Open Questions Limiting the Practice of Interorganizational Development

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Abstract
Interorganizational development is defined as "the application of social science knowledge to the creation of planned, systematic, and mutually beneficial cooperative relationships among otherwise autonomous organi zations." The practice of interorganizational development is becoming of increasing importance as consultants and administrators seek to help both private and public-sector organizations take advantage of interorganizational cooperation as a means of dealing with today's complex and demanding environmental pressures. This paper summarizes the open questions that must be answered by researchers if practitioners of interorganizational development are to have adequate planning-and-action guidelines. The open questions should also help the practitioners become more sensitive to potential action considerations that may require special thought and attention until a firmer knowledge base becomes established in the areas of inter organizational development.