Which term denotes the strategic focus on developing people to gain competitive advantage?

• A. Organization Development
• B. Organization Development Strategy
• C. High-Performance Working
• D. Knowledge Management

Answer: (B)

Developing people as a strategic asset to gain competitive advantage requires a deliberate plan that ties development activities to business goals. The term Organization Development Strategy signals this exact idea: it represents a purposeful, coordinated approach to building the organization’s capabilities through people, aligned with the overall strategy to differentiate the organization in the market.

Organization development itself is the broader field focused on planned change and improving effectiveness, not necessarily framed as a strategic plan to gain advantage. High-Performance Working describes a bundle of practices aimed at boosting performance, but it isn’t inherently about a long-term strategy to develop people as the main lever for competitive edge. Knowledge management centers on capturing and leveraging knowledge across the organization, which may involve people, but the term doesn’t specify strategic, development-focused actions aimed at sustaining competitive advantage.