We might say, to paraphrase John Gray s famous phrase, IT is from Mars, OD is from Venus. Literally, of course, IT and OD are not on different planets, but in a very real way, these professionals inhabit different worlds. They have different world views different beliefs, values, and attitudes especially about computer technology. Often, we have a negative gut reaction to computer technology. Technology can be so dehumanizing.
Computers take people away from other people.
These observations have a real validity. Every new technology that offers benefits also creates new problems and barriers. We think that, to some large degree, the reticence that many of us feel about computer technology comes from the underlying values that drew us into the OD field in the first place. OD practitioners tend to hold fairly humanistic values. We are concerned with opening lines of communication, with organizational growth, with the actualization of personal potential.