HOLACRACY ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE AS THE BEST FIT FOR THE MODERN QUICKLY DEVELOPING WORLD

УДК 65.014

Гресь Г.О., аспірант 1 року навчання
ХНЕУ ім. С. Кузнеця

Abstract: This article describes Holacracy organizational structure and its application to the companies, which work on rapidly changing or highly competitive market. Key concepts and differences of this organizational structure are described in the article. The article analyses the current rapidly changing world and offer the solution to this problem.

Key words: organisational structure, Holacracy, rapid economic change.

Стаття розглядає холакратичну організаційну структуру та її застосування в компаніях, які працюють на швидко-змінюваному чи дуже конкурентноспроможному ринці. Ключові концепти та відмінності холакратичної організацйнох структури також описані у цій статті. Крім того, стаття аналізує сучасний швидко-змінюваний світ та пропонує рішення цієї проблеми.

Ключові слова: організаційна структура, холакратія, швидкі економічні зміни.

The problem of rapidly changing world is an actual question for organisational structures of many companies. Nowadays the economic situation is not stable for a long time, that means, each enterprise needs to be very competitive in order to stay on the market.

The following scientists gave been involved in the solving of the problem of rapidly changing world from the view of companies’ competitiveness: Brian Robertson, Martin Röll, Artem Serdyuk. The problem is not fully disclosed at all. Thus, the goal of this article is to reveal the essence, purpose and describe the new type of organizational structure called Holacracy.

It replaces the traditional pyramid-shaped management hierarchy with a structure based on the idea of holarchy. A holarchy looks like a series of nested circles. Each circle (i.e. team) is made up of a set of roles, grouped together around a specific function – whether it is a specific project team, a department, a support function, or a business line. Some circles will contain sub-circles, and all are contained within the largest super-circle, usually called the “General Company Circle”. Each circle is a holon – both a self-organising entity in its own right, and a part of a larger circle. As such, it has autonomy and authority to manage itself, but must also coordinate with other circles in the system. This allows companies using Holacracy to have both alignment and agency without the typical pathologies of “leaderless” groups or autocratic micromanagement. An example of Holacracy organisational structure is shown on fig. 1.

Fig. 1. Example of the company with Holacracy organisational structure [1]

Fig. 1. Example of the company with Holacracy organisational structure [1]

Holacracy is very agile and thus, very detaily described organisational structure. This organisational structure does not have positions for people, but it has Roles. The main lows of it are located in the document called Holacracy Constitution [2]. The Role that contains other roles besides the standard ones is a Circle. More than one person can perform each role that is shown on fig. 2. Each person can perform more than one role. If the role needs the division of its accountabilities onto a few more roles, than the circle is created from the role that needs such a division on accountabilities.

Fig. 2. Circles and roles in Holacracy structure [3]

Fig. 2. Circles and roles in Holacracy structure [3]

Lead Link is a real leader in Holacracy organisational structure. Lead Link performs all roles’ accountabilities of the circle by default. Still Lead Link has the key accountability of assigning the roles performers. In other words, Lead Link manage the work rather than people. As far as the unassigned roles’ accountabilities are performed by the Lead Link, the Lead Link is a real lead of own circle.

Four standard roles exist in each circle. They are Lead Link, Rep Link, Facilitator and Secretary. Rep Link is a connector of the roles of a circle with the primary circle. For example, Rep Link of Operations attends meetings of GCC (which is a primary circle for Operations circle) and communicate the problems of Operations circle. Facilitator facilitates the work in accordance with Holacracy Constitution in a circle. Secretary performs standard administer and log work in the circle.

In conclusion, Holacracy organisational structure is very common for the fast-developing and innovative industries, since the core of the organisational structure is the continuous natural changing of the company in accordance to the outside environment. There are many aspects, which need more detailed studying, especially, synchronisation of Holacracy with key business-process of organisations. This will be discussed in following articles.