Leadership in Boundaryless Organizations: Disposable or Indispensable?

The emergence of "post-bureaucratic" "boundaryless" organizations raises questions about the role of leadership in such organizational forms. In this article I analyse the basic characteristics of emerging organizational forms and offer a theory-guided speculation about the function and nature of leadership within such forms. The analysis exposes a basic dilemma: On the one hand, the temporary, adhoc and "virtual" nature of new organizational arrangements, in combination with greater tendencies toward equality and participation, seem to reduce the need and scope for traditional leadership in organizations. On the other hand, the weakening of both bureaucratic and cultural mechanisms of control and co-ordination seems to increase the need and scope for strong leadership. A related dilemma concerns the need for leaders to serve simultaneously as both agents of change and "centres of gravity" in organizations that cope with rapidly changing environments. These dilemmas pose practical challenges for leaders a...

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