ONE READER WRITES, "MY IT business has grown rapidly the past five years, my challenges now all revolve around the organization. I am not sure my company is developing the right culture needed to face the challenges of the next five years. Please do a series of learning columns on organization development." Another entrepreneur asked, "How will the financial crisis in the US impact my call center operations?"

I have decided to postpone my series on "Building Authentic Relationships" to give way to their request.

Let me first give you the history of organization development. In the early 70s, organization development as a discipline was known only to a number of large companies such as San Miguel Corp. Today, organization development (OD) has come of age.

Companies are starting to realize that this discipline is different and distinct though closely linked to human resource management. OD has become critical for companies, government and nongovernment institutions to anticipate and adjust to the rapidly changing external and business environment.

My first encounter with organization development was in1972 at the Michigan State University (MSU). I was a Usaid-Neda fellow, then with a customized program studying communications planning and programming in three American universities.

My last course was at the MSU conference center at Battle Creek, Michigan. It was a week's exposure to the novel experiential techniques (at that time) to learning. We were over a hundred participants and yet we were totally engaged. From our experiences came realizations and insights and possible applications to the workplace back home. It was a communication and team-building workshop.

Back to the Philippines, this brief exposure became my passport to join San Miguel Corp. which pioneered OD in the business sector. Ric Abadesco, now president of the People's Managers Association of the Philippines, then director of the Organization Development Directorate developed the formal program in organization development that lasted two years.

It was an innovative program where SMC partnered with Ricky Gonzalez as program director. Ricky had rich experience as organization development consultant for Mobile Philippines, then an active player in the oil and gas industry. It was an adventure, an investment as we would say, in our personal time and effort.

As SMC internal consultants, we were assigned to handle courses ourselves. I remember getting the assignment to put together diagnostic tools. Our local resource persons were complemented by experts from overseas.

Formal Education

Any OD expert, passing through the country courtesy of either private companies or institutions like the US Navy quickly found his way doing a learning session for our team.

Today, formal educational programs exist in both academic and nonacademic settings offering quality programs that lead to diploma, master or doctoral degrees in organization development.

Among others, De La Salle College of St. Benilde School for Professional and Continuing Education (SPACE) offers a baccalaureate diploma program in OD.

THe pioneering school in OD in the Philippines is the South East Asia Interdisciplinary Institute. In 1965, it launched a specialized program in educational media and technology for educators.

In 1972, recognizing the need to develop executives in Asia, Sr. Jacqueline E. Blondin, MIC, the director-founder, decided to shift the institute thrust from upgrading teaching methods to that of OD. In the proposed program, the systems theory, used as foundation principle of Instruction Development, was adapted and applied to organizations.

In September 1975, Southeast Asia Interdisciplinary Development Institute (SAIDI) opened its door to learners of Southeast Asia and offered two master's programs following the Open Learning Philosophy and delivered by Distance Education using print and oral mode technology.

A year later, SAIDI began to offer a postgraduate degree program in the same discipline to coaches, mentors and thus empower more leaders holding key positions in different fields.

To date, SAIDI School of OD graduates come from different countries. Ancilla Enterprise Development Consulting is a consortia partner (experienced consultants handle the courses) of both De La Salle College of St. Benilde for its SPACE Program and SAIDI for its Master of Arts in Organization Development major in Enterprise Leadership (Model).

Organization development started in the late 40s, in the United States, with the work of applied social scientist Kurt Lewin and psychologist Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow.

The term organization development was said to have been coined by the Managerial Grid work of Robert Blake and Jane Mouton. I remember that our San Miguel Organization Development team had a very fascinating afternoon conversation with the couple when they visited Manila in the late 70s. Then came the famous OD practitioners Herbert Shepherd and Richard Beckard.

The National Training Laboratory successfully applied laboratory training methods to industry at General Mills, Union Carbide and Esso.

The Survey Research Center at the University of Michigan applied to organizations the action research model then called as interlocking series of conferences. General Motors also reported success using similar methods.

As practioners grew in numbers associations started to form. In the United States, these are the OD Network, the American Psychological Association and the American Society for Training and Development among others.

In the Philippines, the Organization Development Professionals Network was founded 2002, designed to bring together practitioners in an exchange of experiences and learning. It all started when a group of OD practitioners ( a motley group of 12 - 15 members) decided to formalize the informal get-togethers.

Next column, we will introduce the essential theories behind organization development. We will appreciate feedback and suggestions on other OD topics you want to be discussed.

(Puangco is chief executive officer and founder of Ancilla Enterprise Development Consulting, a leader in training and organization development specializing in strategy management, change implementation and human resource management systems. Feedback at advice@ancillaedc.com.ph)

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 *** taken from JobStreet - Philippine Daily Inquirer - JobMarket, October 12-18, 2008 issue, page 14, Working People section