Article ID: | iaor20083641 |
Country: | United States |
Volume: | 28 |
Issue: | 1 |
Start Page Number: | 1 |
End Page Number: | 25 |
Publication Date: | Jan 1997 |
Journal: | Decision Sciences |
Authors: | McGee Victor E., Joyce William F., Slocum John W. |
Twenty-first century organizations will require designs that enable them to cope with turbulent environments. Organizations have experimented with lateral organizational designs for this purpose, but research evidence concerning these forms is sparse. We analyzed data obtained from 512 employees within eight diverse organizations implementing flexible lateral organizations. Using a sequence comparison methodology, we were able to identify and categorize the major costs, benefits, and enablers associated with implementing these forms of complex organizations. Propositions for effectively managing lateral relations were tested and managerial implications were explored.