Designing Adaptive Organizations

A cutting-edge account of the theory and practice of modern organizational design by the leading voices in the field.

Charles C. Snow (Edited by), Øystein D. Fjeldstad (Edited by)

9781108708258, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 6 March 2025

244 pages
22.8 x 15 x 1.3 cm, 0.36 kg

'Adaptive organizing is one of the core topics in contemporary management theory and research. In this volume, Snow and Fjeldstad have compiled some of the most thought-provoking, novel, and impactful contributions by the most outstanding scholars on the topic. I truly enjoyed reading this book, and I recommend it to anyone interested in understanding the leading-edge principles behind designing adaptive organizations.' Georg von Krogh, ETH Zurich

The ability to organize is our most valuable social technology and the successful organizational design of an enterprise can increase its efficiency, effectiveness, and ability to adapt. Modern organizations operate in increasingly complex, dynamic, and global environments, which puts a premium on rapid adaptation. Compared to traditional organizations, modern organizations are flatter and more open to their environments. Their processes are more generative and interactive – actors themselves generate and coordinate solutions rather than follow hierarchically devised plans and directives. They also search outside their boundaries for resources wherever they may exist, and co-produce products and services with suppliers, customers, and partners, collaborating – both internally and externally – to learn and become more capable. In this volume, leading voices in the field of organization design demonstrate how a combination of agile processes, artificial intelligence, and digital platforms can power adaptive, sustainable, and healthy organizations.

1. Design thinking in organization design Jeanne Liedtka
2. The open organization Christopher Lettl, Thomas Ritter and Carsten Lund Pedersen
3. Actor-oriented organizing Øystein D. Fjeldstad and Charles C. Snow
4. Collaborative conflict management Vivianna Fang He and Phanish Puranam
5. The platform organization Annabelle Gawer, Michael A. Cusumano and David B. Yoffie
6. Circular organizing John A. Mathews
7. Organizing intelligent digital actors Vegard Kolbjørnsrud
8. Agile organizing Stéphane J. G. Girod
9. The global organization Amy Kates and Greg Kesler
10. Performance-focused organizing Scott A. Snell and Kenneth J. Carrig
11. The healthy organization Ian Hesketh and Cary L. Cooper
12. Modern organizing Charles C. Snow and Øystein D. Fjeldstad.

Subject Areas: Organizational theory & behaviour [KJU]