Every month we’ll be posting a summary of research that has been done by TopFem members as part of the Leadership Programme (formerly known as the Talent Programme). This month the summary research is done by Myrthe Born who conducted research at Rabobank.
This research report presented an analysis of the information that was abstracted from interviews with employees of Legal Affairs (Juridische Zaken, JZ). This was placed against a broader context of the culture of the department JZ and the Rabobank Culture Programme. The main motive for conducting this research was the fact that an organizational change had recently occurred in the department JZ. Teams had been separated and conjoined as a result of this organizational change. The goals of this research were to uncover underlying perceptions amongst the employees of JZ on this organizational change specifically, and the culture of JZ generally. Various questions were asked of the respondents on structure, culture and personal experiences. The report was a detailed summary of the research findings.
Besides a summary, this report contained an introduction, a description of the research frame, research questions, methodology and a theoretical framework. Afterwards, findings of the empirical part of the research were discussed thoroughly. These are results on the perceptions of the organization’s culture, opinions on the organizational change, flexibility of the content of work and organization and the feeling of empowerment amongst employees. Opinions were divided. Nevertheless, general conclusions could be drawn. The findings are translated in tangible recommendations, which are mostly aimed at the MT and team leaders.
My experience with the TopFem Talent Program, and the research I conducted with regard to this program, are very positive. Besides participating in various relevant workshops and trainings, I developed my professional skills. The research at Rabobank Netherlands brought me significant academic and practical experience for my future career.
