Originally developed in the context of family therapy, system constellations are introduced using an organisational learning and system theoretical framework. Constellations are systemic group interventions using a spatial representation of the system elements. They correspond to deuterolearning processes and use higher-order systemic thinking. Several company cases are analysed where constellations were used to overcome organisational defensive routines of the participants of a change process. The analysis shows how a certain set of systemic principles, which is identified, is at work in situations where organisational defensive routines block learning and prevent the creation of sustainable solutions. It is shown that system constellations can help organisations deal with complex management situations.The relationship to other organisational intervention methods is discussed and possible directions of future research are highlighted in connection with a brief review of the relevant scholarly literature.
We investigate how storytelling techniques might support students in writing final papers. We suggest a new structure and a new process for student paper production, borrowed from creative writing. We argue that adopting this approach might improve the quality of scientific student papers, increase the satisfaction of writing them and the pleasure of reading them. To test our assumptions we outline the application of the concept to a business informatics graduate course on research methods which accompanies writing a masters thesis. Finally, we position our ideas in the context of contemporary social network-based content creation and massive open online courses.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly dealing with international projects and distributed (sometimes even virtual) teams. Consequently, they are looking for project management (PM) tools which fit their respective needs regarding communication and collaboration. Unfortunately, the majority of the PM software available in the market seems to be oversized for this purpose. Instead most project managers are requesting smart solutions that allow quick implementation without any significant organisational or technical change. Within the research project InterComp SME 2.0 we combine theoretical research and real business to develop hands-on solutions for SMEs. This paper describes an effective approach for a “PM Toolbox” that allows finding the right project tool for a specific project need. The toolbox has been developed in due consideration of user stories gained from business practice, a more detailed SME business survey, a theoretical PM meta model and a market of PM tools. Since the business survey revealed that the readiness to use and test a “toolbox” is highly dependent on the type of user and his or her technical background, we designed the system based on use cases and user typology. As a result, we suggest a framework of open, freely available, easy-to-install, single and multi purpose PM software tools which can be selected solely on a need basis. With this free platform we want to guide practitioners through the tool jungle with the potential to grow into a lively community
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