euram 2013 conference

Emergent Working Practices: Cases from Knowledge-based

Organizations

Kateryna Bondar / CeTIM / University BW Munich, Germany

Tero Peltola / CITER / Tampere University of Technology, Finland

EURAM Conference | 26.-29.6.2013 | Istanbul Congress Centre | Turkey

Outline

• Motivation• Methods• Results• Conclusions

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MOTIVATION

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What is happening to organizations?

• Blurring boundaries• Ease of information dissemination• Flat hierarchies• Loss of control over resources• Virtual teams

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New Ways of Work

• Represents challenges to organizational structures & new attitude to work

• Emerges from introduction of new social media & information technologies

• Challenges “all” existing assumptions about knowledge work and organizational structures

• Puts the question of whole organizational restructuring in front of senior managers

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Management innovation

• Dominant perspectives (by Birkinshaw, Hamel & Mol 2008)

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Institutional ”Longwaves” Progressive

change Not individual-

driven

Fashion Hype Wave-like

Cultural Recognizes

contribution of the org. Levels

No individual drivers

Rational Individual driven Some analogies

to technology innovation

New Working Practices?

METHODS

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Qualitative approach

• 9 Case studies x 5 interviews

=

45 semistructured interviews

• Different organization levels were interviewed• management directors, senior managers, project

managers, team leaders, employees

• European wide• Spain, the Netherlands, Ukraine, Finland

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Analysis

• Transcribed interviews coded using ATLAS.ti software

• Triangulation of the data based on multiple sources (such as printed and online documents, observations, interviews, and informal follow-ups)

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RESULTS

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13.04.2023Tero Peltola / CITER

Institutional ”Longwaves” Progressive

change Not individual-

driven

Fashion Hype Wave-like

tendency

Cultural Recognizes

contribution of the org. levels

No individual drivers

Rational Individual driven Some analogies

to technology innovation

New Working Practices

13.04.2023Tero Peltola / CITER

Institutional ”Longwaves” Progressive

change Not individual-

driven

Fashion Hype Wave-like

tendency

Cultural Recognizes

contribution of the org. levels

No individual drivers

Rational Individual driven Some analogies

to technology innovation

New Working Practices

Rise of the individualOpportunities rather than orders

Requirement of shared knowledge

13.04.2023Tero Peltola / CITER

Institutional ”Longwaves” Progressive

change Not individual-

driven

Fashion Hype Wave-like

tendency

Cultural Recognizes

contribution of the org. levels

No individual drivers

Rational Individual driven Some analogies

to technology innovation

New Working Practices

Rise of the individualOpportunities rather than orders

Requirement of shared knowledge

New collaborative tools: For digital natives typical way of working

Constant demand from int. and ext. environment to work a new way

13.04.2023Tero Peltola / CITER

Institutional ”Longwaves” Progressive

change Not individual-

driven

Fashion Hype Wave-like

tendency

Cultural Recognizes

contribution of the org. levels

No individual drivers

Rational Individual driven Some analogies

to technology innovation

New Working Practices

Main attributes: Trust, results-orientation, opportunities for promotion, informal communicaiton, a learning environment, encouragement of

improvements-Communal working practices, trust, results driven

13.04.2023Tero Peltola / CITER

Institutional ”Longwaves” Progressive

change Not individual-

driven

Fashion Hype Wave-like

tendency

Cultural Recognizes

contribution of the org. levels

No individual drivers

Rational Individual driven Some analogies

to technology innovation

New Working Practices

Main attributes: Trust, results-orientation, opportunities for promotion, informal communicaiton, a learning environment, encouragement of

improvements-Communal working practices, trust, results driven

Workplace is a community that have to be also accessed virtually

Access to relevant information/knowledge is crucial

13.04.2023Tero Peltola / CITER

Institutional ”Longwaves” Progressive

change Not individual-

driven

Fashion Hype Wave-like

tendency

Cultural Recognizes

contribution of the org. levels

No individual drivers

Rational Individual driven Some analogies

to technology innovation

New Working Practices

OBSERVATIONS & CONCLUSIONS

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Observations

• New Working Practices seem to increase both information transparency and the amount and quality of communications– Easier to locate needed knowledge

• Organizational members network outside the organization is emphasized, and managerial actions can be used to utilizing that potential.

• The role of key users for implementing technology innovations

• Self-actualization should be recognized by the managers

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Conclusions

• It is challenging to fit NWP in any existing dominant perspectives of management innovation.– Need for the new perspective on innovation

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Thank you

13.04.2023Tero Peltola / CITER

http://fi.linkedin.com/in/teropeltola

http://de.linkedin.com/pub/kateryna-bondar/b/717/a9