Joseph J. Foy, Ph.D. President | Benedictine University

Congratulations to doctoral candidate Kemi Akindutire who recently presented her research at the 5th International Organization Development (OD) and Change Conference, hosted by the Center for Organization Leadership and Development in Gaborone, Botswana in August 2024.

A key part of the scholar-practitioner journey in the Goodwin College of Business Doctoral Program is the global exchange in the second year. Connecting student research with international OD scholars is a key opportunity to further research studies and create a scholar-practitioner professional network to serve as the foundation for future work as a global practitioner.

Over three days, the conference provided an enriching blend of learning experiences through storytelling, dialogues, systems thinking, appreciative inquiry, question thinking, and Indigenous entertainment like African jazz—all intertwined with OD practices in the African context.

Kemi presented at all three days of the conference:

Day 1: “My OD journey—the past, present, and future.” This opportunity allowed the participants to connect with her personally and understand her research interests, setting the tone for the subsequent days.

Day 2: Kemi participated at the Doctoral Consortium on “Purpose-Driven Organizations,” where she provided insights into her research and discussed the importance of such organizations in driving sustainable development. This also gave her an opportunity to gather valuable qualitative data and insights that will support her research.

Day 3: Her final session focused on Purpose Alignment (Congruence) as a Lever for Organizational Outcomes. In keeping with the spirit of adaptability, she facilitated a short workshop experience in which participants reflected on their individual purpose and the enablers and barriers to fulfilling it. This enriched her data collection and offered the participants a meaningful opportunity for self-reflection and actionable insights.