Distance learning course in organizational development: People at the heart of corporate transformation

Sometimes change begins with a single question: how can people in organizations work together in a way that benefits everyone - employees as well as the company itself? This is exactly where the part-time Master's degree course in Organizational Development (M.A.) in distance learning at RPTU Kaiserslautern comes in. It is aimed at professionals who are curious about change and want to play an active role in shaping the development of companies. The term organizational development stands for future, movement and transformation.

For Nina Macher, a graduate of the Organizational Development course, her enthusiasm for her subject began around five years ago with an aha moment at a cross-industry campus involving several organizations, including her employer at the time. "I hadn't previously realized how well strangers can work together and develop completely new ideas if such a process is properly prepared, planned, communicated and supported," she says. Today, she is the Managing Director of the Worms Service Center of the Rheinhessen Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

Fluctuation costs money

"The Cross Industry Campus Worms sparked my enthusiasm for organizational development. More precisely, it was a workshop held by an organizational developer on the topic of skills shortages, including a concept development," she explains. "I was particularly enthusiastic about the fact that there are scientific methods for developing a company into an economically strong, functioning structure, without the usual shambles on a human level. For the first time, I felt that there was real sustainability, because it takes into account that people and their individual needs carry organizations." Even if the motives for satisfied employees in organizational development are often focused on the perspective of corporate management and profitability, this does not contradict taking this path through measures that are geared towards employee satisfaction. "I am convinced that the profitability of a company requires that employees have the desire and motivation to follow this path," says Macher.

High staff turnover due to dissatisfaction, for example, is an expensive affair for a company. New people have to be constantly trained and integrated into the processes, says Nina Macher.

Master's thesis on psychological safety

In her Master's thesis, she looks at one aspect of employee satisfaction with a magnifying glass: psychological safety in the onboarding process.

"When I started studying, I was still at Worms University of Applied Sciences in the Research and Transfer department. In the middle of my studies, I received an offer from the IHK and decided to take on a new challenge despite my ongoing studies. Focusing on the onboarding process in my Master's thesis had a lot to do with my own situation at the time," she smiles. "Thinking my way into something that I'm already involved in makes a lot of things more tangible for me."

But how does psychological safety in onboarding play a role in organizational development? According to Macher, the figures suggest that this topic should be taken seriously. According to Haufe (HR Services, 2024), 36 percent of companies receive a termination notice from new employees before their first day at work. 56 percent of companies complain about false expectations on the part of the onboardee, which leads to early turnover, and only 25 percent of companies have a centrally organized onboarding process. In addition, according to Softgarden (Candidate Experience, 2023), there are increasing numbers of resignations by employees in the first 100 days at the company. In 2023, these amounted to 23 percent of all new hires.

For Nina Macher, these alarming figures, which show a clear imbalance, were the trigger to take a closer look. What does it take for employees to feel so safe, accepted and valued from day one that they have the courage to ask questions, develop from mistakes, contribute ideas and thus achieve performance more quickly? How can corporate culture promote this feeling of psychological security?

"In times of a shortage of skilled workers, a company can simply no longer afford to ignore people and their needs," says Macher. Her thesis identifies factors that promote and hinder psychological safety in the onboarding process and provides levers for an optimized arrival at the company. "For me, my master's thesis is a core topic of organizational development. In today's world, where employees' willingness to change is vital for companies' survival, the human factor is more than ever a key economic factor. This is exactly where the course content at RPTU Kaiserslautern comes in - practical and application-oriented," explains Macher.

"One factor that promotes a successful onboarding process, for example, is clear communication of opportunities and expectations - a lack of personal contacts, on the other hand, can be a hindrance, often giving the feeling of being left alone or indifferent." For Nina Macher, the distance learning course in Organizational Development at RPTU Kaiserslautern is an exemplary combination of academic depth and directly applicable practice. The course enables her to help shape the heart of entrepreneurial transformation. Organizational development at RPTU starts where change works: with people - through scientifically sound transformation strategies, employees become the strongest lever of sustainable companies.