Leadership affection in a process oriented organisation : A case study within Vägverket

Abstract: Background: Focus on processes within organisations emerged during the nineteen ninetees and has since then become the most dominant management method. The main aim and positive features of process orientation is the customer focus and increased flexibility/efficiency. There is not much academic research conducted to leadership combined with processorientation. With this thesis we will minor that gap. The change into a process oriented approach makes a drastic change and the leadership could be a key factor or problem when implementing it. Purpose with the thesis: The purpose of this thesis is to increase the understanding of how leadership is affected, on a top managerial level, as a result of implementing a process oriented approach. Method: In this thesis we have used a qualitative method and a hermeneutic approach to increase the understanding of how the leadership is affected of process orientation. We have made a case study on the Swedish Road Administration, Vägverket who has done a process orientation. We have made six interviews with topmanagers at their headoffice. Conclusion: We have come up with a model that states that a leader within a process oriented organisation can be compared with a tour guide. The model is based on our five key findings of how leadership is affected by changing into process orientation. These are: lead change, achieve aims, increase teamwork, increase communication and increase holistic view. These characteristics applies on a leader when changing into a process oriented organisation.