HR Innovation vs. Organizational Change Effort

Will the fast-growing popularity of 360° feedback in the organizational world ultimately lead to its being relegated to the less-than-distinguished label of fad ? Will it join a long line of other fads that psychologists and human resource specialists have made popular during the past 30 years? In the 1960s, the craze was t-groups and sensitivity training. Managers learned to share their feelings and perceptions of others in an artificial group setting. The 1970s brought in such fads as quality circles and attitude surveys. The 1980s were consumed by job enrichment and autonomous work groups. The latter continues to be popular perhaps because of the inherent changes in organizations that team-based structures entail. However, in general, most of these initiatives have experienced various degrees of success and a gradual fizzling of their faddish statuses.