Holacracy – the future of organizing? The case of Zappos

Kumar, Sanjeev; Mukherjee, Subhasree

doi:10.1108/hrmid-08-2018-0161

Cited by 24 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Employees are encouraged to explore new opportunities and new interests to increase earnings to realise running mini-enterprises as mini-entrepreneurs through different "circles". So, individual objectives are highly consistent with Zappos all the time (Kumar & Mukherjee, 2018).…”

Section: Whether the Organisational Goal And Vision Aresupporting

confidence: 62%

Adapting to Change: Exploring Zappos’ Self-Management Structure and Its Impact on Innovation and Cultural Diversity

Zhou¹

2023

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This paper examines the case of Zappos, a company that underwent a significant transformation in its management style and organizational structure, moving towards a self-management model. The research focuses on four key areas: old and new working ways, management of expected and unexpected changes, organizational culture and socialization, and diversification and interculturality. Using a case analysis approach, the study critically analyses the effectiveness of the new self-management structure and its impact on the company's overall performance. The study highlights the importance of exploration of the intersection between self-management structure, innovation, and adaptability. By examining how Zappos' shift towards a self-management model allowed for greater knowledge sharing and information exchange, the study provides insights into how companies can promote innovation and survival in the increasingly competitive market. Furthermore, the paper highlights the importance of culture for socialization, differentiation, and interculturalities in promoting innovation and effective management. Overall, the findings suggest that a self-management structure can enhance employee engagement and consistency in achieving company objectives, but attention must be paid to issues such as intercultural collaboration and motivation.

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Section: Whether the Organisational Goal And Vision Aresupporting

confidence: 62%

Adapting to Change: Exploring Zappos’ Self-Management Structure and Its Impact on Innovation and Cultural Diversity

Zhou¹

2023

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“…Another challenge in the successful transformation to agile is the need to implement a new organizational culture that is integrated with an agile mindset. The implementation of the new culture will remain at the heart of the problem (17). Changing organizational culture is a long process that requires transparency and persistence from various levels within the organization, and this key focus of success may not be fully implemented from year to year, because transformation takes time, is difficult to achieve, and often fails.…”

Section: Redesign New Local Government Governance In Bureaucracy Simp...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Leveraging Agile Transformation: Redesigning Local Government Governance

Kurnia

Nurhaeni

Asrinaldi

et al. 2022

KSS

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A change from bureaucracy as a machine to a lively bureaucracy is needed for future VUCA. Being ”agile” is a defence strategy for bureaucracy to handle disruptions. Transformation of local government from a hierarchical system to an agile bureaucracy while maintaining stability and sustainably delivering services to citizens in diverse spaces and times necessitates leveraging a range of factors. We conducted a systematic literature review to explore enabling factors that help leverage agility for local government governance transformation. Redesigning local government bureaucracy requires a shared commitment and an integrated central government policy framework for enabling the support system. We prescribe a new model of local government governance in disaster-prone areas, which needs to be supported by an elite team who are responsive, flexible and innovative in real-time. This group should have expertise in policy analysis, human wellbeing, health, food supply, communication, informatics, risk disaster management, and mitigation to maintain future governance. This futuristic local government organizational design adapts crisis management into an integrated digital system dominated by strategic management levels, which adhere to morals and values. Keywords: agile local governance, crisis management, operational policy, redesign bureaucracy, responsiveness in VUCA

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“…Innovation management context IJIS empirical research on these kinds of organisation is limited. Some research provides general descriptions of the functioning of individual heterarchies, rather than specifically their innovation mechanisms (Semler, 2001;Hamel, 2011;Kumar and Mukherjee, 2018). Some considers the innovativeness of more heterarchical organisations as compared to more hierarchical organisations (Bhargava and Sinha, 1992;Damanpour, 1996;Liu et al, 2008;Keum and See, 2014;Savage et al, 2019).…”

Section: A Conceptual Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Collectively innovating; modelling responsible exposure in heterarchical organisations

Schoellhammer

Gibb

2020

IJIS

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Purpose This paper aims to develop a model of collective innovation, with respect to innovation strategy, structure and culture in heterarchies. The enabling of collective innovation in heterarchies is conceptualised as “responsible exposure”. Design/methodology/approach A study adopting cross-case analysis was undertaken with five organisations perceived to have heterarchical characteristics. These included one small company, two medium-sized companies and two larger companies, all were European. Data from semi-structured interviews, a survey of staff and other sources provide evidence of collective innovation practices. Findings The cross-case analysis suggests that the management of collective innovation is different from “classic” innovation management. It is more about enabling “responsible exposure” than the management of “shelter” for collective innovation. Research limitations/implications The strength of cross-case analysis and conceptual framework validation is limited by the cases being all from the European region. Practical implications What strategy, structure and culture for “responsible exposure” may mean can be described. Heterarchies will always be relatively rare, though lessons from how they enable collective innovation can be more widely learned. Lessons for the wider population of organisation that combine hierarchical and heterarchical characteristics and seek greater innovation are identified. Social implications Collective innovation, which requires “responsible exposure” has implications for the capabilities of managers and professionals concerned with innovation. Originality/value The cross-case analysis of innovation in heterarchies is original, leading to the description of a model of “responsible exposure” for collective innovation.

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Holacracy – the future of organizing? The case of Zappos

Cited by 24 publications

References 5 publications

Adapting to Change: Exploring Zappos’ Self-Management Structure and Its Impact on Innovation and Cultural Diversity

Adapting to Change: Exploring Zappos’ Self-Management Structure and Its Impact on Innovation and Cultural Diversity

Leveraging Agile Transformation: Redesigning Local Government Governance

Collectively innovating; modelling responsible exposure in heterarchical organisations

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