The Integrated Plan of Activities and Organization as strategic change tool: the case of Vanvitelli University
The Integrated Plan of Activities and Organization (PIAO) was introduced in Italy in 2021 (to be applied by 2022) to overcome the plurality and partial overlap of planning and programming tools within the Italian public administration. In fact, due to several reforms involving such sector, a large number of tools was introduced in the last decade. The study presents the case of Vanvitelli University, recognised as a best practice, with the aim of critically analyzing the process of change following the introduction of PIAO. To this end, the ethnographic and autoethnographic method is adopted in order to better understand the enabling conditions that can ensure long-lasting changes. The study uses the model of organizational change proposed by Kotter (1995; 1996) as theoretical lens of observation. The results collected one year after the adoption of the PIAO highlight how the Plan, in a context that has already activated a strategic planning action under a strong and cohesive leadership, can rise to the status of a tool for organizational change, facilitating the internalization of new planning and programming system in an integrated manner and supporting a continuous effort towards innovation in managerial processes.
Keywords: Integrated Plan of Activities and Organization, Strategic change, University, Innovation
