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02-02-2021 | Organization Zoo

Ant colonies: building complex organizations with minuscule brains and no leaders

Authors: Mark W. Moffett, Simon Garnier, Kathleen M. Eisenhardt, Nathan R. Furr, Massimo Warglien, Costanza Sartoris, William Ocasio, Thorbjørn Knudsen, Lars A. Bach, Joachim Offenberg

Published in: Journal of Organization Design | Issue 1/2021

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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.

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Title: Ant colonies: building complex organizations with minuscule brains and no leaders
Authors: Mark W. Moffett
Simon Garnier
Kathleen M. Eisenhardt
Nathan R. Furr
Massimo Warglien
Costanza Sartoris
William Ocasio
Thorbjørn Knudsen
Lars A. Bach
Joachim Offenberg
Publication date: 02-02-2021
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Published in: Journal of Organization Design / Issue 1/2021
Electronic ISSN: 2245-408X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41469-021-00093-4

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