organizational-frameworks

17 Organizational Frameworks To Unlock Business Growth

FrameworkDescriptionWhen to UseAdvantagesDrawbacks
Kotter’s 8-Step Change ModelAn 8-step model for organizational change developed by Dr. John Kotter.When planning and implementing organizational change.Provides a structured approach to change.May require significant time and effort.
Nadler-Tushman Congruence ModelA diagnostic tool to identify problems within a company based on congruence.When diagnosing organizational issues and misalignments.Pinpoints areas of concern in an organization.Complex and may require expertise to apply.
McKinsey’s Seven Degrees of FreedomA strategy tool to prioritize initiatives for business expansion.In strategic planning to identify growth opportunities.Helps focus on high-impact growth initiatives.May not cover all aspects of business expansion.
Mintzberg’s 5PsA strategy development model examining five perspectives to create a successful strategy.When crafting and evaluating business strategies.Provides multiple viewpoints for strategy development.May require careful integration of perspectives.
COSO FrameworkA framework for designing and evaluating internal controls within an organization.When implementing controls and risk management processes.Enhances control and risk management practices.Can be complex and resource-intensive.
TOWS MatrixA variation of the SWOT analysis that addresses relationships between threats, opportunities, weaknesses, and strengths.In strategic planning and decision-making.Helps identify strategic options and relationships.Requires thorough analysis and interpretation.
Lewin’s Change ManagementA model for managing change by Kurt Lewin, focusing on three stages of change.When implementing and managing organizational change.Provides a structured approach to change management.May not account for all aspects of change.
Standard for Portfolio ManagementDescribes portfolio management processes concerning programs, projects, and organizational strategy.In portfolio management and aligning projects with strategy.Provides a standardized approach to portfolio management.May require adaptation to specific industries.
Change ManagementA systematic approach to managing organizational transformation and overcoming resistance to change.When implementing organizational change initiatives.Promotes successful change implementation.Requires buy-in and cooperation from stakeholders.
Organizational StructuresFrameworks that shape business models based on various criteria for decision-making and alignment.When designing the organizational structure of a company.Enables efficient information flow and alignment.Must be tailored to fit the organization’s needs.
Team Management WheelA model for team effectiveness developed by Dr. Charles Margerison and Dr. Dick McCann.When analyzing and improving team performance.Identifies and addresses team dynamics and effectiveness.Requires understanding and application of the model.
Greiner’s Growth ModelDescribes phases and crises an organization may experience during growth.When assessing and managing organizational growth.Highlights challenges and phases of growth.General model may not address industry-specific issues.
Deloitte Business ChemistryA model for developing emotional intelligence within teams, characterized by four working styles.When promoting team harmony and effectiveness.Enhances emotional intelligence and teamwork.People may exhibit a mix of working styles.
Mullins’ Seven DomainsA model used by entrepreneurs to assess the viability of a new business idea from seven domains.When evaluating the potential of a new business concept.Provides a comprehensive evaluation framework.May not guarantee success and requires judgment.
Galbraith Star ModelA framework by Jay R. Galbraith for sustaining organizational value propositions and business models.When seeking long-term sustainability and alignment.Helps align organizational design with strategy.May require adjustments for specific contexts.
Swimlane DiagramCross-functional flowcharts used to clarify job sharing and responsibility in processes.When visualizing complex processes with multiple departments.Clarifies roles and responsibilities in workflows.Requires familiarity with diagramming techniques.

Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model

kotters-8-step-change-model
Harvard Business School professor Dr. John Kotter has been a thought-leader on organizational change, and he developed Kotter’s 8-step change model, which helps business managers deal with organizational change. Kotter created the 8-step model to drive organizational transformation.

Nadler-Tushman Congruence Model

nadler-tushman-congruence-model
The Nadler-Tushman Congruence Model was created by David Nadler and Michael Tushman at Columbia University. The Nadler-Tushman Congruence Model is a diagnostic tool that identifies problem areas within a company. In the context of business, congruence occurs when the goals of different people or interest groups coincide.

