As a chameleon's skin changes in color in response to stimuli such as light temperature and emotion, the organization of the future will be an ultimately adaptable organism constantly changing to its environment as a chameleon does.

The new conventional wisdom on the future of organizations is now fairly clear. They will be: -

• Vision led, with a cohesive and inclusive culture

• Customer focused

• Flexible and adaptable, with permeable internal and external "boundaries"

• Be able to act as small entities while being global in reach and power

• Recognize, value and develop human potential, but with major departures from traditional "life time employment"

• Be participative in style and work largely on the basis of team operations

• Embrace and benefit from the enrichment of diversity

Managers will have to recognize that they must create capabilities in their organization to: -

• Conceive and execute complex strategies

• Share and protect intellectual property

• Manage the public private interface

• Provide intellectual and administrative leadership

During the next decade the critical work of managers who are confronted with this competitive discontinuities will be to: -

• Create a shared competitive agenda for the entire organization

• Focusing on changing the industry dynamics and leveraging the resources of the company

• Create a flexible system that can reconfigure resources to address emerging opportunities

• Developing a global capability

Six important shifts of emphasis are shaping the organizations of the future and each has significant human implications: -

• Fat to lean - the new staffing principle

• From Vertical to horizontal the new organization

• From homogeneity to diversity the new work force

• From status and command rights to expertise and relationships

• From company to projects: the new loyalty

• From organizational capital to reputation capital: the career asset

The MONDRAGON model of Spain is an important example with the following characteristics: -

• It is a 40 years experiment citing the fact that the market place of competition contains a significant place for co-operation

• It is a clear demonstration that only human beings can add value to their capital

• It is a work community where religious values and ethical considerations of fairness and democracy thrives to the benefit of capital formation

* Contributed by -
Dharmesh K. Mishra,
PGP 2003-2005,
XIM Bhubaneswar.