How to set up your organisation for the future: one of our solutions in the example.

An article on the organisational model by Jeroen van Bree.

Organisational design deals with development potential. This involves designing the structures and processes of your organisation, as well as precisely defining principles and culture. Aligned with the purpose and strategy, identification and efficiency of your organisation are created - right down to the people. But how can you go about achieving this?

Jeroen van Bree is a consultant and author who uses three basic framework models for the organisational model he has developed: Gallbraith's star model, the 7-S model by Waterman et. al. and the four fundamental problems of the organisation by Puranam et. al. as a basis. Furthermore, van Bree includes results from studies and approaches relating to the content and the process of designing an organisational model.

In the following article, we would like to introduce you to an approach that has already proven to be up-to-date and practical for coaching change.

According to van Bree's approach, the needs of the change are determined at the beginning of the project to develop an organisational model (discovery phase). The findings are then translated into design criteria that form the guidelines for the organisational model. In the design phase, work is carried out from the macro level to the meso level.

1. discovery phase

In the discovery phase, the current context of the organisation is examined, the desired future state is described and conditions for the design process (e.g. personnel policy) are defined. In addition, the design criteria that describe what the organisational model should achieve are developed.

2. grouping phase

In the grouping phase, the future structure of the organisation is designed. This is done in various steps: At the beginning, relevant grouping dimensions are determined. The grouping is then defined at macro and meso level and the auxiliary and support tasks are identified and assigned.

3. preparation phase and transfer

The final phase before the transfer to the new organisation is the preparation phase. Here, the strategic design should be subjected to an impact assessment. This takes the form of a theoretical and practical stress test in which business scenarios and their consequences are played out. The necessary operational details must then be worked out, including the size and composition of the teams and the staffing of the structure. Leadership roles and management processes, i.e. governance, should also be defined. The results of the impact assessment and the definition of the operational details form the operational concept.

The transition to the new organisational model is then planned and recorded in a transition plan. This defines the transition strategy, including the process, pace, sequence and management of the transition, as well as the personnel processes associated with the transition.

When introducing a new organisation, it is essential to involve and support people in the change process through accompanying change management. In this way, resistance can be reduced and commitment increased so that the project can be successful.

Galbraith, J. R. (1977): Organisation design. Reading, Mass. 1977.
Galbraith, S. (2017): Jay R. Galbraith: Master of Organisation Design - Recognizing Patterns from Living, Breathing Organizations. In: Szabla, D. B.; Pasmore, W. A.; Barnes, M. A.; Gipson, A. N. (eds.): The Palgrave Handbook of Organisational Change Thinkers. Cham 2017, pp. 507-526.
Puranam, P.; Alexy, O.; Reitzig, M. (2014): What's "New" About New Forms of Organising? In: Academy of Management Review, 39th Vol. (2014), Issue 2, pp. 162-180.
van Bree, J. (2021): Organisation Design. Frameworks, Principles, and Approaches, Springer eBook Collection, Cham 2021.
Waterman, R. H.; Peters, T. J.; Phillips, J.R. (1980): Structure is not organisation. In: Business Horizons, 23rd Vol. (1980), Issue 3, pp. 14-26.

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