An organization development intervention is a sequence is a sequence of activities, actions, and events intended to help an organization improve its performance and effectiveness. Intervention design, or action planning, derives from careful diagnosis and is meant to resolve specific problems and to improve particular areas of organizational functioning identified in the diagnosis. OD interventions vary from standardized programs that have been developed and used in many organizations to relatively unique programs tailored to a specific organization or department.
This chapter describes criteria that define effective OD interventions and then identifies contingencies that guide successful intervention design. Finally, the various types of OD interventions presented in this book are reviewed.