Change Management / Organizational Development
Organisational developers support organisations, institutions and companies of all kinds in initiating, shaping and implementing change processes. These can be small changes resulting from day-to-day business that do not affect existing structures, such as the introduction of a new product or service. However, most of the time, it is about more comprehensive restructuring that also entails cultural changes or adjustments on the part of employees.
This could include setting up new production sites or introducing new administrative processes. The spectrum ranges all the way to fundamental changes that deeply affect the structure and culture of the organisation, such as a merger with a competitor. Changes can therefore affect the organisational goals and strategies, cultural identity or self-image, leadership, interaction and communication patterns, processes and structures, as well as resources, products and services – or even all of the above. The causes of change can be internal (change of leadership, reduction of hierarchy, development of new markets, target groups, etc.) or external (shortage of skilled workers, adaptation to market or environmental requirements, technological developments, etc.).
Due to the multitude of fast-moving developments, it is now assumed that there is a constant need for adaptation and agile organisations, so that organisational development has become one of the standard tasks of modern management.
The term is often used synonymously with change management, although historically the two concepts originate from different directions. The psychologist Kurt Lewin, who studied social change processes after the Second World War, is considered the scientific founder of organisational development. According to his theory, organisational development follows a humanistic view of humanity, according to which change in organisations can only be shaped jointly with the people affected by this change.
The term change management, on the other hand, dates back to the ‘business process reengineering’ movement coined by American consulting firms in the 1990s, which aimed at fundamentally restructuring business and corporate models with the goal of increasing efficiency. Change management in this sense is subject to high time and result pressure and is organised in a rather top-down manner, while organisational development is more geared towards long-term and sustainable development.
In addition to economists, graduates in psychology, education, or social sciences are also in demand
This conceptual distinction has largely disappeared in today's job market, and job advertisements use both terms more or less interchangeably. In change management, too, it is now normal to assume that employees will be involved in change processes and decisions, which is why, in addition to economists, psychologists (mainly from the field of work and organizational psychology), adult educators, coaches, and, in rare cases, social scientists are often sought after. Most employers employ change managers directly in their company or organization, but there are also external consulting agencies or independent organizational developers who offer their services as consultants. Since, in addition to strategy, mission statement, and management development, conflict mediation or team and leadership development are also frequently involved, many people working in this field have additional training as mediators, supervisors, or similar. In addition to such additional skills, practical experience in this field is particularly sought after, which is why it is advisable to look for relevant internships or part-time jobs early on and to train your communication and moderation skills.
