PwC and The University of Melbourne Agility study

Organisational agility refers to an organisation's ability to continuously adapt and thrive in a world marked by rapid changes in technology, regulation and economic and competitive pressures.

Organisational agility is increasingly being recognised as a key determinant of business success in a volatile and globalised world.

Organisations spend significant amount of money on change management in an attempt to be more agile, yet 60 - 70% change programs are not working. Getting a better understanding of the drivers and common features of organisational agility will help better design and implement change programs in such a way that makes change stick.

The term ‘agility' has emerged over the last decade, but has tended to concentrate on improving one feature of an organisation's operation, such as building an effective information system, developing a market orientation, sharing knowledge or creating a culture of innovation. This will be the first time that anyone has examined at the concept level in an integrated and comprehensive way, and undertaken to identify all the basic and universal competencies of agility.

This research will also provide the first ‘single' measure of an organisation's overall level of agility. This ‘agility quotient' will provide a reliable predictor of how well any organization is positioned to thrive in a volatile, turbulent and globalised world. It will also allow the construction of an agility index - enabling comparison by sector, market and a variety or other organisational parameters.

The Agility Index will represent a breakthrough in understanding and predicting what makes organisations able to thrive in a volatile and rapidly-changing 21st century marketplace. This research will provide practical insight as to what internal competencies are required to ensure a healthier, more agile organisation of the future.

The research team are currently conducting qualitative interviews with a select group of organisations. An initial analysis of the data is expected to be completed in early 2012, when the team will launch the quantitative phase, including interviews with over 100 organisations.