Boundary activities and readiness for ... - Projekti-Instituutti
Boundary activities and readiness for ... - Projekti-Instituutti
Boundary activities and readiness for ... - Projekti-Instituutti
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Research methodology <strong>and</strong> data<br />
Table 8 Summary of the cases<br />
Description of<br />
the parent<br />
organization<br />
Goal of the<br />
change<br />
program<br />
Planned<br />
program<br />
duration<br />
Number of<br />
program<br />
participants<br />
Case Center Case Bureau Case Chain<br />
Central agency of a<br />
network of public<br />
organizations operating<br />
in multiple service<br />
businesses<br />
Organized into ten units<br />
<strong>and</strong> several subsidiaries<br />
Trans<strong>for</strong>ming the<br />
service system regarding<br />
Center <strong>and</strong> its member<br />
organizations, including<br />
service products,<br />
delivery systems <strong>and</strong><br />
structures<br />
About three years<br />
(The program was<br />
terminated early, after<br />
two years of initiation<br />
<strong>and</strong> planning <strong>activities</strong>)<br />
Around 40 people<br />
participated in initiation<br />
<strong>and</strong> planning <strong>activities</strong><br />
Large public sector<br />
organization<br />
Organized into three<br />
main branches <strong>and</strong><br />
supportive functions,<br />
<strong>and</strong> into tens of regional<br />
units across Finl<strong>and</strong><br />
Rationalizing IT<br />
management by<br />
renewing the system<br />
architecture, network<br />
infrastructure,<br />
organization, <strong>and</strong><br />
management system<br />
About eight years<br />
(Initiation <strong>and</strong> planning<br />
took almost three years,<br />
<strong>and</strong> implementation was<br />
intended to take four<br />
years)<br />
Around 200 participants<br />
during initiation <strong>and</strong><br />
planning <strong>and</strong> over 500<br />
participants during<br />
implementation<br />
Large company that<br />
provides services <strong>for</strong><br />
consumers <strong>and</strong> business<br />
customers<br />
Organized into three<br />
main divisions, with<br />
regional units across<br />
Finl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> operations<br />
in several other<br />
countries<br />
Trans<strong>for</strong>ming the<br />
company’s central<br />
service process,<br />
including the related<br />
infrastructure<br />
About five years<br />
(Initiation <strong>and</strong> planning<br />
took about two years,<br />
<strong>and</strong> implementation was<br />
intended to take 2–3<br />
years)<br />
Around 150–200<br />
participants involved<br />
during initiation, <strong>and</strong> the<br />
number was expected to<br />
grow during<br />
implementation<br />
3.4 Data gathering<br />
While case studies may be either qualitative or quantitative, the current<br />
study relies on qualitative data, which is particularly appropriate <strong>for</strong><br />
examining complex change processes (Eisenhardt & Graebner, 2007).<br />
Semi-structured interviews provide the main method of data gathering,<br />
complemented with secondary material. Interviews have been described as<br />
an efficient way to gather rich, empirical data on episodic phenomena<br />
(Eisenhardt & Graebner, 2007). Even though direct observation of program<br />
initiation <strong>activities</strong> might have resulted in a more in-depth picture,<br />
observation-based methods were not employed due to limited resources<br />
<strong>and</strong> the long duration of program initiation <strong>and</strong> planning (several years in<br />
all case programs). Also the question of accessibility spoke <strong>for</strong> the (largely<br />
retrospective) interview methodology, since organizations in the early<br />
phase of change may be reluctant to let outsiders in, <strong>and</strong> in the very early<br />
phases it may not be clear whether a change initiative will actually result in<br />
a change program.<br />
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