WL Gore and Associates Essay Example

concepts and strategies that would benefit the company.

When employees are held accountable for their projects and their outputs and their responsibilities, they strive to become better at what they do, this is the strategy that W.L. Gore and Associates is using to increase productivity and team performance. The goal of the company is to bring innovation to the table in the performance of their employees, they promote teamwork and emphasize that each employee is an important part of the organization. The organizational structure mandates that the communication systems, status and job positions and even the kind of rewards system the company has to promote and be aligned with the open and organic structure of the company.

2. Considering what you know about individual differences such as personality, what types of employees might respond more or less favorably to Gore’s lack of hierarchy?

The lack of hierarchy in W.L. Gore’s and Associates will be suitable to individuals who do not like structure, routine and authority figures. Personality types that work well in this kind of environment are those who have great interpersonal skills, those who love working with people and those who can communicate well with other people. At the same time, employees who do not have the need for power or authority and those who are content to be followers and those who are not afraid to take leadership roles when needed and those who are gracious enough to share the limelight. People who are rule bound, who needs stability and routine and to be able to control their environment will not fare well with this kind of structure. The lack of direction, prescriptions and rules may

shatter the sense of equilibrium of the individual. Thus it is important that the company hire only those who have the personality and attitude that is culturally fitted to the organization.

3. What are some advantages and disadvantage of Gore’s structure from a company perspective? What about from an employee perspective?

The advantages of Gore’s structure is that there are no power play, there will be no intricate organizational structures and chain of command, communication channels are more open and there is less concern about protocols that would hinder the fast resolution of problems and issues. Moreover, there is less need for supervision, and performance monitoring as the departments work in teams.

A disadvantage for the management would be how to give rewards and bonuses equitably since the performance is by teams moreover, there is no hierarchy to ascribe leadership roles and to hold accountable for the possible problems that might arise on the performance of their jobs. In terms of employee perception, the advantages include the close relationships between the teams, the sense of belongingness and teamwork in their units.

Employees also get to increase their confidence in their abilities to become a part of the group. The employees also get to work in a more encouraging and supportive environment which contributes to the creativity of the individual. A disadvantage is when the employee’s orientation is from a structured environment; they would have difficulty distinguishing what their job is, who their boss is and what their functions are. This would be confusing and difficult for the employee as well as a source of anxiety. Another disadvantage is that employees won’t be able to differentiate what their contributions are

and what they can claim as their own accomplishments since every performance is tied to the team.

4. How might Gore’s organizational design affect its relationships with external companies that are more hierarchical in nature?

The unique and different organizational structure at Gore’s will have several implications in their working relationships with other companies who are hierarchical in nature. For one, the lack of who is the boss in Gore would spell disaster when they coordinate with other companies, for example, an operations manager would want to talk and do business with someone from Gore who also has the same authority and position that he/she has and since Gore does not have a person designated to do it, then this will become a relational issue for other companies.

Second, the team model in Gore promotes that any person could represent the group thus, there is the possibility that two or more individuals may represent the group, hence communication may be thrown from one person to another and may end up being lost in the many communications and projects. Thirdly, when external companies do business with Gore it is assumed that they are treated well and that they receive information from qualified representative, but since Gore would give that task to those who handle the project, then those who would handle it may not have the difficulty in communicating or presenting their products.