OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
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Purpose
In 2017, when posed with the question, "How are we doing?", vice president for finance and administration and chief financial officer, Mike Green, could only answer with generalities and anecdotes. This stuck with Vice President Green, wondering "How are we really doing as a division?" Also in 2017, an external review of OSU's business operations called for more efficient and streamlined processes, as well as a need for DFA to have a collective identity and a common vision to rally around.
The DFA Framework for Success, based on OSU's foundational values, provided the underlying system of concepts, principles, and activity drivers for DFA employees to focus their efforts in support of and aligned with OSU’s vision, mission, and strategic plan.
Goal
There were several goals of the DFA Framework for Success. As the Framework matures, these goals are expected to grow and expand as well. These goals included:
1. Informing DFA's strategic direction; through guiding principles, key performance indicators (KPIs) and key activities, senior leaders may determine the division's strategic priorities, projects and actions, which in turn directly advance actions in OSU's strategic plan.
2. Developing ways to measure operational performance; KPIs, key activities, division-wide performance measures and unit-level metrics can help DFA units operationalize the activities and service levels that are important to stakeholders. Performance measures and metrics can also help DFA teams better understand their successes and challenges, and pinpoint important areas for continuous improvement.
3. Providing direction and decision-making tools for employees; the DFA Guiding Principles are intended to help all DFA employees with effective decision-making, whatever their role. DFA leaders regularly refer to the principles to work through different aspects of decisions to ensure that outcomes align with the university’s mission and shared values. DFA leaders are promoting the use of the DFA Guiding Principles and risk assessment tools as useful, everyday resources for all employees.
4. Creating opportunities for academic and professional success; since 2018, two PhD students, two Master of Science (MS) students, and two undergraduate researchers had been directly involved in the Framework for Success project. Involvement in the project has informed directly one PhD dissertation and one MS thesis. The PhD dissertation focused on foundational theory about communication within organizations with one of the papers being awarded the Sir Geoffrey Vickers Memorial Award by the International Society for the Systems Sciences. The award recognizes significant contributions to the advancement of the systems sciences. The MS thesis focused on advancing understanding of how performance management systems are defined. The work has been recognized internationally at the American Society for Engineering Management, International Society for the Systems Sciences, and the International Council on Systems Engineering. Research and academic achievements related to DFA’s Framework for Success are ongoing.
Methodology
Built from the ground up on the foundation of OSU’s core values—accountability, diversity, integrity, respect and social responsibility—the Framework provides the underlying system of concepts, principles, and activity drivers for DFA employees to focus their efforts in support of and aligned with OSU’s vision, mission, and strategic plan. The Framework for Success has three key components:
• Guiding principles
• Key performance indicators (KPIs) and key activities
• Division-wide and unit-level metrics
In summer and fall 2021, as teams across DFA began unit-level metrics development, Vice President Green, Dr. Calvo-Amodio and a small team conducted outreach sessions with OSU senior leaders, including vice presidents, vice provosts and deans, as well as the president and provost. This input was critical to ensure that the Framework elements emphasize and measure actions and outcomes that are important to our partners in OSU’s colleges, divisions, units and departments.
Research Papers
Published papers supported by DFA
1. Calvo-Amodio, J. (2019). Using principles as activity drivers in human activity systems. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 36(5), 678–686. https://doi.org/10.1002/sres.2625
2. Calvo-Amodio, J., & Rousseau, D. (2019). The Human Activity System: Emergence from Purpose, Boundaries, Relationships, and Context. Procedia Computer Science, 153, 91–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2019.05.059
3. Jacobsen, M., Calvo-Amodio, J., & Riney, H. (2019). A METHODOLOGY FOR DESIGNING ENDURING HUMAN ACTIVITY SYSTEMS. A Systems Approach to Engineering Management Solutions, 402–412.
4. Kittelman, S., Calvo-Amodio, J., & Martínez León, H. C. (2018). A Systems Analysis of Communication: Defining the Nature of and Principles for Communication Within Human Activity Systems: A Systems Analysis of Communication. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 35(5), 520–537. https://doi.org/10.1002/sres.2562
5. Kittelman, S., & Calvo-Amodio, J. (2019). ASSESSING THE BEHAVIOR OF HUMAN ACTIVITY SYSTEMS THROUGH THE OBSERVATION AND INTERPRETATION OF SOCIOTECHNICAL SIGNS. Proceedings of the 63rd Annual Meeting of the ISSS, 30.
6. Kittelman, S., & Calvo-Amodio, J. (2020). A taxonomy of purposeful human activity system signs as a means to improving systems literacy. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 37(5), 789–803.
7. Liao, H.-C., & Calvo-Amodio, J. (2022). PURPOSEFUL HUMAN ACTIVITY SYSTEM: A FOUNDATION FOR MANAGING ALIGNMENT BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONAL THINKING AND DOING. ASEM 43 Rd International Annual Conference Proceedings, 628–638.
8. Rousseau, D., Billingham, J., & Calvo-Amodio, J. (2019). Systemic virtues as a foundation for a general theory of design elegance. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 36(5), 656–667. https://doi.org/10.1002/sres.2627
9. Wilkinson, N., & Calvo-Amodio, J. (2022). MIDDLE MANAGEMENT: A SYSTEMIC CONSIDERATION OF MIDDLE MANAGERS ROLE IN ORGANIZATIONS. ASEM 43rd International Annual Conference Proceedings, 416–425.
Masters supported by DFA
10. Jacobsen, M. (2021). Exploring the Consistency of Terminology used in Performance Measurement & Management. Oregon State University.
11. Liao, H.-C. (2023). A Systemic Approach to Handling External Disturbances. Oregon State University.
Dissertations supported by DFA
12. Kittelman, S. (2020). Communication in Purposeful Human Activity Systems: The Role of Signs in Organizational Change Management. Oregon State University.
Papers to be published supported by DFA
13. Concepcion, A., & Calvo-Amodio, J. (2023). Dynamic Performance Appraisal Systems for Aligning Team Thinking and Doing. ASEM 44th International Annual Conference Proceedings, TBD
14. Wilkinson, N., & Concepcion, A. (2023). Designing Enduring Purposeful Human Activity Systems: Employee Reception to Systemic Organizational Design. ASEM 44th International Annual Conference Proceedings, TBD
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