Changing Climate in a Complex Organization: Interactions between a Learning Design and An Environment

Abstract

This study contributes to the growing evidence relevant to the “laboratory approach” to organization development (OD). A pilot study revealed major changes in the climate of a small organization unit following exposure to a learning design derived from the laboratory approach. This replication applies the design in a more complex organization and yields a similar pattern of changes in climate which are smaller in magnitude. The results seem to reflect the consistent power of the design, as moderated by the harsh environment within which the present target units of organization existed.