Title: Critical perspectives on the evolution of new forms of organising

Authors: Fiona Graetz, Aaron Smith

Addresses: Faculty of Business and Law, Bowater School of Management and Marketing, Deakin University, Melbourne Campus, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood VIC 3125, Australia. ' Faculty of Law and Management, School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia

Abstract: Calls to dismantle bureaucracy and install new forms of organising ignore the essential role that traditional design forms play in providing structure, order and focus. Flexible organisational forms might be pivotal in turbulent environments for adaptation and innovation, but structure and direction are also necessary to ensure that innovation is focussed and relevant. This paper employs an evolutionary account of the development of new forms of organising. It argues that by adopting a dualities mindset, traditional and new forms of organising can be managed as complementary rather than contradictory work practices, thus accommodating the simultaneous need for flexibility and order.

Keywords: organisational forms; dualities; flexibility; order; operational capabilities; dynamic capabilities; strategic change management.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSCM.2006.011107

International Journal of Strategic Change Management, 2006 Vol.1 No.1/2, pp.127 - 142

Published online: 16 Oct 2006 *

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