Adizes' Organizational Model

Entrepreneur, Producer, Administrator, Integrator

Ichak Adizes, a famous practitioner and management theorist, wrote many books and preaches many principles - available via podcast, books, videos, blogs and articles. His style is simple and easy to remember. His models are a good foundation to begin approaching an organization, as a base from which to go deeper into a more detailed understanding of people and systems.

Most of the anecdotes and principles of Adizes are associated with two main points: the typical elements of management in an organization (addressed in this entry) known as EPAI; and the stages of development and decline in an organization (addressed in a following entry) known as The Corporate Lifecycle.

EPAI stands for the types of management elements, whether expressed by persons functioning clearly as such a type or expressed as ‘ingredients’ within the organizational work group. [http://adizes.com/management_styles/] Every organization needs an entrepreneurial element, thinking of the future and playing with ideas and vision; a productive element, hard and focused consistent work without stalling for reflection; an administrative element, bringing systematic order and efficiency into the chaos of an organization; and an integrative element, balancing and moderating the players, creating and protecting the synergy of a team.

In the Lifecycle principle, the EPAI types are emphasized more or less in the different stages. In other words, at each stage of development within an organization, the leadership would be more inclined to entrepreneur, or produce, for example. At various stages it is healthier for the leadership to administrate more, and entrepreneur less, or strengthen the integration instead of pressing for more production.

The types come in different sizes and shapes. One manager may be a mix of 2 or 3 of the types. There is no such thing as a person who is all 4 of the types at the same time. Various strengths and weaknesses characterize different typical managers. For example, a producer type leader might refuse to listen and reflect, being dominant and working too much, indifferent to ideas and impatient with meetings.

An entrepreneur type may sabotage attempts to bring much needed order and regulations to a growing organization, introducing new ideas too often, without giving the team time to adapt and produce. Administrator types might become too controlling and not give room for flexibility and innovation, which are necessary in the long-run. Integrator types sometimes are prone to being too nice instead of making tough decisions or pushing people to the task.

An important aspect of the types is that E and I are long-term oriented and difficult to measure in concrete results, while P and A are short-term oriented and usually can be measured quantitatively. For example, a visionary (E) thinks of ideas, slowly, imagining what the future could be, predicting the weather. An operations manager needs to create immediate results now, focusing on results now. Marketing is also long-term and immeasurable, while sales is measurable and focused on the present.

The bottom line is, that there are different people and different management styles. These ‘ingredients’ are usually expressed in personalities of persons, and tension is inevitable. If the persons can be led in measure wisely, and appreciate other gifts and complementary contribution skills, than the group will maintain successful operation.

The Lifecycle of an Organization

The second key principle of Adizes’ approach to organizations is called the organizational or corporate lifecycle. [http://adizes.com/lifecycle/] The idea is that there are typical stages that typical organizations go through, while each stage has typical challenges and would benefit from particular management styles. In practice, it is not always possible to distinguish the stage, and sometimes organizations may express more than one stage at the same time.

Adizes teaches that leadership is a misleading elitist term, as it suggests that some are leaders and others not. Management, leadership, administration and other such terms, all mean the same thing. Different organizations in different situations need different forms of management. For example, a democratic style of management versus authoritative.

This method is helpful to organizations in that it brings discernment towards ‘normal problems’ and ‘abnormal problems’. Imagine parents who do not know that a baby begins to teeth at 6 months or so, which is a normal problem. Adizes defines problems as issues you may influence and deal with. Problems beyond one’s control, such as the weather, he considers circumstances to be accepted and adapt to.

Ultimately, organizations are either growing or aging. Growing organizations experience chaos because of rapid change, informality and lack of specialization. Aging organizations spend less focus on creativity, they lose flexibility and resist change. Prime is the delicate point where an organization is able to go go back and forth slightly between growing and aging. Organizations, unlike people, do not necessarily age and if handled wisely will continually succeed.

Courtship, Infancy, Go-Go

Through these stages, a company exists first as an idea without risk and commitment. To go past courtship, more than enthusiasm is required. When an organization is born it requires intense hard work to get established. Then, hopefully, the concept and model will catch and begin to take-off and taste success. Entrepreneurship and production are emphasized during these stages.

Adolescence, Prime, Fall

Arrogance and control of the founders are stumbling blocks as the organization has experienced success but must introduce democratization, decentralized control, and general administration or institutionalization of the start-up. Prime is the optimal state of the organization to be sustained. After prime, it may fall into losing vitality, though the loss in production will not be felt until a later stage. Administration is emphasized here, and is then balanced by cautious entrepreneurship, and integration.

Aristocracy, Recrimination, Bureaucracy

When an organization sticks to its resist of renewal and change, it will decline into a state of self-justification and self-regulations, even as losses are felt. When the crisis finally surfaces and hits, the people involved will either flee or blame one another and the only hope is for radical reform through and through. Otherwise, the organization will shut down (death). In some cases, an organization may survive on ‘life-support’, even though it is not productive. These stages are dominated by administration and/or integration, being too controlled and/or lack of confrontation.

#development