Exploring the Fourth Order: Designing Organisational Infrastructure. In Research Perspectives in the Era of Transformations

Conference Paper (2019)
Author(s)

J.B. Klitsie (TU Delft - Responsible Marketing and Consumer Behavior)

R.A. Price (TU Delft - Responsible Marketing and Consumer Behavior)

C.S.H. de Lille (TU Delft - DesIgning Value in Ecosystems, De Haagse Hogeschool)

Research Group
Responsible Marketing and Consumer Behavior
More Info
expand_more
Publication Year
2019
Language
English
Related content
Research Group
Responsible Marketing and Consumer Behavior
Reuse Rights

Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download, forward or distribute the text or part of it, without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license such as Creative Commons.

Abstract

Companies are organised to fulfil two distinctive functions: efficient and resilient exploitation of current business and parallel exploration of new possibilities. For the latter,
companies require strong organisational infrastructure such as team compositions and functional structures to ensure exploration remains effective. This paper explores the
potential for designing organisational infrastructure to be part of fourth order subject matter. In particular, it explores how organisational infrastructure could be designed in the
context of an exploratory unit, operating in a large heritage airline. This paper leverages insights from a long-term action research project and finds that building trust and shared
frames are crucial to designing infrastructure that affords the greater explorative agenda of an organisation.