Leading and Managing Organizational Resources - MBA Design Partnership

The report discusses the concepts of ambidexterity, learning organization and measuring productivity in a creative environment in the case study of MBA Design Partnership. It provides strategies to become a learning organization and recommendations for leadership flexibility.

Leading and Managing Organizational
Resources
MBA Design Partnership

Executive Summary
The report titled Leading and managing organizational resources throws light on some
important concepts related to ambidexterity, learning organization and others. The
report here is based on a case study of MBA Design Partnership and how the
organization can ensure it develops into a learning organization and also measure the
productivity of its employees in a creative environment. In order to measure the
productivity in a creative environment it is advised to create independent teams and
plot the scheduling and all the operation on a Gantt chart to ensure the delivery of the
set objectives in a given time. Further to this, in order to develop MBA into learning
organization it is expected to first manage the expectation of the management and then
make the knowledge discoverable and sharable with internal and external stakeholders.
It is also advised to focus on the five disciplines of learning model given by Peter Senge.
Towards the end, a set of recommendation urging the leadership to become more open
to change management and communication and techniques of employee empowerment
is suggested to achieve the objectives of MBA Design Partnership.

Table of Content
Brief Introduction............................................................................................................................................ 2
Analysis................................................................................................................................................................ 3
Understanding Ambidexterity.................................................................................................................... 3
Measuring and Assessing Productivity in a Creative Environment............................................3
Improving Productivity whilst developing people and learning organization.......................4
Strategies to become Learning Organization........................................................................................ 6
Implementation of a plan of Continued Development in the organization..............................7
Recruitment Strategies.................................................................................................................................. 7
Recommendation............................................................................................................................................. 8
Conclusion........................................................................................................................................................... 9
References........................................................................................................................................................ 10

Brief Introduction
The MBA Design Partnership which was formed in the year 2009 is a vibrant RIBA and
RTPI Chartered Architects and Planning Practice which is dedicated to the delivery of
well-designed places, building and spaces. The approach of the company is inclined
towards sustainable planning and design within the landscape of residential,
commercial and industrial sectors. The company has tasted early success and steady
growth year on year which has lead the company to expand and become multi-
disciplinary with in-house specialists and handpicked strategic business partners.
Ambidexterity in business organization is a concept which is related to the need of the
organization to strike a balance between exploitation which is related to efficient
productivity with exploration which is a subtext of creativity and innovation in the
business organization. MBA Design Partnership wishes to improve the productivity in a
creative environment to reach its long term goal of sustainability. The assignment will
provide recommendation to the company on measuring and assessing its productivity
in a creative environment as well as how to improve the productivity whilst ensuring
the development of its people. The report will further provide certain strategies which
would help MBA Design Partnership to become a learning organization, along with the
details related to implementation of the programme. The report in the end will provide
its readers a learning of implementing Ambidexterity in a learning organization.

Analysis
This is the main section of the report and with the help of academic sources critically
evaluates the theoretical perspective underpinning the HOT topic from the perspective
of Ambidexterity in learning organization. The section will also provide answer to the
questions of measuring and assessing productivity in the organization, how to improve
the productivity, implementation of programme and strategies to become a learning
organization.
Understanding Ambidexterity
In simple words, Ambidexterity is the ability of the organization to use and refine its
existing knowledge as well as to create new knowledge in order to overcome the
deficiencies of knowledge which lies within the execution of work. It is extremely
important that the organization is able to exploit as well as explore in order to achieve a
significant and a competitive advantage over its competitors (Atrill & McLaney, 2015).
Measuring and Assessing Productivity in a Creative Environment
As mentioned earlier in the report MBA design partnership works in the space of
Architects planning and practice which is dedicated to the delivery of well-designed
houses, spaces and buildings. Additionally, the company has shown exceptional growth
in the last couple of years in terms of revenue and client acquisitions. This has also led
the company to foray into becoming in house specialists along with strategic partners
for big projects. Thus, in such a creative space it becomes tough to measure the
productivity of the organization. In order to do so, the following techniques can be used:
 Basically there are the three parameters to measure and assess the productivity
in a creative environment, which are namely time, cost and profit. A careful
balance between the three is required to ascertain the right results keeping in
minds the concept of Ambidexterity.

