The Company Without Managers
Most companies around the world exist with some form of hierarchy. Usually it is a vertical structure, with executive above management, which is in turn above the workforce. But there is another form, a \u201cflat\u201d hierarchy. Long promulgated by tech companies and start-ups in particular, flat or horizontally-structured companies operate on the principle of \u201cBe your own boss.\u201d Everyone chooses their agenda, their pace and in principle there is no boss to upbraid you if you make a mistake. So does it work? David Heinemeier Hansson is a founder and partner at the web services company Basecamp, a company with a \u201cflat as possible\u201d structure. He gives his thoughts on being the boss of people when they are their own boss. We also hear from Drew Dudley, author of This is Day One and Andr\xe9 Spicer, professor of organisational behaviour at Cass Business School, on the potential pitfalls of flat hierarchies.
Image: Silhouetted faces in a boardroom (Credit: Getty Images)