Abstract

This paper presents a synthesis of different theoretical concepts and empirical surveys examining the nature of contemporary organizations that are able to survive and thrive in the long run within the conditions of discontinuous environment. It expands the model of reconfigurable organization presented by Galbraith et al. (2002) by providing in-depth understanding of its basic characteristics: Active leadership, knowledge management, learning, flexibility, integration, employee commitment and change readiness. These characteristics are presented as enablers for designing reconfigurable organizational structure, which is depicted in this paper. Reconfigurable organizations rest on the on-going redesign of its processes and structure by redeploying its resources in the manner that is most suitable for the current situation.

Key words: Organization, reconfigurability, environment, discontinuity.