Organizational Development Training Through Online Courses


What is Organizational Development?

Organizational development (OD) refers to the entire objective-based methodology that concerns itself with improving the overall capabilities of an organization. OD amplifies organizational capability by increasing the alignment of strategies, inducing effective management processes, regulating rewards and other performance metrics and catering to the social well-being of employees. It is an interdisciplinary field that establishes a dialogue with human resource management, organizational behavior, ethics, psychology, innovation, culture, research analysis and social sciences, among others. The processes that OD comprises majorly involve systematic and long-term processes that assimilate over time with organizational effectiveness. OD and HR are often used interchangeably, but there is a crucial difference between the two. HR initiatives primarily focus on culture and people, while OD initiatives offer a more holistic approach toward company growth by fusing multiple perspectives together.

Why is Organizational Development Important?    

Organizational development is key to enabling continuous improvement in a company. OD paves the way for strategic choices in every aspect of the organization, thereby improving work efficiency and outcomes. A continuous cycle of planning, implementation, evaluation and improvement is only possible with a proactive approach that always embraces new avenues of learning. OD further helps in improving communication between employees and management. Strong candid communication facilitates a better understanding of the need for change within the organization as it is employees who finally execute the decided changes. Employee development is also central to embracing innovation and responding to the changing needs of the industry. Highly innovative practices ensure consistent business success by successfully adapting to new challenges with minimum disruption.

Can I Learn About Organizational Development Online?    

OD derives its intelligence from behavioral science and helps you refine your leadership strategies to drive organizational change, maintain team performance and prepare for the future. There are many online courses that cover the fundamental concepts of OD, its basic theories and prevalent systems and techniques that effectively improve organizational performance. Any online course on organizational development should cover the following topics:

  • Fundamental theories of OD
  • Leadership strategies
  • Different stages of the OD cycle
  • Different types of OD interventions
  • Culture study and Denison’s Model
  • Change management strategies
  • Group dynamic theories
  • Designing group intervention methods

What Kind of Career Can I Get with a Background in Organizational Development?

The rise in demand for people with a mix of technical knowledge and soft skills has led to a surge in demand for tech professionals. A BLS report states that training and development managers will witness over 7 percent rise in job demand between 2020 and 2030, and attracts median salaries of USD 120,130. As analytics seeps into every other field, professionals with industry knowledge rank high in demand making abundant avenues for organizational development portfolios. The field offers the following lucrative opportunities:

  • Organizational Development Officer
  • Director of Organizational Development
  • Head of Organizational Development
  • Organizational Development Business Partner
  • Change Manager
  • Productivity and team manager
  • HR Specialist
  • Organization Design Specialist

Why Take an Online Course at Emeritus?

Each Emeritus online course is designed keeping key learning outcomes in mind by a team of experts. The backward design methodology is used to develop instructions for learners of all ages. This enables unique, interactive, learning experiences that include a combination of assessments, hands-on activities, skill applications, and more.

Emeritus also collaborates with the best universities and faculty around the world to curate a course curriculum that can effectively tackle present challenges in the industry, while preparing learners for the trends of the future and the risks they may encounter. The courses consist of assignments, exams, capstone projects, networking opportunities, a fine balance of practical and theoretical concepts, and the opportunity to learn from top minds in the industry. This adds to the holistic experience we try to provide for each learner.

We are also focused on providing courses that are standardized in quality. This is done by adhering to standards set by a global organization called Quality Matters, which is focused on providing quality standards for online and innovative digital teaching and learning environments. The rigorous criteria ensure all our learners invest in quality education that is easily accessible and affordable.