Organisational Design in Small Companies – A Study of “Diffuse” Work Organisations

This paper describes a conceptual framework for a study of work organisational structures in small companies. The goal is to gain a greater understanding of both strategic and unconscious organisational design processes in small companies. The starting-point of the analysis is the diffuse and informal “family” type of work organisation and the step to a more strategic and formal work organisation. In the paper gender theory is used when discussing internal organisational obstacles for growth and organisational forming processes. Gender plays perhaps a more important role in small companies than in large companies. Therefore the small company may have a development quite contradictory to its own sound origins. During the growing process there is a risk that the small company develops a rigid and inflexible organisation based on old gender pattern.