Hirst_2015.doc (179 kB)
Download fileConfigurable bureaucracy and the making of Modular Man
journal contribution
posted on 2023-08-30, 14:17 authored by Alison Hirst, Michael HumphreysThe flexibility of people in modern societies rests upon their capacity to divide themselves into separate modules of thought and action, and deploy them in ways that fit their purposes. The practice of ‘informatizing’ work by converting tasks into software-based processes entails the modular design of work, because software has a modular form. We use the concept of modularity to analyse the implications of informatization in the empirical context of a ‘shared service centre’ providing professional services. We make three contributions. First, informatization enlarges the scope for organizational flexibility, because the organization can be treated as a configuration of modules which can be reshuffled to suit changing circumstances. Second, employees must attempt to deploy enhanced modular capabilities, by executing any given set of processes, in a flexible, unemotional and time-efficient fashion. Third, given the ability to informatize complex service work, and the existence of organizational templates which accommodate it, the modular design and management of other services may become more common.
History
Refereed
- Yes
Volume
36Issue number
11Page range
1531-1553Publication title
Organization StudiesISSN
1741-3044External DOI
Publisher
SAGEFile version
- Accepted version
Language
- eng