Exploring the Fourth Order: Designing Organisational Infrastructure. In Research Perspectives in the Era of Transformations

Abstract

Companies are organised to fulfil two distinctive functions: efficient and resilient exploitation of current business and parallel exploration of new possibilities. For the latter,
companies require strong organisational infrastructure such as team compositions and functional structures to ensure exploration remains effective. This paper explores the
potential for designing organisational infrastructure to be part of fourth order subject matter. In particular, it explores how organisational infrastructure could be designed in the
context of an exploratory unit, operating in a large heritage airline. This paper leverages insights from a long-term action research project and finds that building trust and shared
frames are crucial to designing infrastructure that affords the greater explorative agenda of an organisation.