Organizational Agility and Agile Teamwork: Evidence from Industry Data

Abstract

My dissertation, "Organizational Agility and Agile Teamwork: Evidence from Industry Data," analyzes the conceptual foundations, organizational prerequisites, success factors and outcomes of organizational agility and agile teamwork. The findings are presented in four peer- reviewed studies. These four studies contribute to a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of organizational agility and agile teamwork. During the research, various levels of organizational agility were considered and continuously refined in the analysis. Study 1, “Organizational Agility – A Structured Review of the Literature” establishes the conceptual foundation by providing novel dimensions and a definition of organizational agility. Building on this groundwork, study 2, “Organizational Agility and the Application of Agile Working Methods”, examines the organizational conditions necessary for the effective application of agile teamwork methods, exploring how incomplete organizational transformation impacts the effectiveness of agile teamwork methods. Study 3, “Leadership in Agile Work Design – Exploring the Effectiveness Implications of Directive and Empowering Team Leadership”, goes deeper by exploring leadership as a key success factor, comparing the influence of directive versus empowering leadership on agile team effectiveness. Finally, study 4, “Motivated by Agility, Hampered by Switching: A Boundary Perspective”, shifts focus to individual outcomes of agile working methods, investigating the individual effects of agile working methods on role clarity and task motivation. Accordingly, the analysis is progressively refined, starting with high-level organizational agility, followed by the necessary prerequisites for implementation, to the consideration of situational leadership, and ultimately the individual outcomes of agile working methods. The research draws on an extensive literature review of organizational agility, complemented by qualitative and quantitative data from semi-structured interviews and employee surveys conducted within a German automotive manufacturer. Data collection was conducted between 2019 and 2021, utilizing a multi-method approach to both data gathering and analysis. In sum, my research significantly contributes to advancing a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of agility at both the organizational and team levels.