Definition
The strategic arrangement of reporting structures, roles, and workflows to theoretically optimize performance, though in practice it's often an excuse to reshuffle the deck chairs. It's architecture for humans instead of buildings.
Example Usage
The consultant-led organizational design project resulted in everyone having new titles, three fewer vice presidents, and roughly the same dysfunction.
Origin
Formalized as a discipline in the 1960s-70s through work by Jay Galbraith and others
Fun Fact
Most organizational redesigns fail to achieve their intended benefits because companies focus on structure while ignoring culture and processes.
Source: Organizational development and change management theory
Related Terms
Translate This Term
See “organizational design” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.
Try the Translator