LKCE16 - Fast Forward New Organising Models in a complex world by Professor Julian Birkinshaw
1. Copyright Julian Birkinshaw 2016
Fast/Forward
New Organising Models in a
Complex World
Lean Kanban Conference
Hamburg, November 2016
Professor Julian Birkinshaw
London Business School
5. Copyright Julian Birkinshaw 2016
Types of innovation
Product innovation
Technology innovation
Process innovation
Business model innovation
Management innovation
Service innovation
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Changes in how we work are vital to
productivity improvement
0
2
4
6
8
High
investment in
Information
Technology
Low
investment in
Information
Technology
Traditional workplace
practices
Innovative workplace
practices
Annual productivity
growth in 1990s for
US manufacturers
Source: Arnal, Ok, Torres 2001
7. Copyright Julian Birkinshaw 2016
A Changing World
New Ways of Working
Implications for Leadership
and Management
8. Copyright Julian Birkinshaw 2016
Credit Default Swaps
Processor speed (MIPS)
Processing power/$
Number of internet hosts
Data transmission speeds
Cost of bandwidth (bits/second/$)
Number of genes sequenced
Astronomical data collected
How economic progress happens:
The “accelerating change” hypothesis?
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The creative destruction hypothesis:
Shifting basis of competitive advantage
INDUSTRIAL AGE: 1860s-1960s
INFORMATION AGE: 1970s–2020s
?
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The dark side of “big data”
Analysis Paralysis
Blind Faith in Data
Answers in search of
Questions
Loss of Contextual
Understanding
Loss of Differentiation
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Transitioning beyond the information age
Too much
information
creates deficit
of attention
Overemphasis
on logic leads
to sterile
decision making
INFORMATION
KNOWLEDGE
DECISIVE ACTION
EMOTIONAL CONVICTION
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A Changing World
New Ways of Working
Implications for Leadership
and Management
14. Copyright Julian Birkinshaw 2016
How should you be organised in a
complex operating environment?
• Fight complexity with complexity
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The downsides of complexity
Turf wars
Unclear roles
Steering committees
Layers of rules & procedures
Alienation and disengagement
Risk aversion and lack of creativity
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How should you be organised in a
complex operating environment?
• Fight complexity with complexity
• Fight complexity with simplicity
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Three ways of describing yourself in the
workplace
Your position on the org chart
Your knowledge and experience
What you do on a day to day basis
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Three distinct models of organising
Your position on the org chart
Your knowledge and experience
What you do on a day to day basis
Bureaucracy
Meritocracy
Adhocracy
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Three distinct models
People motivated by…
Decisions made through…
By Rules
Hierarchy
Extrinsic Rewards
Coordination achieved…
People motivated by…
Decisions made through…
Around Opportunity
Experimentation
Achievement
Coordination achieved…
Bureaucracy
Position is privileged
Adhocracy
Action is privileged
People motivated by…
Decisions made through…
Mutual Adjustment
Logical Argument
Personal Mastery
Coordination achieved…
Meritocracy
Knowledge is privileged
Which models does your organisation use? And
which ones should you be using?
26. Copyright Julian Birkinshaw 2016
INDUSTRIAL
AGE
Emphasis on
productivity and
efficiency
BUREAUCRACY
INFORMATION
AGE
Emphasis on
rational analysis
and expertise
MERITOCRACY
‘AGILE’
AGE
Emphasis on
agility, intuition,
and decisiveness
ADHOCRACY
Shifting emphasis over time
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A Changing World
New Ways of Working
Implications for Leadership
and Management
32. Copyright Julian Birkinshaw 2016
Three waves of innovation in the high
jumping industry
2.55m
2.45m
2.35m
2.25m
2.15m
2.05m
1.95m
1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000
The Fosbury Flop
The Straddle Jump
The Western Roll
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BUREAUCRACY
Emphasis on
productivity
and efficiency
Leadership is
about
monitoring and
controlling
MERITOCRACY
Emphasis on
data and
analysis
Leadership is
about
expertise and
information
flow
ADHOCRACY
Emphasis on
flexibility and
decisiveness
Leadership is
setting a
direction,
enabling others,
experimentation