Creating Corporate Cultures – serie

Matrix management was introduced in the 1970s in the context of competition from Japanese manufacturers, computerization of many technical and administrative tasks, and a recognition among business leaders that cross-functional teams (comprised of people from different departments and specialties) were necessary to create and produce complex products rapidly. Ideally, this approach, in which people are assigned to projects, rather than department managers, encourages collaboration, flexibility, and knowledge sharing, but in reality, it can often cause confusion, friction, and excessive bureaucracy. It fell out of fashion in the 1990s, but has resurfaced in a much wider array of companies today, as the pressure to innovate on ever-faster schedules encourages experimentation in organizational design.Marvin Gottlieb, who has studied and applied the principles of matrix management for over 25 years, takes us on a tour of this phenomenon—its evolution, current practices, and future applications. He argues that most organizations are taking on characteristics of matrix structure, with fluid teams and dotted-line reporting relationships across departments and divisions. Featuring case studies of successes and failures, he shows readers how to harness the power of the matrix structure while minimizing the conflict, disorientation, and resistance that often accompany the approach. In an environment where every company—large or small, entrepreneurial or established—is wrestling with the question of how to organize for maximum performance in a harshly competitive world, this book will give leaders and managers valuable insights and tools for promoting cultures that reward creativity and teamwork while maintaining strong leadership and accountability.

In today's stressful work environment, organizations can be crippled not only by product failures or dramatic market shifts but by internal demons. Typical symptoms of corporate dis-ease include distrust, lack of communication, territoriality, and other negative qualities that fester below the surface and ultimately sap the organization's vitality. But according to these experts in organizational dynamics, it doesn't have to be that way. In truly strong organizations, employees experience joy in performing their tasks and give their utmost to add value and help achieve organizational goals. This provocative book, featuring over fifty case studies, shows how organizations can uncover problems in the corporate culture, root them out, and prosper.As the authors argue, sustainable profitability, over the long term, is a function of achieving a balance among financial objectives, customer demands, and employee needs. Through numerous examples, case studies, and diagnostic exercises, the authors show managers and employees, as well as students and researchers of organizational behavior, how to identify the sources of organizational disease and focus on promoting a positive, inclusive culture. The end result? Profitability, better employee retention, and a company that's fun to work for.