Thesis (MPhil))--Stellenbosch University, 2010. / It is broadly accepted that our post-modern society is characterised by unprecedented levels of change, coupled with increasing complexity and uncertainty. In this context, the ability to successfully anticipate and adapt to changing circumstances is crucial for an organisation‟s survival and prosperity. Long-standing traditional models of organising, managing and knowing, as well as many contemporary formulations, are found to be inadequate in dealing with the challenges of high-velocity change. This study conducts a conceptual review of the diverse literatures on organisational adaptation and foresight to, first, synthesise the essential characteristics of adaptive organising; and secondly, to determine whether and how foresight can be applied to improve the effectiveness of organisational adaptation. A model of adaptive organising is developed that describes how, by adopting an emergent strategy approach via processes of exploration and experimentation and by balancing change and preservation, firms can derive new advantages from volatility. Recognising the limitations of anticipatory foresight in fast-paced environments, a socially embedded foresight practice that links macroscopic thinking and microscopic action is proposed as an enabling infrastructure for emergent strategy. It describes how foresight provides context for broad-based action, the outcome of which keeps foresight refreshed with how reality is unfolding. Finally three foresight methods, visioning, scenarios and peripheral vision, are reviewed drawing links to adaptive organising from which three propositions are put forward for future research. These foresight practices are shown to produce shared understanding and direction which stimulates collective exploratory action, and encourage alternative perspectives and interpretations of the organisation‟s situation allowing strategic variety to flourish and new advantages to emerge.

Artificiell intelligens har blivit kommersialiserad och har skapat en stor efterfrågan på marknaden. Trots detta är det få som vet vad teknologin innebär och till och med forskare kämpar med att hitta en universell definition. Teknologin är komplex och mångfacetterad och delar av tekniken gör den kontroversiell. Artificiell intelligens som koncept har blivit studerat utifrån ett tekniskt perspektiv och flera publikationer har gjort ett försökt att förutspå hur teknologin kommer att påverka samhällen i framtiden. Även fast efterfrågan är stor, saknas det empiriska data för hur tekniken påverkar organisationer. Det finns därför ingen nuvarande forskning till hjälp för organisationer som måste anpassa sig till teknologin.Syftet med denna studie är att börja täcka detta forskningsgap med empiriska data för att hjälpa organisationer förstå hur de påverkas av detta paradigmskifte i teknik. Studien är utförd som en fallstudie vid en offentlig organisation med medel teknologiska kunskaper. Data har samlats in via intervjuer, observationer och granskning av styrdokument. Sjutton intervjuer hölls med medarbetare från olika delar av organisationen. Data analyserades sedan utifrån ett kombinerat ramverk inkluderande teknik, organisatorisk anpassning och social hållbarhet.Studien visade att organisationen är reaktiv i sin anpassningsprocess och saknar en förståelse för tekniken. Resultatet visar att konceptet artificiell intelligens är svårt att förstå men tillämpbara exempel underlättar processen. Ett bättre informationsflöde skulle hjälpa organisationen att bli mer proaktiv i sin anpassning och bättre kunna utnyttja sin personal. Resultaten visar också att det finns etiska aspekter kring teknologin som behöver behandlas av organisationen innan artificiell intelligens kan implementeras. Forskaren argumenterar också för vikten av att använda ett sammansatt ramverk vid analys av organisatorisk påverkan av artificiell intelligens på grund av dess komplexitet. / Artificial intelligence has become commercialized and has created a huge demand on the market. However, few people know what the technology means and even scientist struggle to find a universal definition. The technology is complex and versatile with elements making it controversial. The concept of artificial intelligence has been studied in the technical field and several publications has made efforts to predict the impact that the technology will have on our societies in the future. Even if the technology has created a great demand on the market, empirical findings of how this technology is affecting organizations is lacking. There is thus no current research to help organizations adapt to this new technology.The purpose of this study is to start cover that research gap with empirical data to help organizations understand how they are affected by this paradigm shift in technology. The study is conducted as a single case study at a public organization with middle technological skills. Data has been collected through interviews, observations and reviewing of governing documents. Seventeen interviews were held with employees with different work roles in the administration. The data was then analyzed from a combined framework including technology, organizational adaptation and social sustainability.The study found that the organization is reactive in its adaptation process and lacking an understanding of the technology. The findings show that the concept of artificial intelligence is hard to understand but applicable and tangible examples facilitates the process. A better information flow would help the investigated organization to become more proactive in its adaptation and better utilize its personnel. The findings also show that there are ethical issues about the technology that the organization needs to process before beginning an implementation. The researcher also argues the importance of a joint framework when analyzing the organizational impact of artificial intelligence due to its complexity.