28 October 2016
Today a workshop was held and in it was presented the guide with the conclusions of the project “Generation of endogenous capacities for the competitiveness of SMEs in Gipuzkoa”, which demonstrates the need to promote the organisational transformation of SMEs to attain higher levels of competitiveness.
In the session, attended by representatives of the academic world, experts in organisational innovation, local development agencies, companies and the head of the Economic Promotion department in the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, it was apparent that all share the same way of understanding organisational transformation and a common interest in promoting this kind of strategy.
The SMEs face a hostile environment which demands a high degree of flexibility. This ability to adapt requires the evolution of the SMEs towards an open social system based on the development of human capital via the stimulation and empowerment of workers.
The main aim of this project, developed by Orkestra-Basque Institute of Competitiveness, is to provide Local Development Agencies (LDA) with the necessary knowledge and capacities in order to guide and accompany small businesses in their area in processes of organisational change.
The leaders of the project, a multidisciplinary team from Orkestra (composed of Henar Alcalde, Usue Lorenz, Jabier Retegi, Aitziber Elola, Lorea Larrabeiti and Elsa Patús), and the Local Development Agencies Oarsoaldea, Urola Kosta, UGGASA (Urola Garaia), Andoiango Udala, Debegesa (Debabarrena) identified the need to promote the organisational transformation of SMEs in order to obtain higher levels of competitiveness. In this sense, the process of change involves the introduction of new forms of both distribution of responsibility and decision-making.
The participating agencies have each piloted a process of organisational change with a company in the county, with the objective of being able to achieve in the future a multiplying effect upon companies in the area. The companies that participated were: Ekolur, Ekolio, Zuri-Zuri and Mecanizados Alkain respectively. In the case of Debegesa, the experience was applied in the agency itself.
The process was developed via different joint work sessions between Orkestra, the agencies, the companies and the Consultant Hobest; S.L, subcontracted to support the LDAs in the application of different actions. The SME that have taken part in this initiative have collaborated in a process the object of which is the generation of capacities for local development agencies and as a result of this experience, have in each case obtained a “Guide for change” that includes an organisational diagnosis, an action plan analysis and a personalised action proposal for their company.
Orkestra has detailed the complete development of the process and the knowledge generated in an academic publication entitled “Management and leadership of organisational transformation processes of companies via local development agencies”. This document, which will soon be available on the Orkestra website, is based on the results of the project and highlights the progress achieved in the different cases.
