An RV rolling through a parking lot in Louisville, Kentucky, does not normally turn heads. But this case was different. The geometric beige patterns that typically adorn RVs had been boldly wrapped over by the corporate colors and logo of GE Appliances (GEA). And the RV was driving not into a public lot, but onto the tarmac of GEA’s corporate headquarters during a company-wide event.
Is Organizational Hierarchy Getting in the Way of Innovation?
What a new organizational model might look like — and how to decide if your company is ready for it.
September 12, 2023
Illustration by Klawe Rzeczy
Summary.
Technological advances and increasingly sophisticated ways of gathering and analyzing data are changing both the kinds of products and services companies can offer and are increasing competitive pressures. To meet the moment, this article argues that organizations may need to change the way they operate to innovate. Specifically, the authors suggest that companies should consider a version of RenDanHeYi. They outline the four key elements of this model and offer suggestions for whether, and how, to implement elements of it.