Improvements on Capability Modeling by Implementing Expert Knowledge About Organizational Change

Abstract

Modern digital organizations are constantly facing new opportunities and threats, originating from the highly dynamic environments they operate in. On account of this situation, they need to be in a state of constant change and evolution to achieve their goals or ensure survival, and this is achieved by adapting their capabilities. Enterprise Modeling and capability modeling have provided a plethora of approaches to facilitate the analysis and design of organizational capabilities. However, there is potential for improving management of capability change. This Design Science research aims to provide methodological and tool support for organizations that are undergoing changes. A previously introduced meta-model will serve as the basis for a method supporting capability change. The goal of this study is to explore expert knowledge about organizational change in order to evaluate the initial version of the meta-model and identify possible weaknesses. Ten semi-structured interviews have been conducted to explore the perspectives of experienced decision-makers on capability change. Three categories emerged from the analysis, reflecting on how capability change is observed, decided and delivered respectively. These have been used as input for revising the conceptual structure of the capability change meta-model.