Organizational Change Efforts: Methodologies for Assessing Organizational Effectiveness and Program Costs Versus Benefits

This article presents two methodologies for evaluating organizational effectiveness and program costs versus benefits in organizational change programs. The first methodology describes the development of a standardized approach for identifying, defining, and measuring indicators of work behavior and performance that fit a broader concept of organizational effectiveness than traditional production and financial outcomes. The second methodology describes methods used to estimate the costs and benefits of work innovation or change programs, in terms of both economic and social utility. A framework for assessing organizational change is provided from which behavior and financial results can be estimated and compared with program costs to develop a cost-benefit ratio. Both methodologies are used to monitor and assess an extensive longitudinal quality of work life experiment.