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-01T19:18:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Mariana Pereira Querino.pdf: 78829 bytes, checksum: 6751a2365690fd086cc945315c61a8e4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-05-03 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / O objetivo desta pesquisa foi identificar os fatores que influenciaram o processo de adaptação estratégica vivenciado pela Escola Superior de Administração e Gerência ESAG desde a sua concepção à gestão de 2009, segundo a percepção dos gestores estratégicos da organização. A ESAG faz parte da Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina (UDESC) e oferece cursos de graduação em Administração, Administração Pública e Ciências Econômicas, sendo que, possui duas unidades, uma em Florianópolis e outra em Balneário Camboriu. Para a investigação, delineou-se a pesquisa a partir de um estudo de caso. Os dados foram obtidos por meio de entrevistas em profundidade, consulta de documentos da organização, leis, diretrizes, resoluções. Permitiu-se, com isso, estabelecer a análise dos dados, efetuada de forma histórico-interpretativo, de acordo com a abordagem qualitativa adotada, embasada na Pesquisa Direta. Com isso, foi possível fazer uma análise dinâmica e simultânea dos fatos ocorridos no período estudado. Foi, através disso, que conseguiu-se identificar eventos críticos, divididos em quatro períodos estratégicos na análise da Adaptação Estratégica, sendo que, nos momentos estudados, percebeu-se a forte influência da gestão e do ambiente externo no processo de adaptação estratégica, de modo que, os fatores externos, foram determinantes nas mudanças e no processo de adaptação estratégico sofrido pela Organização

[pt] O entendimento claro de uma empresa sobre o seu ambiente operacional, assim como suas forças e fraquezas, possibilita um melhor gerenciamento da incerteza imposta por adversidades e ameaças, favorecendo a resiliência organizacional. Para que a resiliência em uma organização seja implementada de forma sistêmica, é preciso que as dimensões Ambiental e Comportamental (tanto em nível organizacional quanto individual), sejam sustentadas por ações gerenciais estratégicas. Visando compreender como as práticas de gestão podem impulsionar a resiliência organizacional, foi elaborado o framework Gestão Estratégica de Resiliência Organizacional [GERO], e validado qualitativamente em cinco empresas brasileiras de setores e portes diferentes, tendo como pano de fundo a pandemia da COVID-19. A partir da análise de conteúdo das entrevistas em profundidade realizadas com os diretores destas organizações, foi possível identificar pontos comuns e pontos não contemplados no framework GERO. Como pontos comuns, as empresas pesquisadas percebem as reservas financeiras como necessárias para gerenciar efetivamente seus negócios; usam crises passadas para desenvolver sua capacidade de aprendizagem e de tomada de decisão, facilitando a agilidade de resposta; e elaboram novos produtos/ serviços rapidamente para dar continuidade aos seus negócios. Por outro lado, o empoderamento das equipes, a gestão horizontal e o fortalecimento dos valores organizacionais não contemplados no GERO foram pontos importantes na crise para estas empresas. Concluímos que este framework pode contribuir para que organizações, de diferentes setores, tamanhos e níveis de complexidade, analisem sistematicamente processos, forças e fraquezas, cenários internos e externos, favorecendo o gerenciamento estratégico da resiliência organizacional. / [en] A clear understanding of a company s operating environment and its strengths and weaknesses enables a better management of the uncertainty related to adversities and threats, promoting organizational resilience. For a systemic implementation of resilience in an organization, the Environmental and Behavioral dimensions (at the individual and organizational levels) must be supported by strategic management actions. In order to understand how management practices can boost organizational resilience, the Strategic Management of Organizational Resilience (SMOR) framework was developed and qualitatively validated in five Brazilian organizations of different sizes and operating in different sectors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The content analysis of in-depth interviews conducted with leaders of these organizations identified aspects in common as well as factors not addressed in the SMOR framework. Regarding the aspects in common, studied companies perceive financial reserves as necessary to effectively manage their businesses, use past crises to develop learning and decision-making capabilities and then facilitate response agility, and develop new products/services quickly for business continuity. On the other hand, team empowerment, horizontal management, and the strengthening of organizational values not addressed in the SMOR framework were important factors in past crises for these companies. We conclude the SMOR framework can help organizations from different sectors and of different sizes and levels of complexity perform systematic analyses of processes, strengths and weaknesses, internal and external scenarios, thus favoring a strategic management of organizational resilience.