Leadership in Action: E-Leadership in the Networked Economy

Perspectives at Opposite Poles

A mechanistic perspective makes the following assumptions about organizations and their leaders:

• Organizations are composed of distinct parts or functions, and the job of each individual in the organization is a clearly defined cluster of tasks. The leader's role is to keep the organization running like a well-oiled machine, making sure that the functions, tasks, and people all fit together and do their parts.

• Boundaries between the organization and its surrounding environment are clearly defined and closed, and boundaries within the organization are rigid. In this environment, individuals are able to stake out turf based on their allotted roles and relationships.

• The strategy of the organization itself is ...