Calif. In his presentation, Delbecq contrasted two organizational structures and their underlying philosophies. You've probably run into the same contrast in other venues. The petrified forest He started with the older, highly centralized, bureaucratic model that shaped the development of large industrial organizations in the early 20th century. In that model, power is concentrated in the top leadership, and that leadership governs the whole enterprise by command.
Relationships are highly formalized and hierarchical.
Pause a minute and ask yourself whether this description reminds you of any health care organization you know, or contract with, or work for. Delbecq argued that the centralized, hierarchical model is obsolete. It grew from management theory of the early 20th century and had a place in that era, but it became less and less appropriate to our society. With the GI Bill sending veterans to college, the educational level of the work force outside the hierarchy grew by leaps and bounds. The civil rights movement and women's rights movement challenged the corporate bastions of white male power.