You are on page 1of 7

1

John Watson

MT302 Organizational Behavior

Unit Nine: Case Incident 2

No bosses at W.L. Gore & Associates

8/9/09
2

No bosses at W.L. Gore & Associates

1. How would you characterize Gore’s organizational structure using terms from this chapter?

For example, is it mechanistic or organic? How might this structure influence Gore’s strategy?

Begin typing your answer here.

Through the depiction of characterizing W.L. Gore & Associates organizational structure,

his company in which is setup resembles one that is groups itself together in a

departmentalization structure formation. While his business is a boundaryless organization in

which he states, “Everyone is your boss and no one is your boss”, he also has a horizontal

organization that is very team based structured (Robbins & Judge, 2007 p.567).

Lastly, although the case says that Gore's business is not or never had a structure like big

companies such as G.E., Microsoft, or 3M. I have learned from a young age from a librarian that

every giant learns and stands up from another giants shoulder. The message here is that although

Gore and his company may have their own philosophy on conducting their organization, they

may have implement while imitating ideas from many other companies as well (Robbins &

Judge, 2007 p. 555).

How might these structures influence strategies from his organically model company?

Having over 200 employees being in the manufacturing plants alone as well as the many

products he manufactures, produces, and sells. It would be in his best interest that his strategy be

influenced by departmentalization and by separate groups being responsible for heart patches,
2

synthetic blood vessels to air pollution filters, fuel cells, and their all-famous fabric that blocks

wind and water (Robbins & Judge, 2007 p.567).

Another structure that influences his strategy is boundaryless organization in which he

exhibits through his belief system and philosophy while applying it in his business. Some

responsibilities displaying through his employees is sharing their ideas openly without fear of

criticism from management. Through this, he eliminates hierarchy and bureaucracy type of

standardization and has fostered information sharing and teamwork throughout his company

(Robbins & Judge, 2007 596).

2. Considering what you know about individual differences such as personality, what types of

employees might respond more or less favorably to Gore’s lack of hierarchy?

Begin typing your answer here.

The boundaryless organizational structure in which Gore & Associates are setup,

choosing as well as informing new hires is that their lack of hierarchy structure may take some

time to adapt. Gore must execute awareness. Because of this process, it is important to hire and

employ employee’s that may respond better with certain personality traits.

For instance, introverted employees are more reserved, less outgoing, and less sociable.

They tend to be low-key individuals and are less spontaneous and more passive in social

situations. They often take pleasure in solitary activities such as reading, writing, watching

movies, and using computers. They enjoy time spent alone and find less reward in time spent

with large groups of people. However, this does not mean that they do not make good team

members, as a team when you include extroverts who take pleasure in activities that involve
2

large social gatherings, public demonstrations, and business or political groups they will balance

each other out very nicely (gaebler.com, 2001-2009).

Gore could also match up personality types of his employees who have the elements that

have a core self-evaluation of locus of control. Such as, internals who are individuals who

believe that they control what happens to them rather than externals who are individuals who

believe what happens to them is controlled by outside forces like luck or chance (Robbins &

Judge, 2007 p.114).

When looking at personality types from this perspective we see that it is application to

Gore’s low hierarchy that internals will be more favorable in his structure because by having the

ability to be in control of their lives more they will work well in the environment because they

have the freedom to collaborate with their team with confidence. Whereas, externals who will be

less favorable of their low hierarchy because they will feel the need to be controlled by outside

forces. This will inhibit their ability to work proficiently due to freedom of the boundaryless

organization (Robbins & Judge, 2007 p.114).

Cohorts such as boomers, xers, and nexters are an important personality trait in which

Gore may consider employing due to each generations upbringing and style of work ethics. For

example, boomers will be less favorable of their job because terminal values such as a sense of

accomplishment and social recognition rank high with them. Unlike the xers, who may be more

favorable to Gore’s work environment because they enjoy team-oriented work much like the

nexters, these employee's coming from these groups will fit best (Robbins & Judge, 2007 p.124).

3. What are some advantages and disadvantages of Gore’s structure from a company

perspective? What about from an employee perspective?


1

Begin typing your answer here.

Some of the advantages in which compliments Gores' boundaryless team structured

organization for the company are eliminating chain of command, having limitless spans of

control, and replacing departments with empowered teams. It also removes vertical boundaries,

which flatten the hierarchy while status and ranks are minimized (Robbins & Judge, 2007 p.553)

According to a website called www.business.clayton.edu.mentions some of the

disadvantages that resemble Gore’s organizational structure were by them by stating,

“Obviously, team-based structures and boundaryless organizations are going to have minimal

formalization and centralization. This could create some coordination and control problems for

managers. However, these disadvantages could be minimized by having mechanisms in place to

manage conflicts over coordination and control” (Clayton State University, 2009).

From an employee’s point of view, the advantage of Gore’s structure is that it allows

them to be involved and participate in decision-making. His structure eliminates bureaucracy and

hierarchy that stifle creativity and adaptation. In addition, employees enjoy being part of an

empowered team instead of departments (Robbins & Judge, 2007 p.567).

A disadvantage to employees would be those with a background such as a mechanistic

model, which consists of having supervisors helping you find their way around the workplace.

With Gores structure, everyone’s like a supervisor, so those who are not used to this type of

structure must take some time to adjust (Robbins & Judge, 2007 p.567)

4. How might Gore’s organizational design affect its relationships with external companies that

are more hierarchical in nature?


2

An article from the “Human Resource Planning” written by Jodi Barnes Nelson

summarizes the meaning boundaryless organization as, “A boundaryless organization is one that

focuses on permeating all internal and external boundaries (e.g., those between functions, the

organization and its suppliers, even between nations) with free movement of ideas, information,

decisions, talent, rewards, and action” (Nelson, 1997).

It is through this term and prevalent structure in which is revising the way many businesses are

now operating. In fact, while no company can completely be free of hierarchy, boundaryless structure

businesses are influencing traditional organization much like those who follow boundaries and are

hierarchical.

Hierarchical businesses in nature that normally has implication due to lack of flexibility

to changing mission needs such as,

• Internal and external communication

• Slow and poor in responding to customer requirements and the like

are now loosening the boundary’s that were once keeping them behind of those businesses who

are profiting due to faster flow of communication throughout their company to meet the needs of

their customers (Pang, ).

Since the coining of the term by Jack Welch of GE, many firms has adopted and executed the

principle to break the vertical, horizontal, external, geographic boundaries and now weep the benefits of

meeting the needs of customers today by gaining speed, flexibility, integration, and innovation (Pang, ).

References
2

608Clayton State University (2009). [ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE AND DESIGN.].. Retrieved

8/9/09, from http://business.clayton.edu/ljourdan/mgmt3101ic/robbin10.txt

607gaebler.com (2001-2009). [Managing Different Personality Types: Introverts and Extroverts.]..

Retrieved 8/9/09, from http://www.gaebler.com/Managing-Different-Personality-Types-Introverts-

and-Extroverts.htm

609Nelson, J.B. (1997, December 1). The boundaryless organization: implications for job analysis,

recruitment, and selection. [The Boudaryless Organization.].. Retrieved 8/9/09, from

http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/workforce-management-hiring/654447-1.html

610Pang, L., Dr. (). [FLAT AND BOUNDARYLESS STRUCTURES.].. Retrieved 8/09/09, from

http://mysite.verizon.net/lpang10473/web/ldc_flat.htm

590Robbins, S.P., & Judge, T.A. (2007). Organizational Behavior(12th. ed.).Prentice Hall.

You might also like