Organizational optimization of a design and development department in an aerospace corporation

Abstract

This Master Thesis is focusing on problems within a product development project. But the natures of the focused problems are not from technical nature. Broadly underestimated impacts on the success of big projects with a high technical complexity are the organization structural and the organizational behavioural criteria. These are the aspects of product development projects you will focus on. The main core of this Master Thesis is the case study. In this case study is the Competence Center Design/Analysis Vienna, of FACC AG, in the centre of interest. This office faces several organizational problems and suffers under a high employee fluctuation. To clarify the theoretical background of the used approaches, a fundamental and theoretical part is written. These parts consist of summaries of the organizational theories history and organizational behavioural theories. In the first stages of the case study is FACC in general and the running biggest projects described. After that, the focus lies on the problems within the Product Development department Vienna. A list of mentioned complains stated by some involved engineers is the first approach. This complains list shows a picture of an overall motivation problem. By the discussion of this problem are motivation theories out of the fields of human behaviour and organizational structuring used. As a solution part of this case study improvements according to the motivation problems are mentioned. Human relation habits within the department and a structural transformation as well are the major issues. Finally the summary discusses the mentioned improvement approaches and gives further recommendations.<br />