Description
Book SynopsisPresenting the emergence of new organizational designs in a novel way, this insightful book blends theory and practice to examine major trends and directions, the key ideas that underpin organizational design and how these ideas might be applied.
The authors explore how, in a world characterized by relentless change and volatility, traditional bureaucracies of the past are increasingly regarded as being too slow and centralized. Instead, emerging ideas, such as platforms, ecosystems, holacracies, agility and improvisation are gaining purchase. Focusing on key trends and forms of design, the book offers an approach to organizing that accommodates paradoxes and offers a fresh view on managing organizational design.
Rich in anecdotes and examples, the Elgar Introduction to Designing Organizations will be a useful guide for business and management scholars and advanced students with a focus on organizational studies and innovation. It will be beneficial for business managers thinking about how to design their organization so that it is fit for contemporary purposes.
Trade Review‘A must-read book to those interested in the art of management in a fast-evolving world. A complex environment wherein organizations face increasing paradoxical tensions among their goals and accountabilities. Relying on their valuable knowledge on paradox theory, the authors offer the readers key insights from theory and real organizational cases, helping them understand why different organizational designs emerge and when it is fruitful to apply them.’ -- Francesco Sguera, Católica-Lisbon School of Business and Economics, Portugal
‘I recommend the Elgar Introduction to Designing Organizations
to practicing managers or MBA students who enjoy deep dives into the dynamics of their organizations. I’ll also share the book with Ph.D. students as their first introduction to organizational design. The authors have spanned history and perspectives in an interesting and thoughtful read.’ -- Terri Griffith, Simon Fraser University, Canada
‘This book has a unique and powerful message: being “…fit for contemporary purposes…” entails understanding and practicing organizational design as a paradoxical effort, and therefore cycle between stability and change, temporally reach a balance, abandon status quo, embrace uncertainty, accept misfits, learn to flow through contradictions. A truly interesting read for both organizational scholars and practitioners.’ -- Andrea Prencipe, Luiss University, Italy
Table of ContentsContents: 1. Introduction to the Elgar Introduction to Designing Organizations 2. The fundamentals of organizational design 3. Organization design and change 4. The traditional organization: hierarchy meets bureaucracy 5. Less hierarchical organizations: the fall of the traditional pillars (part I: hierarchy) 6. The agile organization: the fall of the traditional pillars part II: task design and allocation) 7. Final reflections: patterns, principles and practices References Index
