facilitator (external or internal )
g. Should be value based
h. Should aim at improvement in the organization which means change, effectiveness, vision,any one or more aspects of organization functioning.
i. Top management should be aware of, and committed to the Organization Development effort.