Bernstein, E., Bunch, J., Canner, N., & Lee, M. (2016). Beyond the holacracy hype. Harvard Business Review, 94(7), 8-34. Web.
The authors highlight the principles of holacratic organization structure, including such descriptive characteristics as post-bureaucratic, post-structuralist, information-based, and organic. In doing so, they seek to find a more accurate and balanced perspective on describing and implementing flat environments. They outline fundamental features of such type of upholding organizational activities. According to the principles of holacracy, an effective organization is a self-regulating system. Each of its employees performs several clearly defined and documented roles while having a high degree of autonomy and broad powers within their field of activity. During regular meetings, employees interact with each other, the procedure for which is enshrined in a unique document – the holacracy constitution. There are no managers in the usual sense in a holacratic organization – every employee can influence the company’s development.
Rana, S. (2018). Why is Zappos’ culture of holacracy catching on? Nagarro. Web.
The author analyzes and highlights the features of Zappo’s organizational structures and describes its benefits. There are good reasons why it is worth holding back the formation of tiered hierarchies and why a flat organizational structure may be better for a business. There is growing evidence that organizations with this structure perform better than traditional hierarchies. The example of the organizational culture of Zappos shows that this way of building a business allows you to maneuver, quickly rebuild and adapt to changing conditions since many decisions are entrusted to the company’s employees.
Strayboots. (2021). Is team building relevant in a holacracy model? Strayboots. Web.
The authors overview and outline the main principles of holacracy as opposed to traditional management hierarchy. Since the informal leader does not affect the salary, they cannot apply harsh punitive measures to lazy people; therefore, the system works only in structures where people themselves are responsible and are interested in the success of a common cause. As a rule, several people simultaneously perform one function in large companies, so less conscientious employees can sit behind the backs of their colleagues. Thus, holacracy in big corporations is unlikely to be effective.
Warrick, D. D. (2017). What leaders need to know about organizational culture. Business Horizons, 60(3), 395-404.
The article contextualizes holacracy, team building, and teamwork into the broader phenomenon of organizational culture and leadership concepts. When it comes to transactions related to profits and market share, the leaders of turquoise (holacratic) organizations listen carefully and try to understand the purpose of the organization and its raison d’ĂŞtre is. In the holacratic paradigm, an organization is thought of as a living organism, a being endowed with its own energy, personality, creativity, and direction of development. The holacratic approach is typical for innovative companies, start-ups, socially-oriented multinational corporations, and organizations deploying a lean culture.
Yugendhar, A., & Ali, S. M. (2017). Evaluation of implementing holacracy, a comprehensive study on Zappos. International Journal of Engineering and Management Research (IJEMR), 7(5), 163-171.
The article analyzes the business structures and organizational principles of a specific organization – Zappos. The authors argue that one of the main benefits of holacracy is that it can generate unexpected collaborations among employees, thereby increasing the involvement of partners in the company’s life. Therefore, holacracy is used by companies faced with the inefficiency of the existing management system. When controlling, managers pass all decisions through themselves and limit the speed of change for the entire company, and employees who want to take the initiative and are ready to take responsibility are forced to act within the prescribed instructions. For this very reason, in 2015, Zappos (an online store owned by Amazon) announced it was abandoning hierarchy and moving to holacracy. Roles replaced positions, and each employee was able to set their own responsibilities independently. However, the main obstacle of such a structure is the uncertainty and diversity of employee identity.
References
Bernstein, E., Bunch, J., Canner, N., & Lee, M. (2016). Beyond the holacracy hype.Harvard Business Review, 94(7), 8-34.
Rana, S. (2018). Why is Zappos’ culture of holacracy catching on? Nagarro. Web.
Strayboots. (2021). Is team building relevant in a holacracy model? Strayboots. Web.
Warrick, D. D. (2017). What leaders need to know about organizational culture. Business Horizons, 60(3), 395-404.
Yugendhar, A., & Ali, S. M. (2017). Evaluation of implementing holacracy, a comprehensive study on Zappos. International Journal of Engineering and Management Research (IJEMR), 7(5), 163-171.