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Organizational Change Laboratories
Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna
Italy

The Problem

The Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna” is one of the main Italian higher education Institutions. From an organizational prospective, it is divided in Faculties, Departments and Institutes which constitute, as a whole, both the scientific context and the administrative structure of the Institution. Moreover, the University of Bologna has adopted a Multicampus structure in order to offer course programs in different locations and to active stable research actions close to the need of the local context but also with the intent to better the functionality of university community life. Under this framework, the University of Bologna has developed a system of analysis to monitor activities and the management of all the Structures mentioned above. The final aim is to improve services and to redefine organizational patterns taking into consideration both academic and staff roles. These analysis are developed by a specific Unit within the Central Administration that is in charge for human resource (HR) management and organizational analysis.Recently, this Unit has implemented a specific initiative called “Cantieri di Riorganizzazione” (organizational change laboratories). The experimental project has involved few Departments and Faculties of the University of Bologna. These were three humanistic Departments (located in the same building), the Veterinary Medicine Campus (a specific campus area just outside Bologna that includes one Faculty, three Departments and one Departmental section, each with its own personnel); the Odontostomatological Sciences Department (that offers teaching activities as well as research, dental and medical assistance to people). The overall project has been carried out in partnership with Formez – an agency of the Department for Public Administration of the Prime Minister's Office, and Regione Emilia Romagna and the RSO S.p.A, consulting company.

Solution and Key Benefits

 What is the initiative about? (the solution)
This project aims at identifying organizational solutions to enhance technical and administrative services necessary to support the main institutional activities of the University of Bologna (that are didactic and research offered respectively by Faculties and Departments). In particular, the main achievements focus on quality and integration of services, work processes and enhancement of personnel skills and competencies in line with institutional strategic choices, organizational needs and change.Faculties and Departments involved in the project have different dimension, aims, mission and location but they both were willing to experiment new organizational solutions. Their different characteristics and peculiar aspects are favouring the definition of a variety of new organizational patterns that could be applied to structures presenting similar aspects either in the University of Bologna or in other public entities. The project aims at the integration of services and activities among separate structures but does not require to the latter any form of merger.

Actors and Stakeholders

 Who proposed the solution, who implemented it and who were the stakeholders?
All the laboratories implemented have in common the same project methodology, based on specific steps:
1. process analysis of the main administrative and technical activities carried out in the selected structures involving all the actors relevant to the analysis;
2. organizational diagnosis that take into consideration both information acquisition and strengths and weaknesses analysis of the structures;
3. design of a comprehensive organizational solution and patter definition taken into consideration also implications on normative, contractual and managerial framework;
4. presentation of the defined model to all institutional actors relevant for the initiative (for example Heads of Departments, Deans of the Faculties; administrative and technical management, trade unions, etc…);
5. implemention of the model as a pilot project initiative (change management – coaching – training on the job, etc.);
6. monitoring and redefinition of the model according to results of the pilot project phase.The phases that go from 1 to 4 usually take 6-8 months overall. Phase 5 usually takes 8 months requiring the implementation of a vast array of activities (mostly based on training and continuing education) and phase 6 lasts at least 4 months.

(a) Strategies

 Describe how and when the initiative was implemented by answering these questions
 a.      What were the strategies used to implement the initiative? In no more than 500 words, provide a summary of the main objectives and strategies of the initiative, how they were established and by whom.
The Structures selected to experiment “organizational change laboratories” indicated in the Summary usually present the following situation:
a) Vertical division and fragmentation of work processes: work is organized by standard tasks, each task is strictly fragmented;
b) Low-level of autonomy in carrying out activities and strict vertical/hierarchical coordination;
c) Low capacity of the organization in defining personnel contribution with regard to his/her work performance;
d) Low-level of sharing the overall aim of the structure among all to personnel involved;
e) Low capacity of the organization in providing feedback on effectiveness of the activities carried out by all the personnel both at the collective and individual level.

(b) Implementation

 b.      What were the key development and implementation steps and the chronology? No more than 500 words
All the solutions designed during the organizational change laboratories follow specific priorities that are:
a) redesigning of administrative and technical services in relation to the main missions of the University structures that are the provision of higher education and research;
b) integrating services among separate structures with similar characteristics in order to realise not only important economies of scale but also to encourage cognitive economies;
c) experimenting innovative and integrated services for improving quality, effectiveness and efficiency of the structures. An example could be the development of a joint continuing education Unit or internationalisation offices that are shared by separate structures;
d) defining personnel needs and competencies that are required in order to implement the new planned services.

(c) Overcoming Obstacles

 c.      What were the main obstacles encountered? How were they overcome? No more than 500 words
The strategy that has been adopted is heavily based on an ongoing process of organizational development and on a methodology of action research. The latter consists in knowledge acquisition methods based on close relationship between knowledge and action and on the important role played by the actors in planning and co-interpreting the results.

(d) Use of Resources

 d.      What resources were used for the initiative and what were its key benefits? In no more than 500 words, specify what were the financial, technical and human resources’ costs associated with this initiative. Describe how resources were mobilized
The main changes occurring in the structures that experimented the organizational change laboratories were:a) experimentation and dissemination of new organizational models of technical and administrative tasks based on “competencies” and on personnel development;b) knowledge Improvement and increasing awareness of all the processes among the personnel; considering not only internal office processes but also those that effect the whole organizational structure; improvement of awareness of the role of all the actors that are part of the integrated structures;c) definition and socialization of services supporting academic structures; d) design of new job profiles and re-design of management roles, according to the organizational change;e) reduction of work processes fragmentation and activities redundancy.

Sustainability and Transferability

  Is the initiative sustainable and transferable?
The project and the methodology embedded could be disseminated in other public entities not necessarily dealing with higher education and research service provision. In particular the identified organizational patterns could support:
a) the development of managerial competencies necessary to favour a culture of innovation;
b) the diffusion of a systematic approach to improving services through the identification and analysis of current problems;
c) the development of solutions based on appropriate training and targeted organizational changes.

Lessons Learned

 What are the impact of your initiative and the lessons learned?
The main difficulties occurred during the project has been the following:
a) consolidated habits and customs among the actors traditionally reluctant to new and different organizational solutions;
b) the slowness of the institution to implement changes and new solutions considering also the normative and bureaucratic framework.The main strategy to contain these difficulties has been the employment of a bottom up approach with a constant involvement in all the phases of the process of all the actors, including those that express less commitment toward the organization.

Contact Information

Institution Name:   Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna
Institution Type:   Public Organization  
Contact Person:   Michele Menna
Title:   Head of the unit  
Telephone/ Fax:   +390512098676
Institution's / Project's Website:   +390512099930
E-mail:   michele.menna@unibo.it  
Address:   Via Zamboni 26
Postal Code:   40126
City:   Bologna
State/Province:   Bologna
Country:   Italy

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