Lecture 11

lecutre 11 is about organiztion design and leadership

org design

It is important that every decision has an impact on the bigger picture of the company, so more flexibility for example results in more chaos, which has to be managed

1. Specialists (Efficiency):

   • Specialists are employees with a deep knowledge and skills in a specific area. They are trained to be efficient in their job functions to reduce errors and increase speed. This approach is formal and efficient.

2. Generalists (Innovation & Adaptation):

   • Generalists are employees who are cross-trained and can perform a variety of tasks. They have the flexibility to adapt to new challenges and are encouraged to innovate. This approach is more informal and adaptable.

The slide seems to be part of an interactive tool where a decision needs to be made regarding how specialized employees should be. Options range from very formal, structured roles to more informal, flexible roles. The implication is that there is a spectrum between being highly specialized (which can lead to efficiency in specific tasks) and being a generalist (which can foster innovation and adaptation in a more fluid organizational structure).

Strategic fit here refers to aligning the company’s approach to work specialization with its strategic goals and the demands of its environment. A more stable environment may favor specialists, while a dynamic environment might require the versatility of generalists.

If you remove the organizational structure of a company, a social structure will develop itself automatically, as people can’t live without structure, so even if there is no formal structure, an informal structure will form itself

1. Reliability:

   • Companies want to ensure predictable returns for shareholders, adhere to regulation standards, maintain stable employment levels, and meet customers' expectations.

   • However, too much standardization can make a company insensitive to changing markets. This means that if a company focuses too much on reliability and doesn't adapt to new conditions, it may miss out on opportunities or fail to respond to threats.

2. Adaptability:

   • On the other hand, companies also need to be adaptable. This involves making small adjustments in production or manufacturing to meet local needs and being able to make fundamental shifts in strategy or capabilities when necessary.

   • But too much adaptation can lead to fragmentation and a loss of leverage that comes from focus and scale. If a company constantly changes to adapt to every small market change, it can lose the efficiency and effectiveness that comes from having a consistent and focused approach.

In essence, companies are looking for a balance between these two aspects. They need to be reliable enough to deliver consistent value but also adaptable enough to change when needed. Finding the right balance is crucial for long-term success.

Leader: the coach leader focus on the employee development process

Technical/Cognitive skills:

• deliver results

• use information correct

Emotional intelligence skills:

• build confidence in the team

• build enthusiasm in the team

• cooperate with others

• form networks

• influence others

feedback loops in organizations are network effects, if people for example, do not trust female leaders abilities, there will be fewer leaders and for that reason, people are less likely to trust female leaders abilities.

question the narrative ( are females worse in management?)

generate a plausible alternative solution: there are fewer female leaders, as fewer females studies business in the past