 The first and the foremost point is creation of a creative team which is involved
in just the designing and operational designing part of a project. This creative
team is supposed to work in an independent state having least bit of involvement
with other functional teams such as structure engineering, landscape
architecture and many more. Once the team is isolated and separated it can work
in the given timelines with its maximum efficiency (Laudon & Laudon, 2016).
 Similarly, the other parts of the projects have to be dealt separately as well. The
entire project has to be plotted on a Gantt chart along with the timelines and the
sequential steps to complete the project.
 A review and a monitoring team have to review and analyse the development of
the project every week and is also supposed to share the details with the teams
and also the management.
 In order to make the teams more accountable it is required that both the creative
team and the operations team are given more responsibility ownership and
accountability for their own work. It is only then the project can be completed in
the stipulated time (Huczynski, Buchanan & Huczynski, 2013).
Improving Productivity whilst developing people and learning
organization
Measuring Productivity is a very tricky concept, especially when it comes to non-
conventional industries. In manufacturing industries, productivity can be easily
calculated by dividing the Amount of work completed/Number of hours. This in case of
MBA Design partnership becomes difficult because of its highly creative environment.
However, a lot has been spoken and researched about the ways by which productivity
can be improved whilst developing people and in order to become a learning
organization. Some of the ways to do so are:
 Productivity in case of MBA is the number of successful delivery of the projects
to esteemed clients in a highly creative environment. In order to improve
productivity, the first and the foremost thing is to ascertain the strength and
weakness of the employees and accordingly assign them their job
responsibilities. It is only after this right fit or right alignment that employees get

a hold of their work and are able to contribute effectively (Clegg, Komberger &
Pitsis, 2015).
 In the similar manner, Ambidexterity is a concept which states the need for the
organization to balance the exploitation with the exploration. Thus, in order to
get exploitation in the correct place, it is required that employees are given the
right training and the right number of training hours to acquire a skill which will
make their job easier in a short duration. Training not only gives employees the
confidence to complete the project, but it also helps them to work with enhanced
productivity, as training acts as a motivation factor for them.
 Development of people is extremely critical from the standpoint of both the
organization and the employees. This can be done by a couple of proven
successful techniques. One such technique is using a PMS (Performance
Management System) to continuously evaluate the performance of the employee
and give them a continuous feedback. The continual feedback will help the
employees to identify the lacunae in their work practices, which they can
certainly improve. Additionally, this will keep the employees motivated and help
them to stick to the goals of the organization. Another way to do so is by creating
a culture of innovation, sustained growth, motivation and overall development
within the organization. Employees naturally learn, grow and develop fast in an
environment which is highly positive and rewarding in nature. These practices
will most definitely help MBA to develop its people. Along with this, the HR team
has to give in a good number of hours in creating a training calendar for all the
employees so to make them competent and contemporary in terms of the skills
required to excel at their jobs (Brooks, 2009).
 Learning organization is a concept which has picked up in the last decade or so, a
learning organization is one which facilitates the learning of its members and
continuously transforms itself. The concept of learning organization is based on
five discipline of Shared Vision, Systems thinking, mental models, team learning
and personal mastery. MBA has to individually focus on all of these five
disciplines in order to develop and become a learning organization. The
company is already giving emphasis on team learning’s, personal mastery and is
working on shared vision; it just has to focus on the two other disciplines to turn
into a full-fledged learning organization (Mullin & Harper, 2016).

Strategies to become Learning Organization
As mentioned in the earlier section, the concept of learning organization was given by
Peter Senge and is based on the five disciplines of Shared vision, Team Learning,
Systems thinking, Personal mastery and mental models. Besides focussing on these five
disciplines as one strategy, there are some other strategies which can help MBA to
develop into a learning organization.
Setting Knowledge-Sharing Expectation and Standards
This is the first step in progressing towards becoming a learning organization, here the
organization has to ask question to itself as to why do they want a learning culture to
prevail in organization, also why it is important for people to share and contribute their
knowledge. It is only after the organization answers these question it is able to create a
set of objectives and goals to become a learning organization. Along with this rules of
Knowledge management has to be established in the organization for better
understanding of the employees (Thompson, 2017).
Encouraging Participation
It is a simple fact, only once the things are built, people go to that place. Based on the
same reasoning the organization has to first build a solid plan for knowledge
management, process and other details, only then the employees will participate with
the plan. Another important thing here is to reward the employees who are
participating and sharing their acquired knowledge with customers, team members and
other stakeholders. Another way of encouraging participation is by the virtue of
creating a culture which fosters a culture of learning and growth. Additionally, the
company can also go forward with OJT, Buddy training program, coaching, mentorships
and other such techniques to encourage participation.
Making Information Easily Discoverable
Making information easily discoverable is another critical element of strategy to become
a learning organization. Employees do get a feeling of overwhelm with knowledge
pouring in from every corner of the organization, however it is necessary to keep the

