Why Companies Should Welcome Disorder 2

Why companies should welcome disorder
A. The business of the organisation is massive. This requirement is met by a

multibillion-dollar industry that caters to the organizational needs of both individuals
and businesses.
There has never been a time in human history when there were so many methods
available for managing one's time, projects, and personal organization. We are told
that if we want to be more productive, we need to organize our work lives, personal
lives, work weeks, daily lives, and sleep schedules. Every week, millions of people
pay to attend seminars and workshops that instruct them on how to best organize
their lives to achieve this goal.
Some business leaders and entrepreneurs have begun to adopt this language, much
to the delight of perfectionists who insist on nothing less than absolute excellence.
Over the past 50 years, there has been a huge increase in the number of business
schools and graduates, whose main purpose is to instruct individuals in effective
organizational practices.
B. The number of businesses that fail, however, has also been on the rise. Tensions at
work have grown. A sizable fraction of workers across all demographics reports
being unhappy with their jobs and supervisors.
What could possibly have gone wrong? Why does the effort to be more organized
seem like a sure bet on paper for boosting productivity, but fall so far short of the
mark in practice?
C. For some time, this has been an issue. A pioneer in the field of scientific
management, Frederick Taylor deserves recognition. He published his ideas in the
first half of the twentieth century, and his principles for streamlining business
operations are now widely used. Consequently, this method has been used for quite
some time.
D. According to recent studies, this fixation on efficiency is misplaced. It is not so much

the management theories or strategies that we use to organize our work that is at
fault as it is the fundamental beliefs that underlie those approaches. For our
purposes here, let's assume that order is equivalent to efficiency. As a corollary, this
thinking has promoted the view that chaos must reduce efficiency in the workplace.
As a result, organizations and individuals waste resources on futile efforts to become
more organized rather than considering the benefits of doing so.
E. Further, there are diminishing returns to order, as shown by recent research. It's
true that establishing some degree of orderliness boosts output initially, but after a
while, the process of organizing and the results it produces become less valuable, to
the point where more order actually hinders output. There are those who believe
that formalizing a business practice is unnecessary if the time and money spent on
it are outweighed by the benefits. There are more worthwhile uses for money and
time.
F. In fact, studies have shown that the most effective method of innovating is to foster
an atmosphere devoid of structure and hierarchy, in which all participants are
encouraged to work together as a single organic unit. New solutions may emerge in
these settings that would be impossible in more traditionally structured settings
(with their inherent bottlenecks in information flow, power structures, rules, and
routines).
G. Companies have been gradually warming up to this disorder in recent years. Some
of them accept it both in terms of outlook (they welcome the idea of chaos rather
than reject it) and method (putting mechanisms in place to reduce structure).
Hearing aid maker Oticon, based in Denmark, adopted a "spaghetti" organizational
structure to break down rigid hierarchies. This meant doing away with titles and
giving employees a great deal of autonomy over their work and schedules. There
was an immediate and noticeable increase in worker productivity across the board
after adopting this strategy.
Similarly, the former chairman of General Electric embraced anarchy and proposed
the concept of a "boundaryless" business. Again, this means removing physical and
digital barriers to communication and cooperation within an organization. Google
and other tech companies have adopted such fluid organizational structures, made
possible by advances in communication and collaboration tools and supported by a
shared commitment to the company's core values.
H. For those considering joining the bandwagon, it's worth noting that, like order, the
disorder appears to have diminishing utility and can have negative effects on
performance if used too frequently. Both order and disorder should be welcomed
only to the extent that they serve a purpose. We shouldn't be afraid of it or hold any
one religion in higher esteem than another. This study also demonstrates the
importance of regularly reevaluating our underlying presumptions.
Why companies should welcome disorder Reading Questions
Questions 1-8
Reading Passage has eight sections, A-H
Choose the correct heading for each section from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number i-ix, for the questions 1-8 on your answer sheet.
List of Headings
i. Neither strategy promises ever-increasing quality
ii. What more and more people are being tasked with doing
iii. Corporations that adopt a fresh strategy
iv. Preventative suggestions for business endeavors
v. Proof that there are drawbacks to a method that outweigh its benefits
vi. Beliefs at the core that are not true
vii. Getting results that are currently unattainable
viii. Concerns raised about a method's results
ix. The companies that have suffered the most from adjusting their strategy
1. Section A - _____
2. Section B - _____
3. Section C - _____
4. Section D - _____
5. Section E - _____
6. Section F - _____
7. Section G - _____
8. Section H - _____
Questions 9-11
Complete the sentences below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers for the questions 9-11 on your answer sheet.
9. Many workshops cater to those who fear they are not _________________ enough.
10. Numerous workers feel ________________ with certain facets of their jobs.
11. People who value ___________________most value being organized the most.
Questions 12-14
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading
Passage?
For the questions, 12-14 on your answer sheet, write
 TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
 FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
 NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
12. Google's decision to embrace flexibility was motivated by General Electric’s
evident success with the strategy.
13. Successful innovation requires clearly defined roles for all participants.
14. Many organizations and individuals pursue order without fully appreciating it.

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Why companies should welcome disorder

A. The business of the organisation is massive. This requirement is met by a

D. According to recent studies, this fixation on efficiency is misplaced. It is not so much

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