Clay Spinuzzi, University of Texas at Austin

clay.spinuzzi@utexas.eduTwitter: @spinuzzi

All Edge: Understanding

the New Workplace Networks

About me…

The way we work is changing

A shift in the “3 Cs”

Communication, coordination, and collaboration

Example: An ad agency

•1970s: Bureaucracies

•1990s: Adhocracies

•2010s: All-edge adhocracies

1970’s bureaucracies

1990’s institutional adhocracies

2010’s all-edge adhocracies

All-edge adhocraciesCharacteristics

•Project-oriented

•Agile

•Innovative

•Allied

•Decentralized

•Autonomous

Good for

•Swarming complex projects (not the long grind)

•Tactical maneuvers (not strategic direction)

•Innovation (not repeated, reliable outcomes with tight tolerances)

Three case studies of all-edge adhocracies

All-edge adhocracies•Nonemployer firms, who pull

together subcontractor networks to swarm projects.

•Coworking spaces, where all-edge adhocracies can form and recombine.

•Workplace adhocracies in high-tech industries such as SEO, which often extend beyond the bounds of the workplace.

All-edge adhocracies require

networking•Associative links, not hierarchical links

•Cross-specialization (for capacity)

•Trust

•Coordination

•Flexibility

These aims are not currently well supported in offices—at work or at home.

Coworking•“Coworking is the social gathering of a group of people, who are still working independently, but who share values and who are interested in the synergy that can happen from working with talented people in the same space.” (Wikipedia)

The “Good Neighbors”

Configuration

The “Good Partners”

Configuration

Spaces represented a

mix

Search Engine Optimization

“Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the volume or

quality of traffic to a web site or a web page (such as a blog) from search

engines via ‘natural’ or un-paid (‘organic ’ or ‘algorithmic’) search results ...”

(Wikipedia)

Flexibility through Constant Customization

“Innovation is the primordial function” (Castells 2003, p.100)

“The Internet is the essential tool to ensure customization in a context of high-volume production and distribution” (Castells 2003, p.77)

“[Projects are] all very different” (Stacy, Account Manager)

Project teams

Apprenticeship teams

Project teams

Support teams

Project teams

Functional teams

Project teams

Values teams

Project teams

Taco club

Project teams

Aggregate networks

Extending the network

“I ’ve got friends in med school.” (Daria, Senior Search Specialist)

All-edge adhocracies are organizational

networks•Flat structure

•Changing composition

•Flexibility

•Adaptability

How do we support all-edge adhocracies?

Supporting strengths•Workplace structure

•Physical infrastructure

•Service infrastructure

•Collaborative infrastructure

•Benefits infrastructure

•Self-structure

Shoring up weaknesses•Collaborative project management

•Stage management

•Team management

Realizing the potential•The right projects

•The right people

•The right combinations

Questions?