Social media, SEO, marketing and writingFive Key Components to Webifying an Organization
In their 1993 editorial essay “Where are the Theories for the New Organizational Forms?,” R.L. Daft and A.Y. Lewin forewarned us about technology’s impact on the corporation when they wrote “Computer-mediated communication technology is becoming the backbone of many organizations, supplanting the formal hierarchical structure to achieve coordination and manage relationships within and between organizations.”1 These writers were speaking to the impact technology has had on businesses prior to the pervasive adoption of the Internet. The Web further compounds the complexities of these new organizational dynamics.
Many businesses will face an uphill battle in their attempt to alter the status quo. That’s because existing organizations are stitched together like fine tapestries –– every piece of thread is unique, yet each holds its place in relation to the whole. If a thread were to come loose, there is a real threat that the fabric will unravel. That’s one of the reasons why executive management is so indecisive about the Web. They are not quite sure what to make it –– is it a thread, a tapestry, a sewing machine or textile factory? But businesses do know one thing: the Web will have an impact on their business and their organization which must be dealt with.
Businesses aspiring to “webify” their efforts will face tough decisions about how far they want to integrate the Web into their companies. Fundamentally there are five key components to webifying an organization:
- Empowering, educating, and energizing executive management to lead the Web initiative
- Transforming the hierarchical organizational structure to a system of multi-directional, interconnected alliances
- Developing employee skills sets to be Web savvy
- Changing the way programs are funded
- Measuring performance based on new metrics
