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Formalisation and flexibilisation in organisations - Dynamic and selective approaches in corporate innovation processes

Mattes, Jannika LU (2014) In European Management Journal 32(3). p.475-486
Abstract
A classic problem in organising corporate innovation projects is the tension between formalisation and flexibilisation. Connecting this discussion to the younger debate on ambidexterity, this paper asks how organisations balance informal and formal, flexible and inflexible ways of working in their innovation projects. It derives a way to break down formalisation and flexibilisation into the dimensions of power, communication and trust and connects them to learning. By unhinging formalisation and flexibilisation from the organisational level and looking at them at the small-scale level of specific projects and functional arenas instead, the paper sheds new light onto the various fashions in which formalisation and flexibilisation do not... (More)
A classic problem in organising corporate innovation projects is the tension between formalisation and flexibilisation. Connecting this discussion to the younger debate on ambidexterity, this paper asks how organisations balance informal and formal, flexible and inflexible ways of working in their innovation projects. It derives a way to break down formalisation and flexibilisation into the dimensions of power, communication and trust and connects them to learning. By unhinging formalisation and flexibilisation from the organisational level and looking at them at the small-scale level of specific projects and functional arenas instead, the paper sheds new light onto the various fashions in which formalisation and flexibilisation do not contradict, but complement each other. An empirical account based on 100 qualitative expert interviews illustrates this. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Organisation, Innovation, Ambidexterity, Formalisation, Flexibilisation, Dynamics
in
European Management Journal
volume
32
issue
3
pages
475 - 486
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000336711800011
  • scopus:84899914777
ISSN
1873-5681
DOI
10.1016/j.emj.2013.09.002
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a67ddfdc-1b8c-4d9c-a675-68d493a12f81 (old id 4552453)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:24:50
date last changed
2024-01-06 16:00:45
@article{a67ddfdc-1b8c-4d9c-a675-68d493a12f81,
  abstract     = {{A classic problem in organising corporate innovation projects is the tension between formalisation and flexibilisation. Connecting this discussion to the younger debate on ambidexterity, this paper asks how organisations balance informal and formal, flexible and inflexible ways of working in their innovation projects. It derives a way to break down formalisation and flexibilisation into the dimensions of power, communication and trust and connects them to learning. By unhinging formalisation and flexibilisation from the organisational level and looking at them at the small-scale level of specific projects and functional arenas instead, the paper sheds new light onto the various fashions in which formalisation and flexibilisation do not contradict, but complement each other. An empirical account based on 100 qualitative expert interviews illustrates this. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}},
  author       = {{Mattes, Jannika}},
  issn         = {{1873-5681}},
  keywords     = {{Organisation; Innovation; Ambidexterity; Formalisation; Flexibilisation; Dynamics}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{475--486}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{European Management Journal}},
  title        = {{Formalisation and flexibilisation in organisations - Dynamic and selective approaches in corporate innovation processes}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2013.09.002}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.emj.2013.09.002}},
  volume       = {{32}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}