Implications for organization design: teams as pockets of excellence

Argues that efforts to adapt to increased volatility and uncertainty are still plagued by the traditional wisdom and domination of command‐and‐control hierarchies. In highlighting over two decades of intimation for appropriate organizational structural fit, identifies recurring barriers to change. In an effort to achieve organizational adaptability and improve change initiative success, proposes the creation of pockets of excellence. These self‐organizing team structures are positioned as a resource to developing internal efficiencies and business opportunities as a means to enhance productivity and provide a measure of sustainable competitive advantage. The proposed team structure is informed by the developing field of complexity theory and evaluated through focus group discussions.