Designing plans for organizational development, lessons from three large-scale SME-initiatives

Tinne Lommelen, Friso den Hertog, Lien Beck, and Raf SluismansUNU-MERIT & KIZOK Joint Research GroupMaastricht University & Hasselt University

Design & development: two sides of the same coin

Design-oriented research• Research into planned interventions in the natural

context of these organizations• Aim is to develop a knowledge base for the

innovation and improvement of those interventions

1. How can we design programs in such a way that real development takes place inside the targeted SMEs?

2. How can we learn from preceding cases?

Three cases of intervention projects

Edison• 2000-2003 • 14 Dutch SMEs• Various sectors• Technology transfer• Designers,

facilitators, researchers

Three cases of intervention projects

Edison• 2000-2003 • 14 Dutch SMEs• Various sectors• Technology transfer• Designers,

facilitators, researchers

SI EMR• 2004-2008 • 650 SMEs in 4

regions• Various sectors• Innovation capacity• Designers,

managers, coach

Three cases of intervention projects

Edison• 2000-2003 • 14 Dutch SMEs• Various sectors• Technology transfer• Designers,

facilitators, researchers

SI OP ZUID• 2009-2011• 280 Dutch SMEs• Various sectors• Innovation

capacity• Managers, coach

researchers

SI EMR• 2004-2008 • 650 SMEs in 4

regions• Various sectors• Innovation capacity• Designers,

managers, coach

Reflection on experiences in three projects General: Add knowledge about management of

large-scale projects Specific: Each new cycle of interventions builds on

the previous one Conclusions in terms of content (what is?) Conclusions in terms of design (how to?)

Knowledge accumulation in 3 projects

Knowledge accumulation in 3 projects

Edison• Demand-driven

intervention• Getting the right

people around the table

• Consultants = facilitators

• No jargon• Short throughput

Knowledge accumulation in 3 projects

Edison• Demand-driven

intervention• Getting the right

people around the table

• Consultants = facilitators

• No jargon• Short throughput

SI EMR• Monitoring tools• Demand-driven

intervention• Double focus –

both strategy & innovation

• Combination instruments

• Robustness

Knowledge accumulation in 3 projects

Edison• Demand-driven

intervention• Getting the right

people around the table

• Consultants = facilitators

• No jargon• Short throughput

SI EMR• Monitoring tools• Demand-driven

intervention• Double focus –

both strategy & innovation

• Combination instruments

• Robustness

SI OP ZUID• Opening up the

database for research purposes

Design and development are complementary perspectives

Learning processproblem intervention using design theory experimentation & testing large-scale implementation & testing improvement of design and adjustment of design theory

Call for more research on design issues of large-scale programs

Conclusion