Abstract
This chapter walks you through the life and work of Dr. Chris Worley who has been a large contributor to the field of organizational development. While working with Chris to write this chapter, we were excited to notice that he has a very amicable personality, and despite all of his accomplishments, he is a very down-to-earth person. As a renowned scholar and practitioner, Chris has authored over 20 books and articles, mentored an extensive number of students with their theses and dissertations, and offered consultancy services to many large companies. Chris co-authored the widely used “organizational bible” – Organization Development and Change. He provided the world with the definition of agility within organizations and offers continual and evolving perspectives about the field of OD. This chapter takes a look at Chris’s background and mentors that lead him down the path to his exciting and influential career. He is very committed to closely examining organizational trends and evaluating how they might affect organizations in the future. Chris feels that we should not only focus on what our values are but also ask questions such as “What are we going to do about it?” “Should we be teaching Organizational Development to kids?” One of his main concerns right now is advocating for a shift in the focus of organizational development. Chris recognizes that the foundations of organizational development – personal growth, the use of self-as-instrument, and group dynamics – are critical and must be taught and reinforced. What can and will Chris’s legacy teach us about OD?
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References
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Further Reading
Cummings, T., & Worley, C. G. (2009). Organizational development and change. South-Western Cengage Learning.
Ewing, J. (2019, June 6). The car industry is under siege. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/06/business/auto-industry-fiat-renault.html
Feyerherm, A., & Worley, C. G. (2008). Forward to the past: Reclaiming OD’s influence in the world. OD Practitioner, 40(4), 2–8.
Lawler, E., & Worley, C. G. (2006, March/April). Winning support for organizational change: Designing employee reward systems that keep on working. Ivey Business Journal, 1–5.
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Lawler, E., & Worley, C. G. (2012a). Why boards need to change. Sloan Management Review, 54(1), 10–12.
Lawler, E., & Worley, C. G. (2012b). Designing organizations for sustainable effectiveness. Organizational Dynamics, 41(4), 265–270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orgdyn.2012.08.001
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Mohrman, S., & Worley, C. G. (2010). The organizational sustainability journey: Introduction to the special issue. Organizational Dynamics, 39(4), 289–294. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orgdyn.2010.07.008
Neumann, J., Ming Lau, C., & Worley, C. G. (2009). International organization development and change as an emerging field of practice. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 45(2), 171–185. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021886309335429.
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Worley, C. G. (2000). Implementing participation strategies in hospitals: Correlates of effective problem-solving teams. Public Administration and Management: An Interactive Journal, 5(1), 1–27.
Worley, C. G. (2002). Is OD still relevant. Consulting Today, 6(3), 1–4.
Worley, C. G. (2009). A response to “defixation” as intervention perspective: Understanding wicked problems at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Journal of Management Inquiry, 18(1), 55–57. https://doi.org/10.1177/1056492609331714.
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Worley, C. G., Bowen, D. E., & Lawler, E. E. (1992). On the relationship between objective increases in pay and employees’ subjective reactions. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 13(6), 559–571. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.4030130603.
Worley, C. G., Cummings, T., & Mobley, F. (2000). The dynamics of strategic change in hospitals: Managed care strategies, organization design, and performance. Public Administration and Management: An Interactive Journal, 5(1), 1–27.
Worley, C. G., & Feyerherm, A. (2003). Reflections on the future of organization development. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 39(1), 97–115. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021886303253181.
Worley, C. G., Feyerherm, A., & Knudsen, D. (2010). Building a collaboration capability for sustainability: How Gap Inc. is creating and leveraging a strategic asset. Organizational Dynamics, 39(4), 325–334. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orgdyn.2010.07.004
Worley, C. G., & Lawler, E. (2009a). Building a change capability at capital one financial. Organizational Dynamics, 38(4), 245–251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orgdyn.2009.02.004.
Worley, C. G., & Lawler, E. (2010). Agility and organization design: A diagnostic framework. Organizational Dynamics, 39(2), 194–204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orgdyn.2010.01.006.
Worley, C. G., & Lawler E. E. (2009b). Agility and organization design: A diagnostic framework. https://ceo.usc.edu/files/2016/10/2009_12-g09-12-Agility_Org_Design.pdf
Worley, C. G., & Lawler, E. E. (2012). Designing organizations for sustainable effectiveness. Organizational Dynamics, 41(4), 265–270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orgdyn.2012.08.001.
Worley, C. G., Mohrman, S., & Nevitt, J. (2011). Large group interventions: An empirical field study of their composition, process, and outcomes. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 47(4), 404–431. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021886311410837.
Worley, C. G. (n.d.) Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. https://bschool.pepperdine.edu/academics/faculty/chris-worley/
Worley, C. G., & Teplitz, C. J. (1992). Project managers are gaining power within matrix organizations. PM Network, 6(2), 33–35.
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Publications – Books and Chapters
Cagliano, R., Caniato, F., & Worley, C. (2016a). A pathway towards truly sustainable food supply chains: Balancing motivation, strategy, and impact. In R. Cagliano, F. Caniato, & C. G. Worley (Eds.), Organizing supply chain processes for sustainable innovation in the agri-food industry (Vol. 5). Emerald Group Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2045-060520160000005020
Cagliano, R., Caniato, F., & Worley, C. G. (2016b) Organizing supply chain processes for sustainable innovation in the agri-food industry. Emerald Group.
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Cumming, T., & Worley, C. (1997). Organization development and change (6th ed.). West Publishing.
Cumming, T., & Worley, C. (2005). Organization development and change (8th ed.). Southwestern College Publishing.
Cummings, T., & Worley, C. (2001). Organization development and change (7th ed.). Southwestern College Publishing.
Cummings, T., & Worley, C. (2009). Organization development and change (9th ed.). Cengage Publishing.
Cummings, T., & Worley, C. G. (2018). Organization development and change (10th ed.). Cengage Publishing.
Cummings, T. G. (2001). Essentials of organization development and change. Southwestern College Publishing.
Eisen, S., Cherbeneau, J., & Worley, C. (2005). A future-responsive perspective for competent practice in OD. In R. Sullivan, W. Rothwell, & G. McLean (Eds.), Practicing organization development (2nd ed., pp. 188–208). Pfeiffer.
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Worley, C. (2011). On the road to corporate responsibility: The institutionalization of sustainability at Gap, Inc. In S. Morhman, R. Shani, & D. P (Eds.), Organizing for sustainability (pp. 79–98). Elsevier Press. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2045-0605(2011)0000001008
Worley, C. (2012). Organizing for agile and sustainable healthcare: The Alegent health case. In S. Mohrman & A. Shani (Eds.), Organizing for sustainable effectiveness (pp. 41–75). Emerald Group Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2045-0605(2012)0000002006
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Kushner, N., Mulolli, D. (2021). Worley, Christopher: Leading Change Through Agility. In: Szabla, D.B. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Organizational Change Thinkers. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-38324-4_132
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