11 November 2011

Spoke & Wheel

There are few companies that can even function in such an organized way, and even fewer that can get it right. Disney, when Walt was at the helm, was one of them. Apple, prior to Steve’s resignation was another. I think it’s clear that the effectiveness of these companies wasn’t so much the fact that the spokes existed. It was that there was an incredibly solid axle to spin around. Both men put themselves into every aspect of the companies they built. The spoke and wheel wasn’t so much a structured decision as an organic one; bureucracy was certainly limited as these men had the need to reach all corners of their respective companies. It was more out of convenience than of true usefulness.

So is the spoke and wheel truly effective in management? Can Apple continue to spin true without their axle? Will they even remain organized the way they are? Should they? And can companies operate effectively organized like this, can they be constructed radially rather than just bloom without attentive cultivation?

These are questions that need further examination.

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