{"id":{"repo_id":"middlesex","oai_identifier":"oai:repository.mdx.ac.uk:226w79"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/middlesex/oai:repository.mdx.ac.uk:226w79","repository":{"repo_id":"middlesex","name":"Middlesex University","base_url":"https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/oai2"},"display":{"title":"Transforming large organisations; towards a theory of management for business agility","abstract":"Large, established firms, whose hierarchical structures and predict-plan-control management systems are optimised for the industrial era, often struggle to adopt the more collaborative ways of working that provide business agility. Managers are crucial for introducing the socio-technical practices needed, but without the assurance of reliable theory, the risk of failure is greater than any desire for improvement. Based on my professional experience of many digital transformations, I wanted to understand how managers perceived and overcame the barriers to improving the effectiveness of their organisations. I analysed 27 research conversations with managers at all levels and found that those with agency were able to describe how they managed tensions, whilst others accepted, or were defeated, by organisational tensions. Although the successful approaches that emerged are well-known (create a caring context, explain why, develop eco not ego, walk the talk) the question remains, why the role of the manager does not explicitly include such behaviours? I show how the literature of organizational ambidexterity actually describes six categories of tension that must be managed and propose appropriate ways for managers to resolve those tensions. I compare those tensions and methods with the empirical evidence from my conversations with managers. I propose a theoretical way for managers to actively improve the effectiveness of their organisations using five principles; Adaptable efficiency, ‘Both/and’ thinking, Manage tensions not people, Love to learn, Be eco-friendly. The thesis contributes to knowledge in the area of transformation in organisations, in addition to making contributions in the areas of organisational management practice.","abstract_html":"Large, established firms, whose hierarchical structures and predict-plan-control management systems are optimised for the industrial era, often struggle to adopt the more collaborative ways of working that provide business agility. Managers are crucial for introducing the socio-technical practices needed, but without the assurance of reliable theory, the risk of failure is greater than any desire for improvement. Based on my professional experience of many digital transformations, I wanted to understand how managers perceived and overcame the barriers to improving the effectiveness of their organisations. I analysed 27 research conversations with managers at all levels and found that those with agency were able to describe how they managed tensions, whilst others accepted, or were defeated, by organisational tensions. Although the successful approaches that emerged are well-known (create a caring context, explain why, develop eco not ego, walk the talk) the question remains, why the role of the manager does not explicitly include such behaviours? I show how the literature of organizational ambidexterity actually describes six categories of tension that must be managed and propose appropriate ways for managers to resolve those tensions. I compare those tensions and methods with the empirical evidence from my conversations with managers. I propose a theoretical way for managers to actively improve the effectiveness of their organisations using five principles; Adaptable efficiency, ‘Both/and’ thinking, Manage tensions not people, Love to learn, Be eco-friendly. The thesis contributes to knowledge in the area of transformation in organisations, in addition to making contributions in the areas of organisational management practice.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Lewis, R."],"institution":"Middlesex University","degree_name":null,"degree_level":"DProf thesis","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2024,"date_issued":"2024","date_published":"2024","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:03:27Z","subjects":["Tension","management","transformation","organizational ambidexterity","paradox","business agility","organizational adaptability"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["oai:repository.mdx.ac.uk:226w79"],"render_values":[{"text":"oai:repository.mdx.ac.uk:226w79","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":null,"outbound_label":null,"outbound_source":null},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Lewis, R."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2024"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2024"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Middlesex University Research Repository"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.department","label":"Dc Publisher Department","values":["Business School","Business and Law"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["Middlesex University"]},{"key":"dc:relation","label":"Dc Relation","values":["https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/item/226w79"]},{"key":"dc:relation.isreferencedby","label":"Dc Relation Isreferencedby","values":["https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/item/226w79"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis or dissertation"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["DProf thesis"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Tension","management","transformation","organizational ambidexterity","paradox","business agility","organizational adaptability"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["oai:repository.mdx.ac.uk:226w79"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/download/2dd2007616af94d4ef6a7c82b7bf3be67a0723b4053b88f7d4b023d61149cc27/3140522/RLewis%20thesis.pdf"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Large, established firms, whose hierarchical structures and predict-plan-control management systems are optimised for the industrial era, often struggle to adopt the more collaborative ways of working that provide business agility. Managers are crucial for introducing the socio-technical practices needed, but without the assurance of reliable theory, the risk of failure is greater than any desire for improvement. Based on my professional experience of many digital transformations, I wanted to understand how managers perceived and overcame the barriers to improving the effectiveness of their organisations. I analysed 27 research conversations with managers at all levels and found that those with agency were able to describe how they managed tensions, whilst others accepted, or were defeated, by organisational tensions. Although the successful approaches that emerged are well-known (create a caring context, explain why, develop eco not ego, walk the talk) the question remains, why the role of the manager does not explicitly include such behaviours? I show how the literature of organizational ambidexterity actually describes six categories of tension that must be managed and propose appropriate ways for managers to resolve those tensions. I compare those tensions and methods with the empirical evidence from my conversations with managers. I propose a theoretical way for managers to actively improve the effectiveness of their organisations using five principles; Adaptable efficiency, ‘Both/and’ thinking, Manage tensions not people, Love to learn, Be eco-friendly. The thesis contributes to knowledge in the area of transformation in organisations, in addition to making contributions in the areas of organisational management practice."