Associate Professional in Human Resources Training Practice Exam 2025 – Comprehensive All-In-One Guide to Exam Success!

The best description of organizational development is a systematic approach to improving organizational effectiveness and facilitating change through planned interventions. This definition highlights the core intent of organizational development, which is to enhance the overall health of an organization by utilizing strategic methods to address challenges and optimize performance.

Organizational development involves a series of strategies and practices designed to improve an organization’s processes, work culture, and employee engagement through structured efforts. It encompasses activities that facilitate organizational learning, enhance teamwork, and create a more adaptive environment capable of responding to change, ensuring that an organization can continue to grow and succeed in a dynamic landscape. By focusing on planned interventions, the approach is proactive and intentional, rather than reactive or superficial, allowing for meaningful and lasting improvements.

The other options do not capture the essence of organizational development as effectively. Reducing overhead costs is typically more aligned with cost efficiency measures rather than holistic organizational improvement. A strategy for increasing workforce size does not necessarily correlate with organizational effectiveness; larger teams can sometimes lead to inefficiency if not managed properly. Encouraging employee competition may foster motivation in some contexts but doesn’t inherently promote collaboration and the systemic changes aimed at the overall improvement that organizational development seeks to achieve.