Can Organization Development, Change & Effectiveness (ODCE) Principles Transform Your Workplace?

ODCE focuses on tools, strategies and design thinking to develop effective leaders and thriving organizations

Are you a hospital administrator who wants disparate departments to work together? Are you a human resources manager who seeks a more visionary role? Are you a CEO or top-level manager who wants to better predict future challenges? Are you a nonprofit leader who must evolve to meet community needs? Are you a program manager who wants to increase your team’s cohesiveness?

Now might be the time to elevate your knowledge and effectiveness with a doctorate in organization development, change & development, an interdisciplinary field that helps seasoned professionals—as well as those starting out in their management careers—to become transformational leaders. Learn how to effectively manage and lead change, as you create thriving organizations where employees are thriving, too.

“Much of what organization development is about is understanding how the parts of a system are intricately interrelated,” said Anton Shufutinsky, the director of SHU’s Ph.D. in organization development, change & effectiveness program. “ODCE addresses the entire system. It’s about understanding how the vision and mission drive the strategy, how the strategy drives the processes and the systems, how the processes and systems drive the behavior of people carrying them out, how all that comes together to impact organizational culture and, ultimately, how effective and successful they will be in fulfilling that vision and mission.”

Who can benefit from a doctorate in ODCE?

Professionals across industries and sectors can benefit from this approach, but there are several professions and occupational fields that are naturally drawn to and benefit from studying, acquiring and implementing ODCE principles for their organizational needs. Here’s a look at several examples where ODCE can be pivotal to an organization’s success

A more efficient health care organization

The complexity of today’s health care organizations makes this industry one of the fastest areas of growth for organization development work, Shufutinsky said. The many moving parts, from facility management to people management—across multiple locations and departments—make the work a challenge.

“A strategic ODCE program can prepare leaders to deal with complexity, uncertainty and change, which are certainly a part of today’s health care organizations,” he said. “A strategic ODCE program helps to develop skills that build relationships and foster interprofessional collaboration. This harnesses the ability to bring people together to work functionally and effectively through a shared strategy and toward a shared vision.”

A holistic approach to HR policy

Many ODCE practitioners come to the field after many years in human resources. They have successfully identified and resolved challenges within their organizations, but they believe more can be done. To instill that systemic change, they need the right tools, approach and foundational knowledge to get them there.

“A good foundational education in organization development at the theoretical, philosophical and applied levels can further develop how HR professionals think about and understand the full impact of policies and decisions,” Shufutinsky said. “This provides a perspective that goes beyond knowing how to create and implement policy, rather, it can help decipher the why. It can foster a deeper understanding of why employees have certain perceptions about particular policies and processes, how those perceptions can be addressed and the potential impact on productivity, effectiveness, workplace climate and the organization’s performance.”

This gets to the heart of corporate culture and opportunities, Shufutinsky said, adding that it leads to procedures and policies that ensure everyone reaches their full potential.

A strategy to forecast trends, challenges and opportunities

“There are very few people in executive positions who have a foundational ODCE education. The ones who have it have been highly successful,” Shufutinsky said.

ODCE provides tools, methods and understanding that CEOs and other executive leaders can tap to better identify market shifts or future workforce demands, for instance, that could require a company to significantly alter its approach to product development, market research or the competition.

“ODCE is often seen as study of an organization’s structure, such as its hierarchy, but that’s really just a piece of it,” Shufutinsky said. “Any well-trained or prepared executive should be able to look at what’s happening within and outside of an organization and properly assess and diagnose what is needed to remain viable and successful, as well as understand the internal processes—how to move the chess pieces so change happens.”

A process to evolve and grow amid change

Nonprofit leadership comes with its own set of challenges and opportunities. Healthy nonprofits have leaders who optimize the potential of staff and volunteers and position their organizations to respond quickly and effectively to outside crises or community needs.

“To best understand organizational and workforce dynamics, one must prepare for and monitor what potentially could happen, so that there are dynamic, agile systems in place to cope with disruptions. You need the tools to employ strategic foresight to understand what is happening externally, what may happen in the near and distant future and how those potentialities could impact your workforce and your work internally,” Shufutinsky said.

Want to learn more about ODCE?

SHU’s Ph.D. in ODCE program provides experiential learning, expert guidance from recognized thought leaders and a high-quality, rigorous academic curriculum. SHU's program is the first to combine traditional organization development education with a forward-focus on strategic organization development and change, and social responsibility.

Learn alongside professionals from various fields as you advance your expertise in organization development through a cohort-based hybrid Ph.D. program. The program can be completed in three years and classes begin in late spring (May).

For more information, contact Keith Hassell at hassellk@sacredheart.edu, 203-365-4731 or schedule an appointment with him.