Richard M. Burton & Borge Obel 
Strategic Organizational Diagnosis and Design 
Developing Theory for Application

We will not repeat our preface discussion from the first edition. Here we only add some new comments: * a note to the reader and user, * changes in the book and the Organizational Consultant (Org Con), and, * our thanks to the many individuals who have contributed critically to this venture, read and reviewed the book, contributed chapters and cases, and similarly used and critiqued the Org Con. For the reader, there are two very contrasting approaches to reading this book and learning about organizational design. The more traditional ap- proach is to read the book, and then use the Org Con on cases and applica- tions. The second approach is to begin with the Org Con software and only examine the book as you find it helpful. Which approach is better? It is your choice, not ours. In our experience, students in organizational design prefer to start with the Org Con and a case, rather than with the book itself. Readers who have more background in organization theory and design usually examine the book first. We have tried to write the book so that it can serve both as a reference and an integrated presentation.