Getting Everyone Involved: How One Organization Involved its Employees, Supervisors, and Managers in Redesigning the Organization

Abstract

The Conference Model". is a process that uses search conference methodology and sociotechnical systems principles to redesign an organization. Axelrod and Associates, Inc. developed and piloted this approach at a division of R. R.Donnelley and Sons Company, the world `s largest commercial printer The Conference Model involves a series of four conferences; in this case, each conference involved up to 80 participants. The results produced were similar to those that occur when traditional design methods are used but with greater speed and increased commitment and greatly reduced resistance by the rest of the organization. Over 60% of the organization participated in one of the four conferences and thus had direct input into the new design. The organizational design was completed 3 months from the time of the first conference, as compared with the full year it usually takes for traditional design methods. Most important, the design is supported by the overwhelming majority of the organization at all levels because they were part of the consensus that developed it.