McKinsey’s Seven Degrees of Freedom

mckinseys-seven-degrees
McKinsey’s Seven Degrees of Freedom for Growth is a strategy tool. Developed by partners at McKinsey and Company, the tool helps businesses understand which opportunities will contribute to expansion, and therefore it helps to prioritize those initiatives.

Mintzberg’s 5Ps

5ps-of-strategy
Mintzberg’s 5Ps of Strategy is a strategy development model that examines five different perspectives (plan, ploy, pattern, position, perspective) to develop a successful business strategy. A sixth perspective has been developed over the years, called Practice, which was created to help businesses execute their strategies.

COSO Framework

coso-framework
The COSO framework is a means of designing, implementing, and evaluating control within an organization. The COSO framework’s five components are control environment, risk assessment, control activities, information and communication, and monitoring activities. As a fraud risk management tool, businesses can design, implement, and evaluate internal control procedures.

TOWS Matrix

tows-matrix
The TOWS Matrix is an acronym for Threats, Opportunities, Weaknesses, and Strengths. The matrix is a variation on the SWOT Analysis, and it seeks to address criticisms of the SWOT Analysis regarding its inability to show relationships between the various categories.

Lewin’s Change Management

lewins-change-management-model
Lewin’s change management model helps businesses manage the uncertainty and resistance associated with change. Kurt Lewin, one of the first academics to focus his research on group dynamics, developed a three-stage model. He proposed that the behavior of individuals happened as a function of group behavior.

Standard for Portfolio Management

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The Standard for Portfolio Management (SfPfM) describes a suite of portfolio management processes concerning programs, projects, and organizational strategy. The Standard for Portfolio Management is a creation of the Project Management Institute (PMI).

Change Management

change-management
Change is an important and necessary fact of life for all organizations. But change is often unsuccessful because the people within organizations are resistant to change. Change management is a systematic approach to managing the transformation of organizational goals, values, technologies, or processes.

Organizational Structures

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An organizational structure allows companies to shape their business model according to several criteria (like products, segments, geography and so on) that would enable information to flow through the organizational layers for better decision-making, cultural development, and goals alignment across employees, managers, and executives. 

Team Management Wheel

margerison-mccann-team-management-wheel
The Margerison-McCann team management wheel was developed by Dr. Charles Margerison and Dr. Dick McCann. Margerison – an author and psychologist – partnered with scientist and organizational behaviorist McCann to determine why some teams were effective while others with a similar skillset were not.

Greiner’s Growth Model

greiners-growth-model
Greiner’s growth model, also known as the Greiner curve, describes the various phases and crises an organization may experience as it grows. Greiner’s growth model is not specific to any industry, instead providing a general overview of the various problems a company may encounter as its size increases. If nothing else, the model highlights the fact that growth is inherently difficult. Greiner’s growth model is comprised of six phases, with each comprising a different stage of company maturity. These are growth through creativity, direction, delegation, coordination and monitoring, collaboration, and extra-organizational solutions.

Deloitte Business Chemistry

deloitte-business-chemistry
Deloitte Business Chemistry is a model that organizations use to develop emotional intelligence within teams. Deloitte Business Chemistry is a way to increase the emotional intelligence of individuals with organizational teams. It seeks to provide clarification on common organizational problems around team harmony and effectiveness. Deloitte Business Chemistry is characterized by four working styles: pioneers, drivers, guardians, and integrators. Whilst employees may embody a mix of all four styles depending on the context, they tend to prefer one style over the others.

Mullins’ Seven Domains

mullins-seven-domains-model
The Mullins’ Seven Domains model is used by entrepreneurs to determine whether a new business idea is viable. The Mullins’ Seven Domains model assesses an idea from seven perspectives (domains). Four pertain to micro and macro level factors across the industry and environment, while a further three relate to the team within the start-up. The Mullins’ Seven Domains model is not a checklist that must be satisfied for organizational success. Nor is it a summary of what most people know about testing a new idea or starting a new company.

