Adhocracy Concept
Adhocracy is an expression written by Alvin Tofler and popularized by Robert Waterman with the book «Adhocracy – The Power to Change» and is correspondent to the opposite of bureaucracy: while bureaucracy places the emphasis on the accuracy of routines, Adhocracy places the emphasis on the simplification of processes and the adaptation of the organization to each particular situation. Robert Waterman defines it as any form of organization that cuts with al characteristic processes of bureaucratic organizations related with the research and analyses of new opportunities, problems resolution and obtainment of results.
Adhocracy is, so, applicable to any organization that breaks with the traditional bureaucratic standards, generally prevalent in companies in its maturity phase. The goal of Adhocracy is the detection of new opportunities, problems resolution and obtainment of results through the encouragement of individual creativity as path to the organizational renewal.
The main characteristics of an Adhocratic organization are the following:
- Organizational structure markedly organic;
- Little formalization of procedures and behaviors;
- Work specialization based on training;
- Coordination and control executed by its own work teams;
- Low level of standardization of processes;
- High level of decentralization;
- Some blurring of roles;
- Some difficulty in formal communication.
