Consider relating the ideas behind these depictions to Steve Sawyer's social archetypes of software development teams... The sequential model of task/role separation seeks to address the challenge of control, the group model fulfils the desire for intercommunication where task/role separation is infeasible, and the network model resolves task/role specialisation by establishing responsibilities specific to the production being performed. We might consider the possibility too perhaps that each archetype is a remedy for the problems arising from over dependence on one of the others.
Tuesday, 6 November 2012
Are there organisational archetypes for high-tech firms?
Alex reminded me of this funny take on organisational charts emphasising the influence of the Owner/Founder/CEO in IT companies. Amazon appears as a classical top down hierarchy with no inter-communication among peers. In Google's case its two founders: Larry Page, Sergey Brin, plus one (Eric Schmidt I presume) appear to be cloned throughout a tiered organisational with multiple lines of communication among all levels. Facebook is presented as a mesh with no layering and isolated local pockets of communication. Microsoft as a network of hierarchies with each subdivision at odds with all of the others. Oracle as a legal firm with a small engineering division attached to it and both divisions reporting directly to Larry Ellison the CEO. And Apple as a blob of individuals, each one under the direct supervision of the then CEO Steve Jobs, suggesting a minimum of delegation.
http://usingapple.com/2011/06/funny-organizational-chart-for-apple-facebook-google-amazon-microsoft-oracle/
Consider relating the ideas behind these depictions to Steve Sawyer's social archetypes of software development teams... The sequential model of task/role separation seeks to address the challenge of control, the group model fulfils the desire for intercommunication where task/role separation is infeasible, and the network model resolves task/role specialisation by establishing responsibilities specific to the production being performed. We might consider the possibility too perhaps that each archetype is a remedy for the problems arising from over dependence on one of the others.
Consider relating the ideas behind these depictions to Steve Sawyer's social archetypes of software development teams... The sequential model of task/role separation seeks to address the challenge of control, the group model fulfils the desire for intercommunication where task/role separation is infeasible, and the network model resolves task/role specialisation by establishing responsibilities specific to the production being performed. We might consider the possibility too perhaps that each archetype is a remedy for the problems arising from over dependence on one of the others.
