Experimenting with Organisational Development in Bhutan: A Tool for Reform and the Achievement of Multi-Level Goals?

Abstract

In this article we present a unique study of how a nation, Bhutan, is using a specific change management approach – organisational development – as the lever for system-level change in pursuit of a complex, multi-level suite of goals to, ultimately, enhance Gross National Happiness (GNH). We argue that this represents one of the first attempts at using OD for wide-scale change, something hinted at decades ago, and flagged by recent work coming out of the United Nations Development Program and civil society organisations (CSOs). Conceptually, we point to a high level of fit between the Bhutanese development philosophy and OD, and argue there is great potential for using OD in the context. However, we raise a series of issues around the practical feasibility of this approach highlighting important points of tension which pose major challenges for the Bhutanese experiment.

Keywords: Organisational Development, Civil Service Reform, Bhutan, Gross National Happiness