About Us

The Austrian Society for Group Dynamics and Organisational Consulting (ÖGGO) is an association of professional trainers and consultants who work as experts on social processes in groups, with organizations and in society.

The aim of ÖGGO is to promote group dynamics and organisational consulting in all areas of society. Covering a wide variety of professional fields, our members help people to develop the ability to better understand relationships in social structures (such as groups, organizations or in society) and to be able to act accordingly, depending on their role. Moreover, working on a scientific basis is very important to us.

The company was founded in 1973 by Leo Bernardis, Peter Bruck, Ralph Grossmann, Jakob Huber, Fredl Janes, Ludwig Nagel, Otto Nigsch, Helmut Stockhammer, Richard Timel and Rudi Wimmer, who at the time were studying at EIT (European Institute for Trans-National Studies in Group and Organizational Development). In addition to the concept of regionalisation and spreading of practical training at the time, the founders also pursued their ambition to anchor group dynamics in university research and teaching. In the early days of ÖGGO, a separate field of study for group dynamics was set up at the then newly-founded University of Klagenfurt, which at the time was organized by the Institute for Philosophy, and where post-doctoral students researched and taught group dynamics. Since then, group dynamics has established itself at several universities in which members of our society are active.

Every year our trainers organize numerous “Training Groups“ (so-called “T groups”) and various organisational training courses in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. We have also been cooperating  with other associations and foreign language partners for several years (e.g. India).

The some 150 members of ÖGGO work as trainers and consultants in different forms of cooperation, professional fields and social areas. Be it the economy, health and social sector, education, art and culture, public service and civil society – there is hardly a group of people, a type of organization, or a field that ÖGGO has not already come into contact with. The experience gained is regularly developed in professional discourses, presented at conferences and published in books and specialist articles.

One very important identity-creating pillar of ÖGGO is education and training. A valuable tradition of this distinctive development path is learning in real time, in the “here and now” of challenging social situations. We embody experiential learning in the truest sense: lecturers accompany learners in the training situation, in the advisory process and in preparation & follow-up. It’s through learning with and from one another that knowledge is passed on and new ideas are created. Have we aroused your interest in the training? Get in touch!