Our R&D is deeply rooted in experiences of down-to-earth OD with people facing challenging demands of comprehending and acting in complex and diverse contexts. It has often led us to a bottom-up strategy, starting with inquiries about which crucial daily judgments and decision-making are necessary or desirable for responsible agents in different tasks and roles. Participant observation of practice is essential for the strategy and is very resource-intensive.

The next level of analysis requires examinations of existing and possible coordination of tasks and functional capabilities. This phase includes formal modeling alternatives and hypothesizing about their relevance and power. Because any organizational advancement should be open to changing internal and external conditions, the role of individual and organizational learning and adaptation is pivotal in the planning, preparing, and applying activities on all levels.

This strategy needs the design and use of flexible procedures adjusted to the core activities and suitable psychological and social conditions for safe, stimulating, and inventive work. The methods should be instrumental for agents (associates) in managing task accomplishment and development according to all goal levels.

Our R&D in progress concerns handling diversity in reasoning and action in professional contexts. Diversity among people can be a nuisance or a benefit. Therefore, simplifying procedures for managing any kind of would be desirable for agents in complex organizational change or development cases. We have initiated a series of lab tests offline to examine possible guidelines for designing such procedures.