Principal Investigator Peter Weill
Co-investigator Stephanie Woerner
Project Website https://cisr.mit.edu/content/2021-projects-organizational-surgery
Project Start Date January 2021
In MIT CISR research on becoming future ready, we identified four “explosions”—significant organizational changes—that enterprises must manage for successful digitally enabled business transformation: decision rights, new ways of working, platform mindset, and organizational surgery. Also known as restructuring, organizational surgery is most effective when it improves both the customer experience and operational efficiency in a company not designed for the digital era. Organizational surgery is disruptive and often requires more than one intervention. In this research, we will use survey and interview data to study:
(*) What are the different types of organizational surgery? What are the goals and outcomes for the different types of surgery? (*) How long does organizational surgery typically take? What preparation is needed beforehand and what rehab afterward? (*)What practices help companies undergo organizational surgery without complications? How do company leaders best manage organizational surgery?