Enhancing Students Academic Performance Using Organization Development Interventions (ODI): A Case Study of Business Management Major Students in Zhejiang Yuexiu University in China

In recent years, the enrollment scale of the Business Administration major within the School of Applied Foreign Languages (SAFL) at Zhejiang Yuexiu University (ZYU) has grown year by year. As a higher vocational college, this school primarily enrolls students from Zhejiang Province, China. The students comprise graduates from both regular senior high schools and vocational high schools, with the latter accounting for a larger proportion. Vocational high school graduates often have a weaker foundation in basic knowledge, and their learning initiative, academic attitudes, and academic performance require improvement. Against this background, this study selected 40 sophomore students (vocational high school graduates) from the Department of Business Management as the research subjects, aiming to explore how to enhance their academic performance through Organizational Development Interventions (ODI). This study adopted quantitative and qualitative methods, utilizing questionnaire surveys and interviews as primary research instruments. Identical questionnaires and interview protocols were administered at different stages to collect data and assess outcomes, allowing for a comparison between pre-ODI and post-ODI conditions. Quantitative data analysis revealed statistically significant differences in all measured variables before and after the intervention, specifically in student motivation, student engagement, academic self-concept, self-efficacy, and academic performance. Furthermore, both quantitative and qualitative data indicate that the following instructional interventions—Appreciative Inquiry (AI), team building, goal setting, differentiated instruction and class observation, as well as work showcases and assessments— have significantly improved students' motivation, engagement, academic self-concept, self-efficacy, and academic performance. The core contribution of this study lies in providing a viable pathway to improve the academic performance of vocational college students by integrating Organizational Development (OD) into the classroom. By institutionalizing reflective practices (such as pre- and post-intervention analyses), higher education institutions can establish data-driven feedback loops to continuously align educational outcomes with market and societal demands