adhocracy

plural adhocracies · alternative ad hocracy · alternative ad-hocracy

1. organizational theorybusinessAn organizational system designed to be flexible and responsive to the needs of the moment rather than excessively bureaucratic.First known use 1964.

   This is a picture of the coming Ad-hocracy, the fast-moving, information-rich, kinetic organization of the future, filled with transient cells and extremely mobile individuals […]

   1970, Alvin Toffler, Future Shock, New York, N.Y.: Random House, →OCLC, page 140

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   The temporary system or ad hocracy can only be understood in the context of the preceding remarks on community, if it is to be anything more than a superficial technique for rearranging isolated individuals to perform new kinds of errands for the boss.

   1972, Viewpoints: Bulletin of the School of Education, Indiana University, volume 48, Bloomington, Ind.: School of Education, Indiana University, →ISSN, page 71

   In summary, adhocracies are characterized by flexible, adaptive structures in which multidisciplinary teams of professionals are formed around specific problems or objectives. They tend to have constantly changing units (as opposed to the relatively stable functional departments of bureaucracies). New units are formed to deal with new problems or objectives. Old units either are dissolved as problems are solved, or change their makeup as different stages of the project are reached.

   1987, H. W. Hendrick, “Human Factors in Organizational Design and Management”, in Peter A. Hancock, editor, Human Factors Psychology (Advances in Psychology; 57), Amsterdam: North-Holland, Elsevier Science Publishers, →ISBN, page 389

   Adhocracy means that the different parts of an organization are temporarily assembled to meet the requirements and needs which apply at any particular point in time. […] [Henry] Mintzberg considers that adhocracy is characterized by an organic structure, a low degree of formalization, a high degree of horizontal work specialization based on formal training and specialist competence, a tendency to group specialized personnel in functional units to facilitate administration and personal development ("housekeeping purposes"), while employing them in small, market-based project groups in work organizations. Coordination and management are characterized by decentralized decision making to a relatively high degree, and by mutual adaptation at the project group level, rather than by control from above.

   1995, Mats Alvesson, Management of Knowledge-intensive Companies (De Gruyter Studies in Organization; 61), Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, →ISBN, page 93

   The main advantage of the adhocracy is that it can respond rapidly to change. It promotes creativity by bringing diverse groups of professionals together to work on specific projects. Adhocracies may be permanent structures, such as the lattice type of organizational design used at W.L. Gore & Associates (Rhodes, 1982), or they may be set up on a temporary basis.

   2006, Trevor Slack, Milena M. Parent, Understanding Sport Organizations: The Application of Organization Theory, 2nd edition, Champaign, Ill.: Human Kinetics, →ISBN, page 102

   Perhaps, [Joel] Garreau implied, the Global Business Network would work like Esther Dyson's Internet and would transform its client organizations into inventive, problem-solving ad-hocracies.

   2006, Fred Turner, From Counterculture to Cyberculture: Stewart Brand, the Whole Earth Network, and the Rise of Digital Utopianism, Chicago, Ill.: University of Chicago Press, →ISBN, page 221