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The Org: The Underlying Logic Of The Office (2013)

by Ray Fisman(Favorite Author)

3.32 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

0446571598 (ISBN13: 9780446571593)

languge

English

genre

Nonfiction

publisher

Twelve

review 1: THE MAIN IDEA Organizations allow us to get stuff done! We need organizations to exist in order to provide structures and processes which enable large groups of people to come together more effectively than they would without these processes and structures in place. While this may not seem like ‘rocket science’ the authors go into great detail exploring a wide range of case studies showing how different organizations have used different structures and processes – from matrix forms of organizing through to the flatter, less-hierarchical forms enabled by modern Information Technology (IT) – to be more effective and efficient in their operations. Organizations are stuck operating in a middle space between stifling bureaucracy and controlled chaos. The key is to find t... morehe ‘sweet spot’ for each organization between these poles that works best for your organization – realizing that what this spot is, will change over time as the external operating environment changes. INTERESTING TIDBIT The authors come from a mix of academia and the world of publishing, with Ray Fisman being a Professor at Columbia and Tim Sullivan working at Harvard Business Review Press. WHAT YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW The authors main claim is to show that organizations are a ‘necessary evil’ and that there, unfortunately, is no one size-fits-all solution for how best to structure organization. In their own words: "If there’s one message to take away from this book, it’s that a glass half full may be the best you can hope for." Finding the best way forward for structuring an organization is always going to be an ongoing process of exploration and change. THE GENERAL OVERVIEW This is an interesting book with lots of intriguing case studies and examples. Unfortunately, besides being a very interesting read, there is probably very little here for someone in an organization to take away in terms of practical action. The authors use the concept of transaction cost economics to ground their analysis but don’t really move forward with the idea in any concrete way except introducing it at the beginning which is a shame is it may have helped provide a structuring device to link the book together as a whole. As it is, the book reads more as an interesting history of the concept of the organization. This might be exactly what the authors intended but it does limit its utility for those wanting something more concrete to assist in their own work. It’s definitely worth a read – but its more a book someone takes away with them to read when they have some time off, rather than something that you turn to as a useful resource in your day-to-day work. All in all it’s a good read, and well-written, but it’s light in concrete take away actions for people wanting something concrete to help them increase the effectiveness or efficiency of their organization.
review 2: "As companies boost production or expand across product lines, work stays in the org up to the point where escalating costs of management and coordination outstrip the costs and headaches of dealing with outside suppliers. Then the market takes over. This balancing act was Coase's big insight." (32)"If what gets measured is what gets managed, then what gets managed is what gets done." (38)"Standardization is cheap; customization is expensive." (106)"'The CEO is the link between the Inside that is 'the organization' and the Outside of society, economy, technology, markets, and customers. Inside there are only costs. Results are only on the outside.'" (quoting A.G. Lafley, 166-7)"Labor economists have tried to calculate this 'compensating wage differential' (the amount of money that compensates for taking a less satisfying job) between nonprofits and for-profits. The estimates range anywhere from 20 percent to more than 50 percent -- in other words, a lot of free labor and motivation if you can just get the messaging right." (210) less

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