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Large, established firms, whose hierarchical structures and predict-plan-control management systems are optimised for the industrial era, often struggle to adopt the more collaborative ways of working that provide business agility. Managers are crucial for introducing the socio-technical practices needed, but without the assurance of reliable theory, the risk of failure is greater than any desire for improvement. Based on my professional experience of many digital transformations, I wanted to understand how managers perceived and overcame the barriers to improving the effectiveness of their organisations. I analysed 27 research conversations with managers at all levels and found that those with agency were able to describe how they managed tensions, whilst others accepted, or were defeated, by organisational tensions. Although the successful approaches that emerged are well-known (create a caring context, explain why, develop eco not ego, walk the talk) the question remains, why the role of the manager does not explicitly include such behaviours? I show how the literature of organizational ambidexterity actually describes six categories of tension that must be managed and propose appropriate ways for managers to resolve those tensions. I compare those tensions and methods with the empirical evidence from my conversations with managers. I propose a theoretical way for managers to actively improve the effectiveness of their organisations using five principles; Adaptable efficiency, ‘Both/and’ thinking, Manage tensions not people, Love to learn, Be eco-friendly. The thesis contributes to knowledge in the area of transformation in organisations, in addition to making contributions in the areas of organisational management practice."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Transforming large organisations; towards a theory of management for business agility"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Lewis, R."],"dc:date":["2024"],"dc:date.issued":["2024"],"dc:description":["Large, established firms, whose hierarchical structures and predict-plan-control management systems are optimised for the industrial era, often struggle to adopt the more collaborative ways of working that provide business agility. Managers are crucial for introducing the socio-technical practices needed, but without the assurance of reliable theory, the risk of failure is greater than any desire for improvement. Based on my professional experience of many digital transformations, I wanted to understand how managers perceived and overcame the barriers to improving the effectiveness of their organisations. I analysed 27 research conversations with managers at all levels and found that those with agency were able to describe how they managed tensions, whilst others accepted, or were defeated, by organisational tensions. Although the successful approaches that emerged are well-known (create a caring context, explain why, develop eco not ego, walk the talk) the question remains, why the role of the manager does not explicitly include such behaviours? I show how the literature of organizational ambidexterity actually describes six categories of tension that must be managed and propose appropriate ways for managers to resolve those tensions. I compare those tensions and methods with the empirical evidence from my conversations with managers. I propose a theoretical way for managers to actively improve the effectiveness of their organisations using five principles; Adaptable efficiency, ‘Both/and’ thinking, Manage tensions not people, Love to learn, Be eco-friendly. The thesis contributes to knowledge in the area of transformation in organisations, in addition to making contributions in the areas of organisational management practice."],"dc:description.abstract":["Large, established firms, whose hierarchical structures and predict-plan-control management systems are optimised for the industrial era, often struggle to adopt the more collaborative ways of working that provide business agility. Managers are crucial for introducing the socio-technical practices needed, but without the assurance of reliable theory, the risk of failure is greater than any desire for improvement. Based on my professional experience of many digital transformations, I wanted to understand how managers perceived and overcame the barriers to improving the effectiveness of their organisations. I analysed 27 research conversations with managers at all levels and found that those with agency were able to describe how they managed tensions, whilst others accepted, or were defeated, by organisational tensions. Although the successful approaches that emerged are well-known (create a caring context, explain why, develop eco not ego, walk the talk) the question remains, why the role of the manager does not explicitly include such behaviours? I show how the literature of organizational ambidexterity actually describes six categories of tension that must be managed and propose appropriate ways for managers to resolve those tensions. I compare those tensions and methods with the empirical evidence from my conversations with managers. I propose a theoretical way for managers to actively improve the effectiveness of their organisations using five principles; Adaptable efficiency, ‘Both/and’ thinking, Manage tensions not people, Love to learn, Be eco-friendly. The thesis contributes to knowledge in the area of transformation in organisations, in addition to making contributions in the areas of organisational management practice."],"dc:identifier":["oai:repository.mdx.ac.uk:226w79"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/download/2dd2007616af94d4ef6a7c82b7bf3be67a0723b4053b88f7d4b023d61149cc27/3140522/RLewis%20thesis.pdf"],"dc:publisher":["Middlesex University Research Repository"],"dc:publisher.department":["Business School","Business and Law"],"dc:publisher.institution":["Middlesex University"],"dc:relation":["https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/item/226w79"],"dc:relation.isreferencedby":["https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/item/226w79"],"dc:subject":["Tension","management","transformation","organizational ambidexterity","paradox","business agility","organizational adaptability"],"dc:title":["Transforming large organisations; towards a theory of management for business agility"],"dc:type":["Thesis or dissertation"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["DProf thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:03:27Z"}