In our last post we described how the Star Framework is used in a graduate organizational analysis and design course. Again, Shandon Fernandes, a prior student, joins me to show how the framework is used in practice.
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Star Framework Basics
- People – Psych 101 material. How do people behave? (Whether or not they are in an organizational setting.) People generally like rewards and don’t like punishments. Different generations may have different preferences.
- Process – This dimension allows for an evaluation of organizational policies. Hiring, performance, pay, training, any policy or procedure, big or small.
- Technology – Technology forms a crucial and inevitable part of the star framework. Technology has not only transformed the nature of work, but offers organizations an effective tool to evaluate and transform operations. Technology ranges from the kind of office furniture you have, to electronic communication, to robots and artificial intelligence.
- Structure – Structure lays out the location of decision-making and authority. This is where team-based strategies and org charts are considered.
- Context -- Context is the linking point to many other MBA courses. Is this an international business or a local one? Is the market trending up or down?
Shandon's Example
Crafting a Solution
Tools in Your Kit
Terri: For many of us, a visual representation of the options is a help. Using a template like the one shown here, we can keep track of the main change (when identification is checked in this example) and the supporting adjustments. The 0 to 10 rating is a simple signal of the power or severity of the issue. Higher scoring items might receive the greatest attention as the change is considered.
The template might also trigger ideas around possible tradeoffs. (For example, the possibility of hiring a valet to check identification and help people manage the overall visit - perhaps a smaller hit to the budget if the task is moved to the security officers.)
To take the next step, I suggest thinking of the change process as a negotiation with all the related stakeholder analysis, issue identification, and creativity around finding valuable solutions. I cover the approach in Chapter 4 of my book, The Plugged-In Manager: Get in Tune with Your People, Technology, and Organization to Thrive. You can also see a short discussion of negotiated change in this post from a while back.
End of Part Two, But The Start of A Discussion...
Tackle your next organizational decision using the star framework. Where did come up against uncertainty? Were you able to see how the different dimensions could be thought of as the issues of a negotiation -- even if you were negotiating with yourself?
In Part One, Terri and MBA student Shandon Fernandes describe the basic structures of the STAR model and its foundations in Jay Galbraith’s work (Galbraith Star Model), Nadler and Tushman’s “Mapping organizational Terrain” and the “open systems model.”
Shandon Fernandes is pursuing an MBA at Santa Clara University and is specializing in Leading Innovative Organizations. A Political Science graduate, Shandon has always had an interest in the structure and functioning of government organizations. She has previously served as a Research Officer for a Diplomatic Mission in Mumbai.