Learning and organizational development
Suppose you manage a work group that's not functioning particularly well and you know that you're not the only manager in your organization who faces this problem. What might you do to turn the situation around? What can your fellow managers do to improve the performance of the work groups that they manage? One approach is called organization development, which itself is based on action research, a systematic, long-range program designed to improve the performance of your work group as well as that of the broader organization.
While action research may assume many forms, one of the most popular is survey feedback. The process begins with a preliminary diagnosis. For example, by an outside consultant who's known as a change agent. He or she should be skilled in the methods of applied behavioral science. The preliminary diagnosis may include interviews with managers and a few of the employees in each work group. The purpose of these interviews is to enable the consultant to get a general sense of the key issues the work groups are concerned about.
Source: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/human-resources-foundations/learning-and-organizational-development