Handy C. -1993- Understanding Organizations -

How influence is distributed and used to resolve political conflicts.

:In the executive wing, the founder makes every major decision over coffee. Like Zeus at the center of a spider’s web, power radiates from him personally. When a crisis hits, this department moves faster than any other because there is no red tape—just the founder’s word. However, young managers are burning out because they have no autonomy; they are merely "strings" on Zeus's web. handy c. -1993- understanding organizations

Here is a story of how these cultures might clash and coexist in a single company: The Story of "Olympus Tech" How influence is distributed and used to resolve

Handy uses the word “change” often, but not “disruption.” He assumes organizations are stable, slow-moving entities. He could not foresee the permanent whitewater of the internet, social media, or remote work. Yet, his cultural frameworks still work beautifully to diagnose why a Zoom-native start-up (Zeus) cannot integrate with a government regulator (Apollo). When a crisis hits, this department moves faster