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  • June 2012
  • Article
  • Strategic Management Journal

Meta-Organizational Design: Rethinking Design in Inter-Organizational and Community Contexts

By: Ranjay Gulati, Phanish Puranam and Michael Tushman
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Abstract

This paper provides conceptual foundations for analyzing organizations comprising multiple legally autonomous entities, which we call meta-organizations. We assess the antecedents of the emergence of such collectives and the design choices they entail. The paper identifies key parameters on which such meta-organizations' designs differ from each other. It also presents a taxonomy that elucidates how such forms of collective action vary and the constraints they must address to be successful. We conclude with implications for research on meta-organizational design.

Keywords

Design; Organizations; Civil Society or Community; Relationships

Citation

Gulati, Ranjay, Phanish Puranam, and Michael Tushman. "Meta-Organizational Design: Rethinking Design in Inter-Organizational and Community Contexts." Special Issue on Strategy and the Design of Organizational Architecture edited by R. Gulati, P. Puranam, M. Tushman. Strategic Management Journal 33, no. 6 (June 2012): 571–586.
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About The Authors

Ranjay Gulati

Organizational Behavior
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Michael L. Tushman

Organizational Behavior
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More from the Authors
  • Senior Team Emotional Dynamics and Strategic Decision Making at a Platform Transition By: Timo O. Vuori and Michael L. Tushman
  • First to Fight? Culture, Tradition and the United States Marine Corps (USMC) By: Ranjay Gulati, Akhil Iyer and Joel Malkin
  • Veeva Systems and the Transformation to a Public Benefit Corporation By: Ranjay Gulati and Allison M. Ciechanover
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