Case-study: WL Gore & Associates

909 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Personality traits of employees and managers

Question 1:

The organizational structure of WL Gore is an organic model with the matrix/team structure that follows their innovations strategy. This structure influences their innovation strategy, chain of command, span of control and decentralization of processes and decision-making.

WL Gore has done a great job of creating a profitable, innovative company. As a flat organization they have higher participation using an organic model (555) with cross-functional teams that have wide spans of control. This includes the free-flow of information, low formalization, and decentralization that provides for faster decisions from cross-hierarchal teams. The team/matrix structure combines functionality and product resources. This also creates generalists rather than specialists to share product resources and allows for timely completion of products closer to budget with less duplication of activities. Decentralization creates a chain of command from the team directly to the final decision maker with a lower span of control. In addition, their innovation strategy promotes unique, meaningful innovations that empower employees to introduce new products to their teams for possible manufacturing.

The team/matrix structure within this organic model clearly creates product innovation, job satisfaction, across the board high profits and lower costs. This is a result of the organic model with a team/matrix structure influenced by their innovation strategy.

Question 2:

The lack of hierarchy in the Gore organization would best suit employees with a high core self-evaluation. In addition, employees would possess most if not all of the Big Five factors. The combination of these personality traits in employees will he...

... middle of paper ...

...h the bureaucracy of larger organizations. The fact that most of Gore employees are generalists may prompt them to create relationships with consultants, contractors, or external companies with their own type of work specialization. These relationships may also be created, designed, or developed depending on the level of technology needed by Gore as well.

In conclusion, the Gore organization design may help create various types of relationships with external companies. Those relationships will vary greatly depending on the resources needed, work specialties required, personalities of the personnel involved as well as the level of technology needed or used by Gore or their external companies.

Works Cited

Robbins , Stephen P. and Judge, Timothy, A. Organizational Behavior. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. Prentice Hall. Pearson Custom Publishing. 2008 Print

Show More
Related

  • Cupcakes-Palooza Case Study

    836 Words  | 2 Pages

    Secondly, CP should incorporate a more flexible environment using an organic structure while incorporating a horizontal approach that will allow them to delegate authority and responsibility. The organic structure would require CP to “depend heavily on an informal structure of employee networks. Astute managers are keenly aware of these interactions, and they encourage employees to work more as teammates than as subordinates who take orders from the boss”

    Read More

  • Evaluating Effectiveness of NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering

    1923 Words  | 4 Pages

    Finally, we have to admit that there are no blade edge differences in organizational structures. A highly mechanistic organization may adopt some organic structure if it needs. For example, an organization may have a strictly formalized finance and human resources divisions while having an innovative marketing and product development divisions. Based on changing needs, a balanced between mechanistic structure and organic structure will help organization control its organizational assets, devise its tactical and strategic plans, and as a result, increase market share while gaining competitive advantage over its competitors.

    Read More

  • W. L Gore Case Study Analysis

    1207 Words  | 3 Pages

    Organizational culture at W.L.Gore & Associates can be described from the aspects of shared social knowledge within the organization from rules, norms and values that shaped attitude and behavior of its employees. When we look at the design of organizational structure at WL Gore & Associates Company, this is a company without any hierarchy or conventional structures, from the view of organizational ethics there is no formal code of ethics or a companywide mission statement. The business units under the W.L gore were also not required to have any code of ethics or mission statement .The people in the organization operated under a un-management style lattice structure.

    Read More

  • Organizational Structure in W.L. Gore and Assoicates, Gore-Tex, and Columbia

    2959 Words  | 6 Pages

    In today’s ever changing and ever-quickening business environment, there is constant debate about what type of organizational structure is “best,” and how choice of structure impacts productivity. Companies in the same industry that receive different results may employ contrasting organizational structures. Founded in 1958, W.L. Gore and Associates trademarked Gore-Tex, a breathable, waterproof fabric (Gore, n.d., para. 1). Columbia Sportswear Company, founded in 1938 is a leading innovator in the global outdoor apparel, footwear, accessories and equipment market (Columbia, n.d., para. 2). In this paper we will analyze the connection between organizational structure and productivity by comparing W.L. Gore & Associates’ Gore-Tex, and Columbia.

    Read More

  • The Corporate Culture Of W. L. Gore & Associates

    2007 Words  | 5 Pages

    The unique organizational structure that has been implemented at W.L. Gore & Associates is in contrast to a more formal bureaucratic or hierarchical corporate structure (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2009). For instance, ...

