A Framework of Organisations as Dynamic Structures

This paper integrates advances in organisational structure research into a broader framework of ‘structural action’ that depicts organisations as dynamic structures. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the main contributions from various theories and perspectives that have all informed our understanding of the impact of organisational structure on strategic change. We propose that organisational structures, as one mechanism by which strategy is enacted, are moulded purposefully and in different ways. To better understand how organisations are re-designed, the framework recommends particular structural actions depending on the turbulence (both internal and external) and performance (both actual and aspired) aspects of the organisation