{"id":2300,"date":"2019-10-16T18:35:35","date_gmt":"2019-10-16T16:35:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.druckerforum.org\/blog\/?p=2300"},"modified":"2023-11-01T15:27:54","modified_gmt":"2023-11-01T14:27:54","slug":"what-makes-a-modern-company-in-the-age-of-ecosystems-by-ingrid-maass","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.druckerforum.org\/blog\/what-makes-a-modern-company-in-the-age-of-ecosystems-by-ingrid-maass\/","title":{"rendered":"What makes a modern company in the age of ecosystems? <\/br>by Ingrid Maass"},"content":{"rendered":"

Modern has traditionally been a label that stood for \u201cbreaking with the old ways\u201d. In this sense, \u201cmodern\u201d is a mindset that does away with the mantra of \u201cnever change a running system\u201d. Modern companies constantly challenge existing ways of doing things while being conscious where modern means doing it the \u201cold\u201d way.<\/p>\n

Are ecosystems modern?<\/strong><\/p>\n

An ecosystem is born when people start operating “…beyond their traditional operational borders and creating or participating in new, flexible, and adaptive networks\u2026\u201d (Richard Straub). It can be part of only one organization, or cross the boundaries of that organization. The ecosystem in itself is not modern but looking at a company as a series of (overlapping) ecosystems is.<\/p>\n

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Drucker Forum 2019<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
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This article is one in the \u201cshape the debate\u201d series relating to the 11th Global Peter Drucker Forum<\/a><\/span>, under the theme \u201cThe Power of Ecosystems\u201d taking place on November 21 & 22, 2019 in Vienna, Austria.
\n#GPDF19 #ecosystems<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Integrating the larger perspective.<\/strong><\/p>\n

To work with those ecosystems in a modern way the integration of two outside perspectives is important:<\/p>\n

Looking at social and environmental challenges.<\/span><\/p>\n

The economist Kate Raworth developed the doughnut model that systematically brings those challenges together. It defines the margins of action for mankind. She asks the 21st century question: \u201cHow many benefits for society and the living world can we generate in the way we design this?\u201d Which contrasts with the 20th century question of \u201cHow much financial value can we extract from this?\u201d<\/p>\n

Dealing with emotional culture.<\/span><\/p>\n

People comprise our economic ecosystems. Therefore we have to factor in the impact and influence of emotions. Corporate culture often only refers to cognitive culture: intellectual values, norms, artefacts, and assumptions that serve as a guide for the group to thrive. Usually omitted is the group’s emotional culture: affective values, norms, artefacts, and assumptions. These govern which emotions people have and express at work and which ones they are better off suppressing. (Sigal Barsade & Olivia A. O\u2019Neill in HBR).<\/p>\n

Ask three crucial questions.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Being truly modern means asking three questions for each ecosystem that go beyond the traditional way of managing a company:<\/p>\n

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  1. Are we constantly challenging the way things are done?<\/li>\n
  2. Are we looking at the benefits for society?<\/li>\n
  3. Are we providing a framework for emotional stability?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Some of the criteria to consider when undertaking a modernization initiative include:<\/p>\n