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- Bojesson, Catarina
(author)
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Enabling Dynamic Capability : Managing and Organizing for Change
- 2024
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This doctoral thesis is based on a longitudinal single-case study conducted over five years within a product development context at a manufacturing company. In dynamic environments that demand flexibility and adaptability, it is essential to understand how organizations can improve dynamic capabilities to remain viable and competitive during periods of turbulence and change. This challenge is especially central to product development organizations offering customer-specific products as it tends to increase organizational complexity. An excessive focus on internal coordination and control to manage this complexity has led to inertia due to establishment of strict, rigid processes and hierarchical bureaucracies within organizational management and design.This study aims to contribute with new knowledge on how organizations operating in dynamic contexts can develop adaptability to changing needs. Specifically, it seeks to understand how to design and manage organizations to increase their preparedness for and adaptability to change. Investigating the factors and mechanisms that influence an organization's dynamic capability can provide insights into the sources of inertia and support the transition toward a more dynamic structure. The longitudinal study is based on data collected through an initial interview study followed by a questionnaire study, and finally through a concluding interview study. The research has been phenomenon-driven; as the organization’s circumstances have evolved, the focus of the study has shifted accordingly. Emerging from the aggregated results of the longitudinal study, the overall scope of the research is the change process, transitioning from a rigid to a more dynamic organization. Research findings are presented in five appended papers.Analysis from literature studies and the empirical study show that the primary focus on improving performance often centers on internal efficiency. However, within the case company, tension arose between the desire of strict control according to predefined processes and plans and the actual need for flexibility. Dynamic contexts require working processes that facilitate reactive problem-solving, creativity, and flexibility, as well as managers capable of going back and forth between management styles to benefit performance. Successful organizational reconfiguration depends on developing the conditions that enable the firm's dynamic capability in relation to its context. This involves identifying both the microfoundations that generate dynamic capability and the internal and external constraints to change.Considering the external environment is crucial for developing an understanding of how to best organize and manage resources and capabilities, which places demands on managerial capabilities. Managers must possess the skills to monitor the external environment and formulate strategies to respond to changing conditions, as their interpretation of the external environment will influence their decisions, which will subsequently enable or hinder possible actions. The design of organizations will impact the ability to rearrange resources and capabilities. Processes and working procedures must allow for reconfigurations to respond swiftly to changing constraints or opportunities. The use of multiple theoretical perspectives has been imperative in the analysis of the data, and the theoretical contribution extends to exploration of various factors and mechanisms that influence an organization's dynamic capability.
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| 2. |
- Bojesson, Catarina, et al.
(author)
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Exploring microfoundations of dynamic capabilities – challenges, barriers, and enablers of organizational change
- 2020
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In: Journal of Organizational Change Management. - 0953-4814 .- 1758-7816. ; 34:1, s. 206-222
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify factors affecting an organization’s dynamic capability and, consequently, its ability to manage organizational change. Design/methodology/approach: A single case study was conducted to provide a deeper understanding of the situation that the case company experienced during a specific phase of reconfiguration. Data were collected through nine in-depth, semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the Gioia methodology. Findings: Challenges, barriers and enablers affecting the organization's dynamic capability in the reconfiguration phase were identified. Originality/value: This study contributes to the theory of dynamic capabilities and to the current investigatory stream regarding microfoundations by presenting practical examples of challenges, barriers and enablers that affect an organization’s ability to succeed during an organizational reconfiguration. These examples are intended to aid in discussions on microfoundations of dynamic capabilities and their impact in practice.
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| 3. |
- Bojesson, Catarina, et al.
(author)
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Exploring tensions between creativity and control in product development projects
- 2015
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In: DS 80-3 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 20TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENGINEERING DESIGN (ICED 15). - 9781904670667
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- To sustain organizational performance in dynamic contexts, organizations must be able to change through innovation while still continuing to perform in the short term. Central to successful innovation is to understand and manage tensions, paradoxes, contradictions, and dilemmas. This paper will present empirical data from a single case study discussed in relation to institutional theory in connection to organizational tensions and conflicts. Results show examples of a strong focus on proactive approaches with attempts to control and manage product development projects in a strict manner, even though the organization is acting in a context characterized by uncertainty with a need for creativity and a reactive approach. This shows a lacking understanding of what is required of the project process in this context and the tensions created between the strict process control and the dynamic environment. Conclusions point at the need for both creativity and control in the management of product development projects. However, there is a risk of strong institutions preventing organizations from recognizing the need for change.
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| 4. |
- Bojesson, Catarina, 1984-
(author)
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Improving project performance in product development
- 2015
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Licentiate thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The development of new products and processes is a crucial point of competition and due to the rapid technological development and strong international competition, companies are being forced to design better products faster and more efficiently. In the last two decades large companies in particular have developed increasingly sophisticated models, process descriptions, structures and routines for how to steer and manage their often large and complex projects. Processes in product development projects often contain many dependencies among both tasks and people, requiring coordination of activities and the opportunity to capture incomplete information that evolves over time. When attempting to increase project performance, a strong focus has been on the efficiency of the projects, on doing things right. As a result, both in industry and in research, effectiveness, doing the right things, has gained less importance than it probably should. For companies to really increase their performance, effectiveness must be considered to a much higher extent.The objective of the research presented in this thesis has been to increase the knowledge of how the performance of projects in a product development context can be improved. This involves investigating factors which affects performance on different levels of the projects such as the individual working on the project, the single project, the project organisation, the company, and the business context. Data have been collected through literature studies as well as a case study divided into two parts.The research results show that project organisations face the challenge of being able to have projects running efficiently according to plan while at the same time exploring and creating new knowledge. Formalised product development processes can support the progress of projects, but there is a risk that exploratory work and innovation could suffer. This is a challenge, especially in contexts characterised by uncertainty and complexity. Further, a number of areas which affect the project performance were identified, including the business context, process characteristics, project model, project characteristics, and project management. These findings have resulted in a proposed start of a framework for improving product development project performance in dynamic contexts.
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