Chapter 14
TRANSFORMING RELATIONSHIPS AND STRUCTURES IN ORGANIZATIONS
Snapshot
How should your organization be structured and what kinds of relationships does it need to invest in to be effective in the global knowledge economy? The starting point is acknowledging and challenging the fundamental assumptions of the industrial era that govern the practices of most organizations today because these may limit an agile response to changing conditions. A set of tools and techniques are provided that managers can use to engage in different conversations about the future with other strategic thinkers in their organizations. This can stimulate new ideas about how to organize and manage more effectively.
A set of scenarios created using these techniques is included here to stimulate discussion. Through developing these scenarios, it became clear that new relationships and organizational structures would help respond to some of the drivers creating important shifts within the knowledge economy: shifts involving power, time, contradictory values, and new spaces and places where connections happen. Some of the understanding that was developed about key dimensions of these drivers is included here. However, the main objective is not to provide a comprehensive guide, but to encourage you to actively engage with the ongoing development of thinking and practice in areas that are crucial to success in the knowledge economy.
Why this Matters
The organizations involved in this research coined ...
