Levers Of Organization Design: How Managers Use Accountability Systems For Greater Performance And Commitment

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ALIGNING SPAN OF ATTENTION

THIS CHAPTER PRESENTS an overview of the levers of organization design framework and previews the chapters ahead. The focus—consistent with the rest of the book—is on developing design principles for organizations where customers are demanding, competition is intense, products and services are complex, and people are widely dispersed.

At the outset of the journey, you should be clear on the perspective that we are adopting. For our purposes, organization design refers to the formal system of accountability that defines key positions in an organization and legitimates rights to set goals, receive information, and influence the work of others.

Several aspects of this definition are important. First, accountability