The environment in which companies are immersed represents features of continuous change and hyper-competitiveness. Organisations in this context have been trying to adopt an agile approach for two decades now. The agile approach has been, and still is, a working model that many organisations are trying to adopt. At the same time, in the last ten years, a new tool has emerged, initially implemented by Intel and Google, but quickly spreading to companies all over the world; the 'Objectives and Key Results' (OKR)". The aim of the research is to identify if, and what kind of link there is between agile methodology and OKRs. Trying to understand how the agile working method can be influenced and enriched by a tool, which was born far from the agile logic but could have some affinities. The research was based on a qualitative study of 5 digital start-ups based in Milan. The qualitative results of the research showed how organisations have changed since the introduction of OKRs. The introduction of OKRs brought a new working model within organisations, which was perfectly implemented with agile methodologies. Members of organisations, through the use of OKRs, have developed greater flexibility of individual action, increased empowerment and alignment between employees, and have developed an agile mindset. The process triggered by OKRs has led start-ups to fully embrace the agile model, thus succeeding in developing agility in organisations in its most holistic vision. On the one hand, this research studies the OKR tool on a theoretical level, thus enriching the knowledge about this working model. While from another perspective, it assumes how OKRs may have an unexpected intrinsic value, i.e. the ability to lead organisations to organisational agility. The research could be useful for managers of organisations who have a desire to achieve adequate agile capabilities but find it difficult to approach such a working model. The introduction of OKRs combined with the use of the agile approach may bring benefits to those organisations that have only partially succeeded in adapting to today's competitive environment.
L'ambiente in cui sono immerse le aziende rappresenta dei tratti di continuo cambiamento e di iper competitività. Le organizzazioni in tale contesto da ormai due decenni cercano di adottare un approccio agile. L'approccio agile è stato, ed è ancora, un modello lavorativo che molte organizzazioni cercano di adottare. Contemporaneamente negli ultimi dieci anni è emerso un nuovo strumento implementato inizialmente da Intel e Google, ma che velocemente si sta diffondendo tra le aziende di tutto il mondo; gli 'Objectives and Key Results'” (OKR). L'obiettivo della ricerca è riuscire ad individuare se, e che tipo di legame, può intercorrere tra la metodologia agile e gli OKR. Cercare di capire come il metodo di lavoro agile può essere influenzato e arricchito da uno strumento, che nasce lontano dalle logiche agili ma potrebbe avere delle affinità. La ricerca si è basata su uno studio qualitativo di 5 startup digitali con base a Milano. I risultati qualitativi della ricerca hanno fatto emergere come le organizzazioni siano cambiate dopo l’introduzione degli OKR. L'introduzione degli OKR ha portato un nuovo modello di lavoro all'interno delle organizzazioni, che si è andato perfettamente ad implementare con le metodologie agili. I membri delle organizzazioni, attraverso l'utilizzo degli OKR, hanno sviluppato una maggiore flessibilità di azione individuale, un aumento dell' empowerment ed un maggiore allineamento tra i vari dipendenti; facendo sviluppare negli individui una mentalità agile. Il processo innescato dagli OKR ha condotto le start up ad abbracciare completamente il modello agile, riuscendo in questo modo a sviluppare nelle organizzazioni l'agilità, nella sua visione più olistica. Questa ricerca da una parte studia a livello teorico lo strumento degli OKR, arricchendo di conseguenza la conoscenza riguardo questo modello di lavoro. Mentre da un'altra prospettiva, si suppone come gli OKR possono avere un valore intrinseco inaspettato, cioè la capacità di portare le organizzazioni all'agilità organizzativa. La ricerca potrebbe risultare utile ai manager delle organizzazioni che pur avendo il desiderio di raggiungere adeguate capacità agili, riscontrano delle difficoltà con l'approccio a tale modello lavorativo. L'introduzione degli OKR combinati all'utilizzo dell'approccio agile può portare vantaggi a quelle organizzazioni che sono riuscite solo parzialmente ad adattarsi al contesto competitivo odierno.
Objectives and key results as a tool for organizational agility : the case of digital start-ups
FERRAZZI, MATTEO
2020/2021
Abstract
The environment in which companies are immersed represents features of continuous change and hyper-competitiveness. Organisations in this context have been trying to adopt an agile approach for two decades now. The agile approach has been, and still is, a working model that many organisations are trying to adopt. At the same time, in the last ten years, a new tool has emerged, initially implemented by Intel and Google, but quickly spreading to companies all over the world; the 'Objectives and Key Results' (OKR)". The aim of the research is to identify if, and what kind of link there is between agile methodology and OKRs. Trying to understand how the agile working method can be influenced and enriched by a tool, which was born far from the agile logic but could have some affinities. The research was based on a qualitative study of 5 digital start-ups based in Milan. The qualitative results of the research showed how organisations have changed since the introduction of OKRs. The introduction of OKRs brought a new working model within organisations, which was perfectly implemented with agile methodologies. Members of organisations, through the use of OKRs, have developed greater flexibility of individual action, increased empowerment and alignment between employees, and have developed an agile mindset. The process triggered by OKRs has led start-ups to fully embrace the agile model, thus succeeding in developing agility in organisations in its most holistic vision. On the one hand, this research studies the OKR tool on a theoretical level, thus enriching the knowledge about this working model. While from another perspective, it assumes how OKRs may have an unexpected intrinsic value, i.e. the ability to lead organisations to organisational agility. The research could be useful for managers of organisations who have a desire to achieve adequate agile capabilities but find it difficult to approach such a working model. The introduction of OKRs combined with the use of the agile approach may bring benefits to those organisations that have only partially succeeded in adapting to today's competitive environment.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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https://hdl.handle.net/10589/179353