information in places where it can be accessed easily for the use of the employees in
order to share the knowledge (Shafritz, Ott & Jang, 2015).
Implementation of a plan of Continued Development in the
organization
The entire process of exploitation and exploration gets over only when the plan is
implemented in the organization at all the levels helping the people to develop and also
foster a culture of creativity and innovation at the same time. In order to implement the
programme the following steps have to be taken care:
Communication with the internal Stakeholders
Change management is one of the most important disciplines when it comes to bring
change in the organization. Change management is the systematic process of bringing
change in the process/procedures/Systems of the organization to reach the goal
attached with the change. Hence, the first step before making the change or
implementing the plan is to communicate openly with the employees and bring them on
the same page as that of the organization. Communication will help in overcoming any
resistance of the employees and will also bring a better understanding of the rationale
for the new plan (Robbins & Judge, 2014).
SMART goals- Monitoring and Evaluation
A set of specific, measurable, attainable, and realizable and timeliness based goals help
both the organization and its employee to have a good understanding of the goals and
its timeline. Thus, the plan has to be broken down into SMART goals and the same has to
be evaluated and monitored every week to ensure the attainment of the goals and
implementation of the plan (Nicolson, 2015).
Recruitment Strategies
21st century has been an era of Globalization, increased workforce diversity,
technological revolution and evolution of Internet and social media. If not easy, all these
change have made it easier for organization to scout and recruit the able minded

candidates. Also, technology makes the tasks easier for the HR team, as it can easily go
through hundreds of resumes in a short time and screen them using the information fed
by the company. Some of the ways by which MB can hire the candidates with right fit
are:
Social media platforms
MBA can assess the profile of the candidate by having a look over his/her linked in or
other social media platform. This way, the HR team or the software can realize their
propensity to learning based on the candidate’s social media behaviour.
Referral
Referral is one of the easiest and cost effective ways of recruiting like- minded
individuals. The employees often known the culture, values and ethics of organization,
hence accordingly they would refer the person who is a right fit for the organization.
Employer Branding
Employer branding is another way by which the company can acquire candidates which
will be right fit for the organization. For instance, MBA can post ads showcasing their
learning culture, culture of ambidexterity and many more. In this way, only the
candidates who resonate with the values of company will come forward and apply for
the open position, thus solving the problem for MBA (Ferrell & Fraedrich, 2015).
Recommendation
The section will provide recommendation to MBA to become Ambidextrous in nature.
Some of the recommendations are as follows:
Flexibility in Leadership
Leadership is both an art and a skill encompassing the ability of an individual to lead,
encourage, and motivate the team or the organization to reach the organizational goals.
One common thing between successful organizations is the presence of an effective
leadership which ensures that necessary steps are taken to ensure the attainment of
organizational objectives. In the case of MBA organization the leadership has to become

flexible and transformational in nature. The leadership has to create and foster a culture
of learning, growth, development and communication in the organization, only then the
objective of the organization will be attained (Crane & Matten, 2016).
Employee Empowerment
Successful organizations always keep their employees empowered; meaning that the
employees are involved in decision making and their feedback is discussed and
addressed by the organization. Employee empowerment besides getting the support of
the employees will also bring new ideas to the table to attain the objectives of the
organization and more so (Clayton & Radcliffe, 2015).
Conclusion
MBA Design for Partnership a company started in the year 2009 quickly moved up the
chart of success and added more and more clients to its kitty. The company however in
order to keep a steady growth wants to foster a culture of ambidexterity in its human
resources, organizational level, technology and other departments. In order to do so it
has been advised that MBA starts practicing the pillars of learning organization and
implement a training program for its employees rich in the skills required to excel at the
job. Most of the organization struggle keeping up with its pace of development in the
absence of learning culture in the company, thus MBA by virtue of carefully planned
training, seminars, innovation labs and workshops for its employees. At last the report
can be brought to a logical end by stating that a culture fostering innovation, growth,
creativity and learning will help MBA to attain its end goal of sustainability.

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