Educating the Scholar Practitioner in Organization Development

A volume in Contemporary Trends in Organization Development and ChangeSeries Editors Therese F. Yaeger, Benedictine Universityand Peter F. Sorensen, Jr. Benedictine UniversityOrganization Development (OD) is a young social science. Little has been written on the intentionaldevelopment of OD professionals. As a young field of inquiry it is important to understandhow the future leaders of the field of OD are being developed. The focus of this work explores theeducation of scholar practitioners in OD. The research upon which this document is based examinedthe impact that professional research doctoral programs (affiliated with the field of OD) hadon the learning and professional development of select doctoral graduates. Alumni reportedimportant elements of their educational experience that contributed to their professional and personal growth. The nature of these educationalelements suggest processes or methods of teaching that may be transferable to training OD professionals in a broader contextoutside of higher education. Even more directly this research provides well informed feedback to administrators and faculty of professionalresearch doctorate programs from the alumni about their educational experience. This feedback could be used to advance bothprogram and course development in universities that offer these types of degrees. The intended audience of this work includes practitionersof OD, professors of OD and management, faculty and administrators of doctoral education, t...