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Organization Design: The Practitioner’s Guide
Organization Design looks at how to (re)design an organizational system in order to increase productivity, performance and value, and provides the knowledge and methodology to design an adaptive, agile organization capable of handling the kind of continuous organizational change that all businesses face. The book clarifies why and how organizations need to be in a state of readiness to design or redesign, and emphasizes that people as well as business processes must be part of design considerations.
With an enhanced international focus, this third edition includes new material
organization design theories designing ethical, diverse and inclusive organizations the role of leaders in organization design work organization design in public sector organizations and evaluating the success of an organization design project This book is a must-read for students or practitioners involved in organizational design, development and change.
With an enhanced international focus, this third edition includes new material
organization design theories designing ethical, diverse and inclusive organizations the role of leaders in organization design work organization design in public sector organizations and evaluating the success of an organization design project This book is a must-read for students or practitioners involved in organizational design, development and change.
337 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 14, 2018
22 people are currently reading
61 people want to read
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 24, 2025
Naomi Stanford's "Organization Design: The Practitioner's Guide Third Edition" is an excellent resource that bridges theory and practice in the often complex world of organizational design. As someone implementing organizational change methodologies, I found this book particularly valuable for its comprehensive approach to designing effective organizations in today's rapidly changing environment.
Stanford does an exceptional job of explaining how organization design extends far beyond merely restructuring org charts. She convincingly argues that successful design must integrate work processes, systems, people, and cultural elements to achieve business objectives. The book's systematic framework takes practitioners through each phase of design work: starting, designing, planning transition, transitioning, and optimizing - providing practical tools and insights at each stage.
What sets this book apart is how it acknowledges the intersection between organization design (OD), organization development (ODV), and change management (CM). Stanford skillfully illustrates how these disciplines overlap, making a compelling case for practitioners to consciously select methodologies based on specific organizational contexts rather than applying one-size-fits-all solutions.
The book effectively incorporates emerging perspectives from psychology, design thinking, and complexity theory, acknowledging that traditional system theory approaches may not suffice in today's complex business environments. I particularly appreciated her discussion of how organizations can move beyond rigid configurations toward more adaptive designs.
My only critique is that the data collection process seems somewhat understated - the book could benefit from a deeper exploration of information gathering methodologies. That said, Stanford's practical approach, filled with real-world examples and clear guidance, makes this an invaluable resource for anyone involved in organizational change initiatives.
Stanford does an exceptional job of explaining how organization design extends far beyond merely restructuring org charts. She convincingly argues that successful design must integrate work processes, systems, people, and cultural elements to achieve business objectives. The book's systematic framework takes practitioners through each phase of design work: starting, designing, planning transition, transitioning, and optimizing - providing practical tools and insights at each stage.
What sets this book apart is how it acknowledges the intersection between organization design (OD), organization development (ODV), and change management (CM). Stanford skillfully illustrates how these disciplines overlap, making a compelling case for practitioners to consciously select methodologies based on specific organizational contexts rather than applying one-size-fits-all solutions.
The book effectively incorporates emerging perspectives from psychology, design thinking, and complexity theory, acknowledging that traditional system theory approaches may not suffice in today's complex business environments. I particularly appreciated her discussion of how organizations can move beyond rigid configurations toward more adaptive designs.
My only critique is that the data collection process seems somewhat understated - the book could benefit from a deeper exploration of information gathering methodologies. That said, Stanford's practical approach, filled with real-world examples and clear guidance, makes this an invaluable resource for anyone involved in organizational change initiatives.
Displaying 1 of 1 review