Centralized, top-down decision-making is a business model of the past. As Network World (2004) points out, “decisions don’t have to be made or checked by the people at the top all the time” (p. 72). Distributed human decision-making provides for parallel progress, assuming all members are operating within the same rule-set, and with the organization’s best interest in mind. The article identifies the need to “simultaneously centralizing and decentralizing” (p. 72). Human decision-making is decentralized, while machine-readable decision-making needs to become more centralized.
Corporate culture must support the necessary shifts in the decision-making model. For management to release total decision-making control, and empower their associates to operate on the organization’s behalf, the appropriate culture must be in place. All team members must clearly understand the organization’s values, needs and goals. Team members need intimate knowledge of these, but they must also be a part of them. It is this high degree of “buy-in” that produces passionate involvement at all levels, and spurs success, both for individuals and the group.
The digital organization understands that technology can increase efficiency. Tight integration with IT and the business are required.
Hallmarks of the ”digital organization”. (2004, November 15). Network World, 21(46), 72.
