Boundary activities and readiness for ... - Projekti-Instituutti

Theoretical background
change program’s central managers perform during the early program
stage. The association of the boundary activities with the success of change
program initiation is explored by analyzing the connection of boundary
activities to readiness for change program implementation.
The aim of the study is to increase understanding of the central activities
that are required to make a change program viable and implementable. The
study further aims to analyze the role the organizational environment plays
in this process. Contextual factors are examined on three levels, including
the program’s characteristics, the parent organization’s characteristics, and
individual characteristics of the involved managers.
The main research question of the study is:
How are the boundary activities concerning the boundary between the
program and the parent organization associated with the success of
change program initiation?
More detailed research questions guiding the study are listed below:
1. How is the boundary between a change program and its parent
organization manifested?
2. How, through what kinds of activities, is the boundary between a
change program and its parent organization managed during
program initiation?
3. What are the indicators of successful change program initiation in
terms of readiness for change program implementation?
4. How are the boundary activities associated with creating
readiness for change program implementation?
5. Which contextual factors may impact the use of boundary activities
in building readiness for change program implementation?
The first research question characterizes the nature of the boundary
between the emerging program and the parent organization. Following
Aldrich and Herker (1977) and as in most of the empirical research on
organizational boundaries, in this study the existence of the boundary is
assumed, and the boundary is drawn from the organizational perspective.
Change programs are viewed as temporary organizations, and the
characteristics of a temporary organization, especially in terms of the
devoted team, special task, and limited time (Lundin & Söderholm, 1995),
are viewed to define the program and its boundaries. The goals of a change
program define the program in terms of tasks and activities, and the limited
time frame defines the program in terms of time. The program organization
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