As a long-time practitioner in the field of improving ways of working across organizations, I often find myself drawing parallels between the complex systems we build in technology organizations with other domains. One area of deep interest for me is understanding the elaborate networks of people and processes in our businesses. This led me to collaborate with my colleague Steve Pereira on a paper that explores an idea I am passionate about: can we apply the principles of computer networking to improve how our organizations function?
In our paper “Wiring for Flow,” Steve and I dive into this concept, exploring how the strategies used to manage complex computer networks might help us address challenges in large-scale organizational systems.
We introduce several key ideas:
- A model of network complexity from Ross White and Jeff Tantsura based on state, speed, and surface
- The application of networking concepts like modularity, topology, and convergence to organizational design
- The importance of layered models for effective communication across an organization
- The need for balance between centralized and decentralized approaches to information management and decision-making
Our goal is to offer a fresh perspective on organizational design, blending insights from technology and management theory. We want to challenge readers to think about their organizations as dynamic networks rather than static hierarchies.
While our ideas are largely theoretical at this stage, we believe they open up exciting possibilities for new approaches to improving organizational performance, communication, and adaptability.
If you’re interested in innovative approaches to organizational design and management, I invite you to read our full paper in the Spring publication of the Enterprise Technology Leadership Journal. We’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences in applying these concepts in your own work.
The Journal can be found here:
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