Aio in the picture

Fifty AIOs (research assistants) are affiliated with Delft Cluster, all of whom have their own AIO page on the website www.delftcluster.nl . ‘AIO in Focus’ is intended to help you find out more about the interesting work they carry out. This month is the turn of Martin van Staveren. Martin’s research is the first of the five doctorate studies within the DC project ‘Implementation of Risk Management’ to be completed. On 17 April 2009, he presented his dissertation at the University of Twente on the implementation of risk management within organisations. His research has provided the answer as to how risk management  - that is routinely carried out - nonetheless does not progress smoothly in organisations. This is also true for many types of innovation. Numerous implementation paths fail, leading to wasted expenditure and frustration. Literature studies and interviews with experts in The Netherlands, England, the United Sates and South Africa show there is a clear explanation as to why implementation proves so difficult: hundreds of factors play a role. Using state-of-the-art synthesis of risk management, innovation management, and change management it appeared possible to develop an entirely new approach. The numerous factors have been translated into a manageable and measurable set of variables. In doing so, attention is given to both hard technological aspects as well as softer organisational and human aspects.