The way we work is changing. New information and communication technologies (ICTs) have enabled new forms of work organization—necessitating new ways to communicate, coordinate, and collaborate on work. So, increasingly, we find ourselves working in temporary, loosely organized, specialist-heavy, project-oriented teams: all-edge adhocracies. And these adhocracies work very differently from bureaucratic hierarchies, which organized us throughout the 20th century. They have different strengths, weaknesses, and possibilities.

This book examines different aspects of all-edge adhocracies: why they are needed, how they emerged, how they are structured, how they develop, how they interact with other kinds of work organization, and what they need to thrive. Throughout, the book grounds its discussion in case studies of all-edge adhocracies at work, helping readers to understand and apply the principles to their own organizations.