EcoMerc

Strategic Organizational Consulting

Contingency misfit propositions

This list contains statements about contingency misfits. It does NOT contain statements about strategic misfits.

LEADERSHIP STYLE MISFITS

A Manager  is a misfit with:

  • Low formalization
  • High decentralization
  • Divisional configuration
  • Matrix configuration

A Leader is a misfit with:

  • High formalization
  • Low decentralization
  • Simple configuration
  • Functional configuration

 

CLIMATE MISFIT

Group climate is a misfit with:

  • Functional configuration
  • High complexity
  • High centralization
  • High formalization

 

Developmental climate is a misfit with:

  • Machine bureaucracy
  • Functional configuration
  • High complexity
  • High centralization
  • High formalization

 

Internal process climate is a misfit with:

  • Simple configuration
  • Matrix configuration
  • Low complexity
  • Low formalization


Rational goal climate is a misfit with:

  • High formalization


SIZE MISFITS

A large organization is a misfit with:

  • Simple configuration
  • Low complexity
  • Low decentralization
  • Low formalization


A small organization is a misfit with:

  • High complexity
  • High formalization


ENVIRONMENT MISFITS

Complement to Tables 6.1 and 6.3 in Burton and Obel(1998)

  • Equivocality - Low
  • Complexity - Low
  • Uncertainty - Low

Is a misfit with:

  • Matrix configuation
  • Low formalization
  • Equivocality - Low
  • Complexity - High
  • Uncertainty - Low

Is a misfit with:

  • Matrix configuration
  • Low formalization
  • Low complexity
  • Equivocality - Low
  • Complexity - High
  • Uncertainty - High

Is a misfit with:

  • Simple configuration
  • Low complexity
  • High centralization
  • Equivocality - High
  • Complexity - Low
  • Uncertainty - Low

Is a misfit with:

  • Functional configuration
  • High formalization
  • Equivocality - high
  • Complexity - Low
  • Uncertainty - High

Is a misfit with:

  • High formalization
  • High centralization
  • Equivocality - High
  • Complexity - High
  • Uncertainty - High

Is a misfit with:

  • Machine bureaucracy
  • Functional configuration
  • High formalization
  • High centralization


TECHNOLOGY MISFITS   

High routineness is a misfit with:

  • Matrix configuration
  • Low formalization
  • Low complexity


Low routineness is a misfit with:

  • Functional configuration
  • High formalization
  • High complexity
  • High centralization


High divisibility is a misfit with:

  • Matrix configuration


Low divisibility is a misfit with:

  • Divisional configuration


STRATEGY MISFITS

A prospector strategy is a misfit with:

  • Functional configuration
  • High formalization
  • High complexity
  • High centralization


An analyzer without innovation is a misfit with:

  • Low formalization
  • Low complexity
  • Low centralization


An analyzer with innovation is a misfit with:

  • Low complexity


A defender strategy is a misfit with:

  • Matrix configuration
  • Low formalization
  • Low complexity
  • Low centralization

Source:Burton, Lauridsen, Obel. Fit and Misfits in the Multi-Dimensional Contingency Model: An Organizational Change Perspective. 2000