Experts to dissect 30 years of noted Organization Development research at Benedictine event
Two recognized leaders in organization development (OD), Richard W. Woodman, Ph.D., and William Pasmore, Ph.D., will reflect on more than 30 years of research in the field known for examining the structures and processes that influence employee behavior and lead to better, more efficient and high-performing workplaces.
The two scholars will present "The Past, the Present and the Future of OD," from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 22, on the fourth floor of Goodwin Hall at Benedictine University. The lecture is presented as part of the Ph.D. in Organization Development and Master of Science in Management and Organizational Behavior programs' Contemporary Trends in Change Management Lecture Series.
These annual forums allow for a vast array of professionals from across a variety of fields to have networking and professional development opportunities.
Both Woodman and Pasmore are the editors of the renowned "Research in Organizational Change and Development," a book series which began with volume 1 in 1987 as a collection of scholarly articles detailing actions that can be taken on the part of researchers and practitioners to expand and extend current approaches to organization development.
Now in its 24th volume, the text has since become a premier source for well-integrated reviews of literature, advances in research methods and ideas about practice in OD that open new ways of working with organizations to create more successful and sustainable approaches to change.
In their review of recent research contributions, Woodman and Pasmore note a number of shifts that are causing both scholars and practitioners to rethink how they intervene in organizations today.
These shifts, and their effects on individuals, organizations and society, have opened up exciting possibilities for the advancement of OD. These two experts will also discuss how high rates of failure in organizational change efforts call attention to the need to identify and address persistent problems that threaten success.
Woodman is the Lawrence E. Fouraker Professor of Business and former head of the Department of Management at Texas A&M University. His research interests focus on organizational change and organizational creativity, and his published work can be found in the top management, psychology and organizational leadership journals.
He has been a distinguished member of several editorial boards, and has served as national program chair and division chair of the Organization Development and Change Division of the Academy of Management. Previously, Woodman was a military intelligence officer in the U.S. Army, worked in both the petroleum and banking industries and served for several years as vice president of a financial institution.
Pasmore has been advising leaders for nearly 40 years. He is actively involved in delivering services to clients as a coach to CEOs and is a trusted advisor in matters pertaining to leadership and change. His clients have included GE, Procter & Gamble, Ingersoll Rand, NOVA Chemicals, Alcatel-Lucent, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc., United Airlines, Levi Strauss & Co., Unilever, Polaroid, Kaiser Permanente and Amoco Corporation, among many others.
As a thought leader in the field of organization development, Pasmore has published 28 books and numerous articles, including "Leading Continuous Change," "Developing a Leadership Strategy," "The Board's New Roles in Succession Planning," "Choosing the Next Best CEO," "Designing Effective Organizations," "Creating Strategic Change," and "Relationships that Enable Enterprise Change." He is a frequent international keynote speaker.
This event is free and open to the public. Lunch will be made available for purchase. Please RSVP by going to ben.edu/manage. For more information, contact Elizabeth Reniche at ereniche@ben.edu or (630) 829-6361.