A TEAM OF EIGHT CHANGE AGENTS--GRADUATE STUDENTS AND PROFESSORS OF PSYCHOLOGY--NEGOTIATED CONTRACTS WITH MANAGEMENT AND NONMANAGEMENT EMPLOYEES WHEREBY THE CHANGE AGENTS WOULD PROVIDE CONSULTATION SERVICES IN EXCHANGE FOR RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES. THE CHANGE AGENT TEAM INTERVIEWED EMPLOYEES, ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRES DESIGNED TO IDENTIFY PROBLEMS IN THE DEPARTMENT, AND CONDUCTED FEEDBACK SESSIONS AND PROBLEM-SOLVING AND TEAM DEVELOPMENT MEETINGS. CONSULTATION WAS PROVIDED TO NONMANAGEMENT AND MANAGEMENT GROUPS SEPARATELY AND TOGETHER. A PRETEST/POST-TEST ASSESSMENT OF CHANGES IN THE DEPARTMENT OVER A 1-YEAR PERIOD INDICATES THAT THE EMPLOYEES' SENSE OF POWER WITHIN THE SYSTEM INCREASED. ROLE STRESSES TENDED TO DECREASE OVER TIME, ALTHOUGH AN IMPORTANT INDEX OF ROLE STRAIN (A MEASURE OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND IRRITATION) ROSE SIGNIFICANTLY. THIS FINDING ARGUES FOR AN INCREASED AWARENESS OF POSSIBLE JOB STRAINS INDUCED BY ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT INTERVENTION. THERE WAS LITTLE CHANGE IN THE ORGANIZATIONAL CLIMATE, ALTHOUGH EMPLOYEES' PERCEPTIONS OF SPECIFIC FACTORS IN THE WORK SETTING WERE ALTERED. THE INTERVENTION TEAM'S OBSERVATIONS INDICATE THAT SUBSTANTIVE ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE MAY BE AN UNREALISTIC GOAL FOR MOST ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS, AND THAT THE EFFECTS OF ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT MAY NOT BE DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE AMOUNT OF INPUT BY ORGANIZATION DEVELOPERS. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT PARTICIPATION-ORIENTED DEVELOPERS MAY INTRODUCE CERTAIN DILEMMAS FOR THEIR CLIENTS. IN SOME INSTANCES, ENCOURAGING EMPLOYEES TO TALK ABOUT A PROBLEM ACTUALLY MADE THE PROBLEM SEEM WORSE. BECAUSE ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT CAN BE AN EFFECTIVE MEANS OF AUGMENTING PARTICIPANTS' POWER, THE IMPLICATIONS OF SHIFTS IN POWER FOR ORGANIZATIONAL FUNCTIONING SHOULD BE CONSIDERED. THE APPLICATION OF ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT IN THE FIELD OF OCCUPATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH SHOULD ALSO BE EXPLORED. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)