    Read More

  • Gore Case Analysis

    919 Words  | 2 Pages

    Bill Gore is a primary example of a unique, yet successful, approach on structuring his business using a lattice system. Lattice systems are organized to promote ingenuity and performance without hierarchy of authority (Grant, 2010, p. 412). Gore’s intent was to create an environment with self-managed associates pursuing personal commitments and working together to achieve diverse innovations (p. 412). The success of W.L. Gore & Associates exercising a lattice system structure has been admirable but this system has adverse effects including confusion of how an associate is paid for his contributions. In addition to maintaining Gore’s core vision to promote ingenuity and performance without hierarchy of authority, a compensation plan should be implemented relevant to qualifications, expertise and performance.

    Read More

  • Determining an Organization’s Configuration: Mintzberg Organizations

    1861 Words  | 4 Pages

    Organizational structure is one of the three key organizational assets that could contribute to the effectiveness of operations of any organization (Zheng, Yan and Mclean 2009) It is joined together by different flows of information, decision processes, hierarchy of authority, specialization and working materials. (Enz 2009; Mintzberg 1980) Furthermore, it also determines the operating workflow, control of information, decision-making in the organization and the line authority (Mintzberg 1980). The facets of the organizational structure, the relationships that exist within it, and how the business processes (Bititci et al 2011) are controlled, determine the managerial style that should be utilized in addition to the strategies the organization could implement. Going further, a company’s organizational design and the parts that constitute it are seen as a contributing factor to superior performance, which ultimately provide an organization with competitive advantage over its competitors. (Enz 2009; Zheng, Yang, and Mclean 2009)

    Read More

  • Microsoft and Greiner’s Model of Organizational Growth

    1063 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...ctional manager which means they have divided loyalty and must keep balanced. Employees are shifted from team to team depending on where their talents are most needed at any given time. This makes the matrix structure organic rather than mechanistic in nature.

    Read More

  • Team Dynamics - Conflict Resolution Strategies

    1188 Words  | 3 Pages

    Kreitner, R., & Kinicki, A., (2004). Organizational Behavior (6th ed.). New York: McGraw- Hill/Irwin. pp. 406- 441.

    Read More

  • H & M Case Study

    846 Words  | 2 Pages

    Business structure is a critical factor to determine a company 's success or failure. Generally, larger organization has a more complex organizational structure. In the case of H&M, they had adopted matrix structure, one of the traditional organizational structure, into their business. As shown in figure 1, range of functional groups is listed horizontally across the table and on the other is product/task with a manager taking control of each. The functional structure is divided

    Read More

  • Case Analysis of W.L. Gore

    528 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gore is an organic management system with a flat hierarchy that incorporates a lattice structure. They have few written rules with their focus along the lines of a narrow competitive scope but unique in advantage. This gives them a focused differentiation according to Porter’s competitive strategies.

    Read More

  • A Case Study of Toyota Motor Company’s Strategic Implementation Factors and how they affect the Company’s Operations.

    926 Words  | 2 Pages

    Organizations must operate within structures that allow them to perform at their best within their given environments. According to theorists T. Burns and G.M Stalker (1961), organizations require structures that will allow them to adapt and react to changes in the environment (Mechanistic vs Organic Structures, 2009). Toyota Company’s corporate structure is spelt out as one where the management team and employees conduct operations and make decisions through a system of checks and balances.

    Read More

  • Matrix Organizational Structure

    920 Words  | 2 Pages

    Organizational structure is the way that an organization arranges people and jobs so that work can be performed and goals can be achieved. Good organizational design helps communications, productivity, and innovation. Many organization structures have been created based on organizational strategy, size, technology, and environment. Robbins and Judge (2011, p. 504) listed three common structures: simple, bureaucracy, and matrix. In this post the author will describe the matrix structure, and discuss its advantages and disadvantages.

    Read More

  • Cooperation vs. Control

    2123 Words  | 5 Pages

    Philips brothers set a precedent for the cross-functional coordination. NO’s management structure mimicked the leadership of Philips brothers. A technical manager and a commercial manager led an organization and they had a cross-divisional coordination. The culture permeated the organization and at each level of management. In effect, the culture promoted functional neo-matrix structures within NOs.

    Read More

  • Culture, Power & Politics in the Workplace

    1484 Words  | 3 Pages

    Organizational structure within an organization is a critical component of the day to day operations of a business. An organization benefits from organizational structure as a result of all it encompasses. It is used to define how tasks are divided, grouped and coordinated. Six elements should be addressed during the design of the organization’s structure: work specialization, departmentalization, chain of command, spans of control, centralization and decentralization. These components are a direct reflection of the organization’s culture, power and politics.

    Read More

More about Case-study: WL Gore & Associates

Open Document