A. M. Maier

Publications (9)0.96 Total impact

• Article: Assessing Organizational Capabilities: Reviewing and Guiding the Development of Maturity Grids

  A. M. Maier, J. Moultrie, P. J. Clarkson
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  ABSTRACT: Managing and improving organizational capabilities is a significant and complex issue for many companies. To support management and enable improvement, performance assessments are commonly used. One way of assessing organizational capabilities is by means of maturity grids. While maturity grids may share a common structure, their content differs and very often they are developed anew. This paper presents both a reference point and guidance for developing maturity grids. This is achieved by reviewing 24 existing maturity grids and by suggesting a roadmap for their development. The review places particular emphasis on embedded assumptions about organizational change in the formulation of the maturity ratings. The suggested roadmap encompasses four phases: planning, development, evaluation, and maintenance. Each phase discusses a number of decision points for development, such as the selection of process areas, maturity levels, and the delivery mechanism. An example demonstrating the roadmap's utility in industrial practice is provided. The roadmap can also be used to evaluate existing approaches. In concluding the paper, implications for management practice and research are presented.
  IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management 03/2012; · 0.96 Impact Factor
• Conference Proceeding: Auditing communication in design: a maturity grid-inspired approach

  A.M. Maier, C.M. Eckert, P.J. Clarkson
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  ABSTRACT: Communication is a critical success factor in design. How communication processes can best be captured, analysed and assessed, as a preliminary step to suggestions for improvement of communication practices, remains a challenge for researchers and practitioners. This paper critically reflects on the construction and application of a structured group interview in software design inspired by a maturity grid approach. Such an approach yields dual benefit: as a research method and tool to gather insight into communication and as a guide to plan improvements in practice. Initial results of an empirical study are presented. Conclusions are drawn for the process of auditing communication in design.
  Computer Supported Cooperative Work in Design, 2005. Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on; 06/2005
• Article: Auditing communication in design: a maturity grid-inspired approach

  A. M. Maier, Claudia Eckert, P. J. Clarkson
• Article: A communication audit for engineering design

  A. M. Maier, Claudia Eckert, P. J. Clarkson
• Article: Assessing communication: An enabling technology for more effective R&D management

  A. M. Maier, C. M. Eckert, P. J. Clarkson
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  ABSTRACT: Abstract not available.
• Article: Development of an audit tool for communication in product development: The communication grid method

  A. M. Maier, C. M. Eckert, P. J. Clarkson
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  ABSTRACT: Abstract not available.
• Article: Towards managing team-interfaces: an exploratory elicitation of factors influencing communication

  A. M. Maier, C. M. Eckert, P. J. Clarkson
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  ABSTRACT: Many researchers and practitioners in industry have identified communication between people as a major determinant of success or failure in (design) projects. Our empirical investigations indicate that many non-technical problems are – mostly unintentionally -labeled ‘communication problems’. Upon scrutiny, however, many appear to be caused by factors such as lack of ‘overview of the sequence of tasks in the (design)process’ or conflicting ‘goals and objectives’. In such situations, a ‘communication problem’ might be the outcome rather than the cause. Communication is influenced by manifold factors related to information, representations, the individual, the team and the organisation. In this paper we argue that factors influencing communication provide levers through which communication can be improved. We introduce a descriptive record of influences identified through literature review and interviews in industry. Knowledge of such factors could aid researchers in generating hypotheses about communication and design performance, practitioners for management practices, and educators for teaching ‘soft’ competences.
• Source

  Available from: tum.de

  Article: Associations between factors influencing engineering design communication

  A. M. Maier, M. Kreimeyer, C. Hepperle, C. M. Eckert, P. J. Clarkson
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  ABSTRACT: Abstract not available.
• Source

  Available from: dmu.ac.uk

  Article: A meta-model for communication in engineering design

  A. M. Maier, C. M. Eckert, P. J. Clarkson
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  ABSTRACT: This paper seeks to address different ways of conceptualising communication - a mechanistic and a systemic view. The views are considered complementary rather than exclusionary. A meta-model of how communication in engineering design can be conceptualised to analyse communication issues in industrial practice is proposed. The model combines an information-centred view reflecting the exchange of information with interactional and situational aspects. It is intended to provide the backbone of an audit method with which the current ('as-is' ) as well as the desired ('to be') communication situation in a company can be diagnosed. The conceptual meta-model for communication in engineering design presented here is part of a wider research project that aims at assessing the current and the desired communication situation in design teams by raising awareness and providing a platform for reflection.