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Building Adaptive Organisations: A Systems and Culture Approach for Thriving in a Changing Workplace
Author(s): Richard Kelly (Author)
- Publisher: Routledge
- Publication Date: July 30 2026
- Edition: 1st
- Language: English
- Print length: 244 pages
- ISBN-10: 1041156111
- ISBN-13: 9781041156116
Book Description
Building Adaptive Organisations is a practical guide to thriving in an era of volatility, complexity, and rapid technological change. The book argues that the 300-year-old organisational model, designed for stability and control, is no longer fit for the demands of Industry 4.0 and the changing workplace. The outdated pyramidal enterprise has bred disengaged workforces, out-of-touch leaders, and cultures that collapse under constant disruption.
The book presents a compelling alternative that transforms organisations into self-organising, emergent ecosystems. Drawing on industrial-revolution history, organisational theory, original models, and case studies, it demonstrates how to ingrain adaptability into the heart of systems and culture. Building Adaptive Organisations argues that enduring adaptability will never come from top-down leadership, isolated agile initiatives, complicated nested circles, mindset shifts, or cultural makeovers. Instead, the study focuses on five critical system levers that drive adaptability: culture, design, technology, people, and process. It provides practical guidance on how to build an adaptive culture across the organisation’s architecture; designing modular structures with self-organising governance and flexible workflows; integrating digital transformation into the organisation’s core operations; enabling people strategies that support adaptive workforces; and implementing transformational change as a shared, emergent, enterprise-wide endeavour.
Offering clear concepts, tools, and pathways, this book equips system leaders and organisational designers to build adaptive, responsive organisations capable of navigating the turbulence of Industry 4.0 and an increasingly unpredictable world.
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Richard Kelly, PhD, is an author and organisational culture and leadership specialist with over 30 years of experience in the private and public sectors. Based in the UK, Richard has spent the past 15 years working as an independent organisational development and leadership consultant for companies across Europe and South America, focusing on system-wide cultural and behavioural transformation. He is the author of Constructing Leadership 4.0 and The Nature of Business Transformation.
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