Organisational Design

The way organisational design is executed or structured ultimately determines how effectively it will deliver on its strategic imperatives and whether or not it will be flexible enough to adapt to constant change. We work with our clients to identify and achieve the ideal structure or Requisite Organisation (RO) by using a combination of Matrix of Working Relationships (MWR) audits, organisational mapping and role profiling. A requisite structure helps influence behaviour and the relationships between jobs and functions and provides context for purposeful and goal-oriented behaviour.

What does an optimal structure look like for your organisation and how do you know when you’ve got it right?

Does your organisational structure:

• Enable strategy execution.
• Optimally leverage capability and enable people to do the work they are meant to do, at the right time, in the right place.
• Contain costs and optimise resources.
• Eliminate congestion and enhance the flow of information through the organisation.
• Protect critical specialists and talent.
• Clarify and create the conditions for effective leadership.
• Optimise hierarchy.
• Improve innovation and flexibility and promote long term sustainability.
• Clarify decision rights and responsibilities.
• Strengthen accountability.

RO Theory

Requisite Organisation, or RO theory, was developed by Dr. Elliott Jaques who conducted more than 50 years of scientific research into the nature of work and people’s capacity for work. Elliott Jaques worked at BIOSS for the first few decades whilst conducting his research, together with Prof Gillian Stamp, Ian McDonald, Owen Jacobs, John Isaacs, Wilfred Brown, to name a few.

RO theory proposes that most problems in organisations are caused by poor structure and systems rather than by deficient employees. Therefore, interventions which focus on fixing the organisation allow employees to work to their full potential, increasing efficiency, effectiveness and employee satisfaction.

RO is one of the very few management systems and certainly the most researched and validated management system that links all aspects of a business, through design, to ensure the:

• Right organisation structure,
• Right people,
• Right accountabilities,
• Right leadership practices.

A sound organisational design, based on RO theory and leveraging other BIOSS technologies can increase profit, improve customer relations and create the context for greater employee satisfaction and retention. Contact BIOSS today for help on how to improve your Organisational Design.