Improving organisational agility through structure, strategy, and leadership culture at Company X
Piispanen, Anni (2024)
2024
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024120232024
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024120232024
Tiivistelmä
This thesis explores how agile practices can support internal project management in an international Nordic food and beverage chain. The company is realigning its business operations to support an updated strategy, focusing on integrating agile practices within the support centre to improve internal project management. This includes ensuring increased quality in project deliverables, improving unit-wide communication, and ensuring project outcomes support franchise and equity operating models across international markets.
The research draws on existing academic knowledge to understand organisational design, agility, and project management. The empirical data was collected with semi-structured interviews in September 2024 and were conducted with employees to understand the company’s current organisational framework and identify areas for improvement. The study then compares these interview findings with the theoretical framework. The research uses a holistic single-case study approach.
Four key themes emerged from the data: strategic alignment and leadership direction, process standardisation and documentation, cross-functional collaboration and communication, and integration of the two operating models. The findings indicate that the company faces challenges related to unclear strategic direction and inconsistent leadership culture. Additionally, a lack of standardised processes, documentation, and cross-functional communication hinders efficient project management and execution. Finally, integrating franchise and equity operations needs improvement.
The study concludes that the company could improve its organisational agility and internal project management by creating a strategy that provides a clear direction and defines the right balance between standardisation and agility. This strategy should include a framework for standardised processes, project management methodology, and clear roles and responsibilities. The research results highlight that while the company demonstrates trust in employee autonomy, inadequate processes and decision-making frameworks lead to inefficiencies and inconsistent project outcomes. The company can use the practical recommendations from the study in its planning for an agile transformation.
The research draws on existing academic knowledge to understand organisational design, agility, and project management. The empirical data was collected with semi-structured interviews in September 2024 and were conducted with employees to understand the company’s current organisational framework and identify areas for improvement. The study then compares these interview findings with the theoretical framework. The research uses a holistic single-case study approach.
Four key themes emerged from the data: strategic alignment and leadership direction, process standardisation and documentation, cross-functional collaboration and communication, and integration of the two operating models. The findings indicate that the company faces challenges related to unclear strategic direction and inconsistent leadership culture. Additionally, a lack of standardised processes, documentation, and cross-functional communication hinders efficient project management and execution. Finally, integrating franchise and equity operations needs improvement.
The study concludes that the company could improve its organisational agility and internal project management by creating a strategy that provides a clear direction and defines the right balance between standardisation and agility. This strategy should include a framework for standardised processes, project management methodology, and clear roles and responsibilities. The research results highlight that while the company demonstrates trust in employee autonomy, inadequate processes and decision-making frameworks lead to inefficiencies and inconsistent project outcomes. The company can use the practical recommendations from the study in its planning for an agile transformation.