Competencies of Organization Development Professionals- A Qualitative Study
Abstract
Organization Development (OD) competencies are the distinctive parameters that characterize and identify successful performance for an OD professional. This research is an attempt to identify the critical competencies that OD professionals should possess to understand and manage change and perform complex work in complicated situations. Using empirical evidence this study intends to establish the findings with OD professionals across the United States as participants. Research questions guiding the qualitative study were: (a) What are the key competencies that make an OD professional successful at work? (b) How can these competencies be defined? A triangulation of two methods — content analysis and a Delphi technique was used in the process of establishing solutions to the problem statement. Initially a content analysis method was used to systematically collect and analyze information identify patterns in previously recorded data sources. This research method consisted of analyzing interview papers of OD professionals collected by students at a major southwestern university in the United States. The main idea was to use a coding scheme and develop codes and categories to ultimately produce a set of competencies. This research methodology revealed 18 competencies consultants need to be successful at work. On the other hand, a classical Delphi technique consisting of three rounds with open-ended questionnaires was administered online to OD consultants across the country. This study using a Delphi technique generated a series of 17 competencies. At the end, both the methods were triangulated, and the results produced were assumed to be both valid and unbiased. The overlap of both the lists present a compilation of eight unique competencies that aids an OD consultant to achieve their professional goals. These eight OD competencies that emerged from the research least common to most include — Diagnosis skills, Conflict resolution, Teamwork, Facilitation, Coaching, Effective communication, Strategic thinking, and Systems thinking. A definition of each of these competencies has been presented in this research. Competencies generated from the research will provide a starting point for self-reflection – a frame of reference against the knowledge they need to gather or the skills they need to develop or the abilities/attributes they need to sharpen simultaneously establishing a clearer identity for themselves.
Citation
Patra, Sreyoshi (2021). Competencies of Organization Development Professionals- A Qualitative Study. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /195191.