Read a related Knowledge article "Three Ways to Make Your Organisation Agile" by Maria Guadalupe.
The case describes the transformation of ING Netherlands from a traditional bank with functional hierarchies to an organization that embraces digitalization and ‘Agile’ principles. This means the bank is organized around self-managed teams without traditional managers, empowering employees to make decisions. The case has four parts: Part 1 describes the background, the strategic rationale (digitalization) and how ING went through two transformation phases that laid the groundwork for the overhaul. Part 2 describes the ‘New Way of Working’ at ING: the Agile organizational blueprint adopted and the new roles and rules created. Part 3 focuses on how ING implemented the change and the complementary actions that facilitated the adoption of Agile. Part 4 is a role-play that enables participants to experience the New Way of Working.
To understand how an organization that replaces hierarchy with self-managed teams operates, and how such a change is implemented. The role play (part 4) puts the students in the shoes of people having to operate in this radically new environment with new rules.
- Digital transformation
- Agile
- Hierarchies
- Organizational change
- Empowerment
- Engagement
- Self-managed teams
- Managers
- Q11718
