Their article contends that the differences between OD then and now lie in differences in ontological and epistemological perspectives, and not necessarily differences in values or viability. That is to say, where OD then – with positivistic orientations – saw differences in perspective as aberrations to be repaired or removed in the process of OD, it now – with social constructivist orientations – sees differences as competing realities, to be explored and embraced. This latter perspective helps us to understand that there can be no one objective truth about organisational order or change and that understanding the variety of individual perspectives present in any organisational setting is important for understanding the setting itself (Bartunek and Woodman, 2015).
This is a complex argument, but one that helps to understand some of the criticisms of the older approaches to OD and to raise concerns about the impact of OD in its newer forms.