Organization Development and Change Interventions: A Seven-Nation Comparison

The present study compares differences in organization development (OD) interventions using Hofstede’s (1980) four dimensions of culture as a framework for studying seven countries’ practices. The seven countries examined were Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In general, Hofstede’s theoretical approach proved to be a useful framework for comparing OD practices as the majority of the authors’ hypotheses were, at a minimum, partially supported. However, when those hypotheses were not supported, some interesting patterns emerged that provide intriguing directions for future research.