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Characteristics of High Performance vs Traditional Organizations

High Performance Traditional
1. Customer focused 1. Internally focused
2. Decentralized structure with autonomous, self-regulating work units 2. Centralized and bureaucratic structure
3. Planning and coordination done by work teams 3. Planning and coordination done by management
4. Jobs broadly defined and people possess multiple skills 4. Specialization and narrowly defined jobs
5. Many ways to achieve the same level of performance 5. Standardization of performance – one best way to do a job
6. Minimum rules. Values and common sense guide behavior 6. Uniform and strictly enforced policies. Do things by the book
7. Department boundaries determined by task interrelationship 7. Department boundaries determined by similarity of function
8. Training focuses on total employee development (business understanding, team work, interpersonal skills, personal development) 8. Training focused on technical skills
9. Rewards based on contributions to team 9. Rewards based on individual performance
10. Employees viewed as partners 10. Employees viewed as tools of management
11. Quality of life of employees is imperative to the company 11. Alienated and unhappy employees accepted as a given of industrial life