A flexible organisation is one that is able to adapt and respond relatively quickly to changes in its external environment in order to gain advantage and sustain its competitive position
Restructuring
A key feature of most flexible organisations is the shift that has taken place in the structure of the workforce.
Core workers - permanent, full time, salaried, central to the organisation and likely to be committed to the aims and objectives of the organisation
Peripheral, temporary or part-time workers, less secure, easy to replace, less likely to be committed to the organisation’s aims and objectives
Charles Handy Shamrock Organisation
Delayering
The removal of one of more layers of hierarchy from the management structure of an organisation structure. This leads to a flatter hierarchical structure with a span of control
Flexible employment contracts
Working arrangements that give some degree of flexibility about how long, where, when and at what times employees work; the flexibility about how long, where, when and at what times employees work; the flexibility can be in terms of working time, working location or the pattern of working.
Organic vs Mechanistic Structures
Organic structures (also known as flat) have a wide span of control, decentralisation, low specialisation and formalisation and loose departmentalisation. Chain of command can be sometimes difficult to decipher.
Mechanistic structures are typified by narrow span of control, high centralisation, specialisation and formalisation. Chain of command long or short would be clear.
Knowledge and information management
Information management is the provision of the right information, to the right people at the right time.
Knowledge management goes beyond this and not only provides just information, but insight, guidance, experience and know-how
