Premier Crew - Organisation

Case studies

Want to grow your organisation and enliven and engage your workforce?

Do you understand the real purpose of your organisation? Do you even think it has a purpose?

Perhaps you are looking to increase resilience and flexibility or tap in to that under-utilised potential in your fellow workers?

Maybe you'd like to go further and ensure that what you have built is maintained and future-proofed by the very people that run it?

Below are some companies who have broken the rules and achieved some or all of the above. They have also profited handsomely in many ways by doing so.

Each organisation has a link on it's name if the organisation is still up and running. As time allows I'll be adding more information on each, right now you may need to dig around to find what is exceptional about each of these organisations.

I hope you find their stories inspiring.

AES

Started: 1981

Based: Arlington, Virginia - USA and worldwide

Does: Electricity provider

Dennis Bakke and Roger Sant started consulting firm Applied Energy Services (AES) in 1981, in Arlington, Virginia, in a very classic and heavily industrial line of business. AES built and operated thermal and hydroelectric power generation systems, as well as electrical grids. Within ten years, the company had built power plants in 29 countries, joined the Fortune 200, and grown their employee base from 1,400 to 50,000.
Source: Reinventing Organizations - Frederic Laloux 2014)

Bakke and Sant have since left the company and it is not clear if their successors have maintained a self-management structure.

Brasilata

Started: 1955

Based: São Paulo – Brazil

Does: Tin can manufacture

BSO/Origin

Started: 1976

Based: Eindhoven - Netherlands

Did: IT support

Notes: BSO/Origin merged with two French companies in 1997 to become ATOS Origin, now ATOS Open in new window

Buffer

Started: 2010

Based: Worldwide

Does: Social media management

Buurtzorg - English site (USA)

Started: 2007

Based: Almelo - Netherlands (also Japan, Sweden and USA)

Does: Healthcare provider

Buurtzorg grew from 4 nurses in 2006 it to nearly 8,000 nurses in 2014 whilst savings the Dutch health care system roughly 40 percent in costs. More >>

ESBZ

Started: 2007

Based: Berlin - Germany

Does: School

FAVI

Started: 1957

Based: Hallencourt - France

Does: Design, optimize, die-cast, machine and assemble parts for the automotive industry

Fitzii

Started: 2011

Based: Toronto - Canada

Does: Job Applicant Tracking System

Gripple

Started: 1984

Based: Sheffield - UK with subsidiaries worldwide.

Does: Wire connector manufacture

Happy

Started: 1987

Based: London - UK

Does: IT and Computer training courses

HCL Technologies

Started: 1976

Based: Bangalore - India

Does: Software development and outsourcing

Holacracy

Started: 2007

Based: Spring City, Pennsylvania - USA

Does: A complete system for self-organisation

Matt Black Systems

Started: 1971

Based: Bournemouth - UK

Does: Design and manufacture of man-machine interfaces for land, sea and air applications

Morning Star

Started: 1970

Based: California - USA

Does: Tomato processing

Principles:

Morning Star started with two, simple principles.

People should not use force against other people.
People should honour their commitments to each other.

These two simple principles evolved into a template Open in new window for conduct within Morning Star.

Morning Star have also set up an Institute Open in new window to train their colleagues (employees) and also others who are interested in the concept. This is another hallmark of self-managed organisations; most are happy to share their success.

They also provide a useful guide Open in new window to some of the misconceptions surrounding self-management.

Patagonia

Started: 1973

Based: Ventura, California - USA

Does: Outdoor clothing and gear

RHD

Started: 1970

Based: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - USA

Does: Diversified human services

Scott Bader

Started: 1921

Based: Wellingborough, Northamptonshire - UK

Does: Chemical company

Notes: In 1951, the Founder, Ernest Bader and his family, gifted the company to the workers. The shares of the company were transferred to Scott Bader Commonwealth Limited, a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity, thereby creating a common trusteeship company.