Edited Version 8-6-04 Chapter LARGE GROUP INTERVENTIONS

in recent history occurred in the 1980s and 1990s. OD practitioners working with systemic problems in organizations developed methods for bringing together “the system”, all the concerned parties or “stakeholders”, in one place to make decisions about the issues facing them. Until the 1980s, change work often occurred within organizational departments or units. “Teambuilding ” was popular and effective for the group involved. At the same time, change processes led by top management that affected the direction of the whole organization usually occurred as a waterfall process. The plan or strategy began at the top and cascaded down the organization hierarchy. By the time it reached the floor of the organization, a rather watered-down version usually remained. To be sure, some change practitioners, particularly those whose practice is based in Gestalt theory or the Tavistock organizations-as-systems work, have always worked with the whole system. The ability to implement these ideas, however, was limited by lack of methods to bring all the stakeholders together to do the work of change. The history of the development of large group methods can be understood in three periods of development: early invention and development; adoption of new methods; and incorporation of these methods into a wide variety of situations