OPENING CASE:

Extrusion $($a pseudonym$)$ is a Norwegian company that sought to flatten its organizational structure and increase the amount of employee participation in the organization. The new CEO of the company was very enthusiastic about this idea, and enlisted the help of a management professor to document the progress and changes expected to occur as a result of this major change in the organizational structure.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

If you were a consultant working on this change project, what issues would you raise before the organization switched to a flatter, more participative organizational structure?

What issues or problems might this organization face as it seeks to make such a change?

What types of things can it do to try to minimize these problems?