Content area
Abstract
Thus far the articles in the series JOD calls the “Organization Zoo” have employed the notion of a “zoo” metaphorically to describe an array of human institutions. Here we take the term literally to consider the design of the most complex organizations in the living world beside those of humans, a favorite of insect zoos around the world: ant colonies. We consider individuality and group identity in the functioning of ant organizations; advantages of a flat organization without hierarchies or leaders; self-organization; direct and indirect communication; job specialization; labor coordination; and the role of errors in innovation. The likely value and limitations of comparing ant and human organizations are briefly examined.
Details
Title
Ant colonies: building complex organizations with minuscule brains and no leaders
Author
Moffett, Mark W. 1
; Garnier, Simon 2 ; Eisenhardt, Kathleen M. 3 ; Furr, Nathan R. 4 ; Warglien, Massimo 5 ; Sartoris, Costanza 5 ; Ocasio, William 6 ; Knudsen, Thorbjørn 7 ; Bach, Lars A. 8 ; Offenberg, Joachim 9
1 National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Department of Entomology, Washington, USA (GRID:grid.453560.1) (ISNI:0000 0001 2192 7591)
2 New Jersey Institute of Technology, Department of Biological Sciences, Newark, USA (GRID:grid.260896.3) (ISNI:0000 0001 2166 4955)
3 Stanford University, Management Science and Engineering, Stanford, USA (GRID:grid.168010.e) (ISNI:0000000419368956)
4 INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France (GRID:grid.424837.e) (ISNI:0000 0004 1791 3287)
5 Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Department of Management, Venice, Italy (GRID:grid.7240.1) (ISNI:0000 0004 1763 0578)
6 University of Illinois, Gies College of Business, Champaign, USA (GRID:grid.35403.31) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 9991)
7 University of Southern Denmark, Department of Marketing and Management, Odense M, Denmark (GRID:grid.10825.3e) (ISNI:0000 0001 0728 0170)
8 Aarhus University, Department of Management, Aarhus V, Denmark (GRID:grid.7048.b) (ISNI:0000 0001 1956 2722)
9 Aarhus University, Department of Bioscience, Silkeborg, Denmark (GRID:grid.7048.b) (ISNI:0000 0001 1956 2722)
; Garnier, Simon 2 ; Eisenhardt, Kathleen M. 3 ; Furr, Nathan R. 4 ; Warglien, Massimo 5 ; Sartoris, Costanza 5 ; Ocasio, William 6 ; Knudsen, Thorbjørn 7 ; Bach, Lars A. 8 ; Offenberg, Joachim 9 1 National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Department of Entomology, Washington, USA (GRID:grid.453560.1) (ISNI:0000 0001 2192 7591)
2 New Jersey Institute of Technology, Department of Biological Sciences, Newark, USA (GRID:grid.260896.3) (ISNI:0000 0001 2166 4955)
3 Stanford University, Management Science and Engineering, Stanford, USA (GRID:grid.168010.e) (ISNI:0000000419368956)
4 INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France (GRID:grid.424837.e) (ISNI:0000 0004 1791 3287)
5 Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Department of Management, Venice, Italy (GRID:grid.7240.1) (ISNI:0000 0004 1763 0578)
6 University of Illinois, Gies College of Business, Champaign, USA (GRID:grid.35403.31) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 9991)
7 University of Southern Denmark, Department of Marketing and Management, Odense M, Denmark (GRID:grid.10825.3e) (ISNI:0000 0001 0728 0170)
8 Aarhus University, Department of Management, Aarhus V, Denmark (GRID:grid.7048.b) (ISNI:0000 0001 1956 2722)
9 Aarhus University, Department of Bioscience, Silkeborg, Denmark (GRID:grid.7048.b) (ISNI:0000 0001 1956 2722)
Pages
55-74
Publication year
2021
Publication date
Mar 2021
e-ISSN
2245408X
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2522239700
Copyright
© Organizational Design Community 2021.