Chaordic Organization

Knowledge Center

What is a Chaordic Organization?

A Chaordic Organization is a system of organization that exhibits characteristics of both chaos and order but is dominated by neither.

The word ‘chaord’ (pronounced kay-ord) was first used by founder and former CEO of VISA International, Dee Hock. It is created by blending the first syllables from the words chaos and order.

In his book Birth of the Chaotic Age (1999), Hock defines chaord in the following way:

"any self-organizing, self governing, adaptive, nonlinear, complex organism, organization, community or system, whether physical, biological or social, the behavior of which harmoniously blends characteristics of both chaos and order".

In Hock's view, today’s organizations are based on compelled behavior, or tyranny. The organizations of the future—chaordic organizations—will embody community, based on shared purpose calling to the higher aspirations of people.

As applied to business, this can be thought of as “an organization that harmoniously blends characteristics of competition and cooperation; or from the perspective of education, an organization that seamlessly blends theoretical and experiential learning.

Chaordic organizations do not fear change or innovation. They are, by their very nature, supremely adaptive. They also tend to be inclusive, multi-centric, and distributive and, ultimately, strongly cohesive due to their unshakable focus on common purpose and core principles.

A chaordic organization is formed by attending to six elements in the following order: Purpose, Principles, People, Concept, Structure, and Practice.

Forum Forum about Chaordic Organizations. Start a new topic about Chaordic Organizations Sign up for free

Courses about Chaordic Organizations. Beginners Course Advanced Course Course for Experts

Expert Tips Advanced insights about Chaordic Organizations. Here you will find professional advices by experts. Consultancy Tips Teaching Tips Practical Implementation Tips Bureaucratic Organizations versus Dynamic Organizations Organizational Development, Organizational Agility Nowadays, many organizations recognize the importance of being dynamic so as to quickly adapt to external changes. Howev...

Information Sources Various sources of information regarding Chaordic Organizations. Here you will find powerpoints, videos, news, etc. to use in your own lectures and workshops. Introduction to the Chaordic Organization. Chaordic Processes Chaordic Organizations, Chaordic Process Model Presentation that introduces the concept of chaordic organizations and processes. The presentation includes the followin... Introduction to Network Organizations Organizational Forms, Network Organization, Virtual Organization, Communities of Practice Presentation about Network Organizations. The presentations explains its importance, its supporting factors and compares...

Tools Useful tools regarding Chaordic Organizations. News Videos Presentations   Books Academic More

Compare with: Chaordic Leadership  |  Organic Organization  |  Learning Organization  |  Chaos Theory  |  Catastrophe Theory  |  Twelve Principles of the Network Economy  |  Change Phases  |  Organization Chart  |  Causal Model of Organizational Performance and Change  |  Dialectical Inquiry  |  Centralization and Decentralization

Return to Management Hub: Change & Organization  |  Knowledge & Intangibles  |  Leadership

More on Management  |  Return to Management Dictionary

This ends our Chaordic Organization summary and forum.