Towards new organizational forms
International Journal of Organizational Analysis
ISSN: 1934-8835
Article publication date: 27 July 2010
Abstract
Purpose
The objective of this paper is to analyze the organizational change in 100 of the largest Spanish firms (a new national context) over the period 1993‐2003 (a more recent time period).
Design/methodology/approach
To achieve this purpose, consideration has been given to both traditional organizational categories and new organizational forms, such as cooperative multidivisional, competitive multidivisional, and the internal network. Detailed definitions of the new organizational forms being developed by companies are provided in the paper. Thus, these new organizational forms may differ in several aspects, such as the decision‐making process and integration between divisions.
Findings
The results show that over this period, Spanish firms experienced a steadily rising trend towards divisionalization. The cooperative multidivisional structure is the one most frequently adopted in Spain, as opposed to the competitive multidivisional form and the internal network.
Originality/value
The systematic study of the distinctive attributes of the new forms of organization, providing accumulated knowledge, is in an emergent phase of development in the international field, and this work seeks to contribute to such development. The nature of the study strengthens the global implications of the work, and the information obtained from top practitioners in these Spanish firms enhances the contribution of the study.
Keywords
Citation
Sanchez‐Bueno, M.J. and Suarez‐Gonzalez, I. (2010), "Towards new organizational forms", International Journal of Organizational Analysis, Vol. 18 No. 3, pp. 340-357. https://doi.org/10.1108/19348831011062166
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2010, Emerald Group Publishing Limited