Organization Development for Social Change

The field of organization development (OD) has emerged from efforts to improve the performance of organizations, largely in the for-profit sector but more recently in the public and not-for-profit sectors as well. This paper examines how OD concepts and tools can be used to solve problems and foster constructive change at the societal level as well. It examines four areas in which OD can make such contributions: (1) strengthening social change-focused organizations, (2) scaling up the impacts of such agencies, (3) creating new inter-organizational systems, and (4) changing contexts that shape the action of actors strategic to social change. It discusses examples and the kinds of change agent roles and interventions that are important for each. Finally, it discusses some implications for organization development intervention, practitioners, and the field at large.This publication is Hauser Center Working Paper No. 25. The Hauser Center Working Paper Series was launched during the summer of 2000. The Series enables the Hauser Center to share with a broad audience important works-in-progress written by Hauser Center scholars and researchers

KINESTHETIC LEARNING EXPERIENCE SIMULATION USING AN ONLINE INTERVENTION TO IMPROVE HANDS-ON ABILITY

Students enrolled in mechanical and manufacturing engineering programs employ differing levels of mechanical aptitude and practical hands-on ability. Many students lack practical experience tinkering with mechanical devices and mechanisms prior to entering their post-secondary years. Student attention spans in traditional classroom environments appear to be decreasing with the ever-increasing addiction to immediate gratification provided by electronic devices, gaming software, and social media platforms. The question is then raised whether or not modern engineering students have the ability to improve mechanical aptitude by simulating a kinesthetic or tactile learning experience through an online tutorial. This project describes the development and testing of an online tutorial using the operation and safety mechanisms of a GLOCK semi-automatic handgun as the training medium. Handgun knowledge, mechanical aptitude, handgun confidence, and implicit beliefs about mechanical aptitude are addressed. Sixteen mechanical engineering and four manufacturing engineering technology undergraduates of Lake Superior State University completed the tutorial in the spring semester of 2018. The study produced positive results, that it may be possible for an online virtual activity to increase the mechanical aptitude of the participant

Tying the Knot: The Importance of Financial Literacy Education in Maine

David Leach discusses the importance of financial literacy and describes the Downeaster Consumer Guides, a series of publications on credit cards, debt collection, auto buying and financing, credit reports and scores, home buying and financing, consumer scams, student loans, consumer credit, elder financial protection, and high-interest loans published by Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection

A Phenomenological Study of the Experiences of Parents of a Child or Children Diagnosed with Deafness

This qualitative study examined the lived experiences of twelve parents who have a child or children diagnosed with deafness, and the meaning these parents have made of their experiences. The researcher conducted individual, semi-structured interviews and analyzed the data in accordance with the practices of phenomenological research. Thirty-seven themes were identified in the interview data, which were discussed in terms of their implications for efficacious clinical services to this population, as well as for the field of counselor education