The objective of this research is to enhance the effectiveness of the new product development at Jaguar Land Rover by attending to the incongruities between the perceived organisational culture and the ecosystem in which the teams operate. The inquiry is aligned with both Donaldson's structural contingency theory (2001) and Syed's (2015) reflections regarding psychological alignment. The contention of the research is that an alternative operating model enables the teams to thrive and relish the uncertain, complex environment in which they now operate and hence improve their satisfaction and wellbeing whilst delivering increased value for both the business and the consumers (Davis, 2016a). This paper describes the rationale and the approach taken to embed an operating model which liberates the capabilities of the 'knowledge worker' community (Drucker, 1999) as opposed to the apparent Scientific Management (Taylor, 1914) bureaucratic efficiency model, which had previously been relevant. The research methodology incorporates Research Oriented Action Research (Eden and Huxham, 1996) in order to accommodate the unknowable outcomes and embedded paradoxes. The incorporation of a neurological metaphor attends to the innate human behaviours and social dynamics, whilst Dissipative Structure Theory (Prigogine and Allen, 1982) and the concept of panarchy (Garmestani et al., 2008) expands the traditional hierarchical perspective. The joint inquiry undertaken during an internship at Airbus Defence and Space corroborated the notion that an agile operating model could be realised for the creation of complex systems with significant hardware content and long lead times. The investigation also merges the constructive lean/agile values and principles from other sectors that are facing similar disruption in their ecosystems. The adoption of the principles that support self-determination (Ryan and Deci, 2000) result in reframing the participants' beliefs or "theories of action" (Argyris, 1995) by revising their experiences, hence a reduction in the observable stress and a verifiable increase in the delivery of valuable outcomes. The implications of the research spans both academic interest and real world utility regarding the co-creation of valuable knowledge through the alignment of the social dynamics of the participants and the methodology for progressing volatile problem situations with the ecosystems in which they find themselves.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:767106 |
| Date | January 2017 |
| Creators | Davis, Martin |
| Publisher | University of Warwick |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/114061/ |
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