Selecting Organization Development Theory From an HRD Perspective

Abstract

As is true for human resource development (HRD), the field of organization development (OD) draws from numerous disciplines to inform its theory base. However, the identification and selection of theory to inform improved practice remains a challenge and begs the question of what can be used to inform and guide one in the identification and selection of practice-informing theory. This article considers the topic of OD for performance improvement and proposes that the selection of OD theory relevant to the topic can be informed from two perspectives: the theoretical foundations of HRD and multiple domains of performance improvement. When integrated, these two views inform the development of a heuristic and theory-for-practice (TFP) matrix useful to researchers and practitioners. The synthesis of this heuristic is presented, discussed, and applied to the topic of OD for performance improvement. Implications of the TFP matrix for further research and improved practice are briefly noted.