Distributing Intelligence and Organizing Diversity in New-Media Projects

In the competitive and ever changing new-media industry, web-design firms have emerged and survived in a highly uncertain environment by becoming relentlessly innovative. They have decentralized their management—i.e., involved every unit in the innovative process and explored new organizational forms characterized as heterarchy or interdependence. How these web-design firms research and test out potential value sources was examined. During a two-year period (1999-2001), observations were made from a case study involving one new-media start-up firm. Results indicated that the success of this firm depended upon its ability to distribute intelligence or collaborate, organize the diversity of its teams, encourage friendly rivalry, and reach settlements on ideas and decisions.(SFL)