Organizational dynamics : An investigation into a company's work culture and internal structures, to understand how it functions.

Abstract: Background: Freno AB in Piteå has expanded rapidly in recent years and wishes to continue the expansion at aneven faster pace. At the same time, the company has noted that there are challenges to maintain high quality, goodeconomy and good marketability. The expansion sets demand on the finances for new premises and equipment aswell as for the development of new product models. The company shall also be able to provide aftermarket servicesand sell to new customers and market segments. In addition, there is requirements to develop skills in the newemployee’s and continuing to develop the existing employees. Furthermore, there are needs to invest in digitalsupport systems for design, production planning, logistics and financial functions as well as customer support andaftermarket.Freno´s goal is to ensure that the conditions for an expansion in each individual part is set before the expansion isstarted. The reason for the positioning is based on the fact, that there have been shortcomings in their businessactivities in most of the areas mentioned above and that many of the challenges lie in unclear communicationstructures. Task: In the thesis have I investigated how the company’s current knowledge and competence is transferred betweendifferent unites. The starting point has been stated in the fact that the employees are the ones who possessesinsight, knowledge and experience about the company's business and the opportunities and challenges that arecurrently in place. The study is based on the current state of Freno with a question about how streamlining communicationsbetween employees and departments can support a continued expansion. Method: The thesis is based on the methodology of Social Network Analysis, where the data regarding network,logic views and culture has been collected from the 12 employees. The interviewed answered via forms and hadthe opportunity to give open answers to some questions and give complementary information where deemed necessary.The required data was transferred to Excel and transformed into diagrams or further exported into Gephito create and understand the network configurations. The results were analyzed and interpreted via the theoreticalframework and cross referenced with other results to validate the conclusions. Results: The evaluation showed that competence and collaboration was not used in an optimal manner for maximizingproductivity. If the presented result is taken into consideration, will the company likely be able to predicthow strategic decisions can affect both existing and lacking communicational structures. A more transparent communicationbetween departments and with functioning support structure (i.e. production planning, updated schematics,goods, order stock with more) will probably affect the efficiency positively. Findings: The analysis showed that a combination between the bow-tie configuration, the imploded group structuresand a missing culture of the socio-technical multifunctional principle, inhibited the transfer and generationof new knowledge within the company. Causing a drift between the company’s knowledge and information needsand their combability view. The irregular network structures in combination with structural holes has made a heavyworkload on the centerpiece in the company. With that discovery was seven holes noted in the company network,which is assumed to have been handled by the centerpiece.Moreover, was a logical clash identified between the current and the previous CEO, changing the base for validatingactions and causing unclarity. Which in combination a chattered humane orientation culture and unclarity abouthow actions were validated via individual or groups acceptance. It was furthermore discovered that the workinstructions for the employed did define the employees influence via tools and technical support that enhanced thenetworks interaction patterns. Recommendations: The presented solutions includes team-building exercises, establishing a formal learningspace. Furthermore, is it recommended to establish up to seven formal meetings places and that knowledge typerequirements shall be identified and defined to secure what validates work related actions. It is also suggested toestablish mentorship protocols, in order to increase the knowledge transfer within the company and reduce therisks of bottleneck and locking effects. Keywords: Small to medium enterprises, iterative processes, Culture, resistance, influence, groupconfigurations, knowledge transfer, process perspective, social network analysis.