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Organizations grapple with the challenge of fostering creative deviance within a structured hierarchy. Can an organization deliberately create an "anti-hierarchy" to encourage employees to engage in acts of creative deviance? While challenging, it is not impossible, and various steps can be taken to achieve this delicate balance.
The first step in encouraging creative deviance is to establish a supportive organizational culture. This proves to be challenging due to the inherent tension between the need for unity of command and the acceptance of creative thinking.
The delicate balance lies in preventing creative deviance from turning into a disregard for authority. Proper management and direction are essential to navigate this fine line.
Organizational leaders must understand that while unity of command is crucial for achieving set performance goals, there should be room for creative thinking within the established framework. The challenge is to foster an environment that encourages employees to think outside the box without compromising the chain of command.
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This requires a paradigm shift in leadership mindset, acknowledging that creative deviance can be a source of innovation rather than a threat to authority.
Creating a contemporary organizational design is another avenue to inspire creative deviance. Team structure, boundaryless structure, matrix-project structure, and learning structure can break the mold of traditional thinking and promote innovation in unexpected areas. The flexibility of such environments allows for a sustainable source of competitive advantage through the sharing of knowledge across the organization.
Team structure, for instance, encourages collaboration and cross-functional communication.
This structure eliminates silos and encourages employees from different departments to share ideas freely. Boundaryless structures, on the other hand, remove traditional barriers, allowing for seamless communication and idea exchange. Matrix-project structures enable individuals to work on multiple projects simultaneously, fostering a diverse range of experiences and perspectives. Learning structures emphasize continuous learning and adaptation, essential for staying ahead in today's dynamic business landscape.
However, the implementation of these contemporary designs comes with its own set of challenges. Organizations need to carefully assess their unique needs and choose a structure that aligns with their goals. Moreover, creating the right culture to support these structures is equally important. Merely adopting a team structure, for instance, is not sufficient if the culture still stifles creative thinking. Leaders must actively promote and reward innovative ideas within these structures to ensure their effectiveness.
While creative deviance can lead to groundbreaking innovations and competitive advantages, it is not without its drawbacks. The risk of investing valuable resources in unprofitable ventures is ever-present. Organizations must carefully weigh the potential benefits against the costs of allowing employees to deviate from established norms.
One significant drawback is the unpredictability of creative deviance. Not every venture into uncharted territory results in success. Companies might find themselves investing time and resources into projects that never materialize into profitable outcomes. The "stars" and "question marks" on the BCG Matrix might remain just that—uncertain and unfulfilled potential.
Moreover, managing and policing creative deviance pose significant challenges. Once an employee starts pursuing their own innovative path, it becomes challenging to draw a line on who else is allowed to do the same. Lack of control can lead to chaos within the organization, as different units pursue divergent creative endeavors without a unified direction. Communication difficulties may arise, causing a breakdown in the hierarchy and order.
Examining the case of Apple, a company known for its creativity within a strongly hierarchical structure, provides valuable insights. While Steve Jobs demonstrated exceptional leadership in balancing control with innovation, this scenario is more of an exception than the norm. The ability of a leader to set a visionary direction that stimulates innovation is crucial. Apple's dedication of resources within a highly structured environment showcases how hierarchy can sustain innovation.
Apple's success in maintaining a hierarchical structure while fostering creativity is attributed to the leadership style of Steve Jobs. Jobs had an unparalleled ability to balance creativity and innovation within a controlled environment. The management's vision played a pivotal role in ensuring that hierarchy became a stimulus for innovation rather than a limitation.
Apple's approach involves dedicating specific resources within its structured environment solely for groundbreaking technologies. This focused approach ensures that creative minds are not pulled in different directions, allowing them to concentrate on the tasks at hand. The success of products like the iPhone and iPad underscores the effectiveness of this strategy.
Contrastingly, some organizations opt for organic approaches in the belief that it fosters creativity. However, this can lead to complexity in project assignments and a lack of clear direction. The balance between democratic innovation and managing a workforce across diverse time zones proves challenging for many companies, as seen in the case of Apple's controlled environments for innovation.
Organizations attempting a more organic approach often believe that it will foster creativity by allowing for greater autonomy and flexibility. However, this approach can lead to blurred lines of responsibility and accountability. The complexity of assigning people to projects increases, making it difficult to maintain a cohesive and efficient workflow.
Democracy in innovation is another challenge faced by companies adopting organic approaches. While it is essential for creative individuals to have a say in project direction, managing and synchronizing the work of many employees across different time zones becomes a formidable task. "Democratic" innovation can be messy, time-consuming, and difficult to manage, especially in rapidly changing competitive environments.
For this reason, many successful companies, like Apple, have created controlled environments in which innovation can occur. While allowing for creativity, these environments maintain a level of control and direction necessary for effective execution. Apple's hierarchical process-driven examples highlight the importance of structure even in the latest stages of product development.
The success of creative deviance ultimately hinges on the management's ability to navigate the delicate balance between structure and innovation. Leaders must set a compelling vision and direction, ensuring that hierarchy stimulates rather than hinders creativity.
Learning from Apple's hierarchical process-driven examples, organizations can adopt similar logic in fostering creativity even at the latest stages of development. The "10 to 3 to 1" rule followed by Apple exemplifies a structured yet creative approach. This rule ensures that the design process involves multiple perspectives, leading to a thorough exploration of ideas before narrowing down to the final design.
Apple's design meetings, conducted in two distinct pairs, demonstrate the thoughtful approach to creativity. The initial meeting allows for free brainstorming and idea generation without boundaries. The subsequent production meeting brings together designers and engineers to refine the "crazy" ideas and make them feasible for production. This structured yet flexible process showcases how hierarchy can coexist with innovation.
In conclusion, the interplay between hierarchy and creativity is a complex dance for organizations. While creative deviance holds the potential for remarkable achievements, it requires careful management and a supportive culture. The Apple case serves as an exception, highlighting the rare success of creativity within a strongly hierarchical structure.
Striking the right balance is a challenge, but it is a challenge worth undertaking for organizations aspiring to innovate and thrive in a competitive landscape. As the business landscape continues to evolve, finding innovative ways to blend hierarchy with creative deviance will be crucial for organizations seeking to stay ahead.
The Balancing Act: Hierarchy and Creativity in Organizations. (2016, Mar 28). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/anti-hierarchy-environment-in-an-organization-essay
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