LOC 211 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: Adaptive Capacity, Organizational Architecture

• School: Northwestern University
• Department: Learning and Organizational Change
• Course: LOC 211
• Professor: Douthit

Document Summary

Getting structure right requires careful consideration of pertinent contextual variables (ex: goal, what is required?, who"s in charge?, what do individual team members value?, etc. ) Appropriate team structures can vary even within the same organization. A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to common purpose, set of performance goals and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable. A focused cohesive structure is a fundamental underpinning for high-performance teams. Self-directed teams typically produce better results and higher morale than groups operating under more traditional top-down control. Operating by design: the power of organizational architecture. The right architecture doesn"t automatically guarantee perfect alignment, but the wrong architecture will almost certainly lead to failure. Environmental conditions, organizational resources and history cannot be changed in the short run there are givens" that provide the setting within which the organization must operate strategy - explicit choices about markets, offerings, technology, and distinctive competence.