Galbraith Star Model

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The Galbraith star model was developed by American organizational theorist Jay R. Galbraith in 1982. The model provides a framework with which an organization can sustain its value propositions and business model over time. 

Swimlane Diagram

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Swimlane diagrams are a type of cross-functional flowchart developed by organizational consultants Geary Rummler and Alan Brache in 1990. The pair built on pre-existing multi-column process charts to better illustrate processes involving more than one unit or department. A swimlane diagram is used in process flowcharts to clarify job sharing and job responsibility.

Organizational Structure Case Studies

Airbnb Organizational Structure

airbnb-organizational-structure
Airbnb follows a holacracy model, or a sort of flat organizational structure, where teams are organized for projects, to move quickly and iterate fast, thus keeping a lean and flexible approach. Airbnb also moved to a hybrid model where employees can work from anywhere and meet on a quarterly basis to plan ahead, and connect to each other.

eBay Organizational Structure

ebay-organizational-structure
eBay was until recently a multi-divisional (M-form) organization with semi-autonomous units grouped according to the services they provided. Today, eBay has a single division called Marketplace, which includes eBay and its international iterations.

IBM Organizational Structure

ibm-organizational-structure
IBM has an organizational structure characterized by product-based divisions, enabling its strategy to develop innovative and competitive products in multiple markets. IBM is also characterized by function-based segments that support product development and innovation for each product-based division, which include Global Markets, Integrated Supply Chain, Research, Development, and Intellectual Property.

Sony Organizational Structure

sony-organizational-structure
Sony has a matrix organizational structure primarily based on function-based groups and product/business divisions. The structure also incorporates geographical divisions. In 2021, Sony announced the overhauling of its organizational structure, changing its name from Sony Corporation to Sony Group Corporation to better identify itself as the headquarters of the Sony group of companies skewing the company toward product divisions.

Facebook Organizational Structure

facebook-organizational-structure
Facebook is characterized by a multi-faceted matrix organizational structure. The company utilizes a flat organizational structure in combination with corporate function-based teams and product-based or geographic divisions. The flat organization structure is organized around the leadership of Mark Zuckerberg, and the key executives around him. On the other hand, the function-based teams based on the main corporate functions (like HR, product management, investor relations, and so on).

Google Organizational Structure

google-organizational-structure
Google (Alphabet) has a cross-functional (team-based) organizational structure known as a matrix structure with some degree of flatness. Over the years, as the company scaled and it became a tech giant, its organizational structure is morphing more into a centralized organization.

Tesla Organizational Structure

tesla-organizational-structure
Tesla is characterized by a functional organizational structure with aspects of a hierarchical structure. Tesla does employ functional centers that cover all business activities, including finance, sales, marketing, technology, engineering, design, and the offices of the CEO and chairperson. Tesla’s headquarters in Austin, Texas, decide the strategic direction of the company, with international operations given little autonomy.

McDonald’s Organizational Structure

mcdonald-organizational-structure
McDonald’s has a divisional organizational structure where each division – based on geographical location – is assigned operational responsibilities and strategic objectives. The main geographical divisions are the US, internationally operated markets, and international developmental licensed markets. And on the other hand, the hierarchical leadership structure is organized around regional and functional divisions.

Walmart Organizational Structure

walmart-organizational-structure
Walmart has a hybrid hierarchical-functional organizational structure, otherwise referred to as a matrix structure that combines multiple approaches. On the one hand, Walmart follows a hierarchical structure, where the current CEO Doug McMillon is the only employee without a direct superior, and directives are sent from top-level management. On the other hand, the function-based structure of Walmart is used to categorize employees according to their particular skills and experience.

Microsoft Organizational Structure

microsoft-organizational-structure
Microsoft has a product-type divisional organizational structure based on functions and engineering groups. As the company scaled over time it also became more hierarchical, however still keeping its hybrid approach between functions, engineering groups, and management.

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