Antifragility and organizations: an organizational design perspective

Purpose This paper presents a unique approach to exploring how organizations can be designed to cope with uncertainty and benefit from unexpected events. Our focus is on antifragility, a concept gaining traction in organizational design. Design/methodology/approach We adopt a design perspective based on a socio-technical and complex adaptive systems perspective to explore the physical and social elements necessary for creating the landscape and pathways for antifragility. We present a framework that includes human systems and design elements and how these foster self-organization and adaptation. Findings Self-organization depends on the context in which it develops. Therefore, designing complex adaptive systems requires developing the landscape and pathways to generate self-organization. The interaction of the social and organizational elements promotes self-organization and antifragility. The design elements of redundancy, loose coupling, modularity and scalability influence the context within which self-organization emerges. Individual and organizational mindfulness, self-management and continuous learning allow for rapid reconfiguration under uncertainty, creating the landscape and pathways for organizations to benefit from unexpected events. Research limitations/implications Creating organizations with a focus on deriving benefits, rather than striving to return to the previous state, especially in the face of unforeseen disruptions, represents a fundamental shift in perspective. This contribution is important given the predictions of a world that will increasingly face black swan events. Therefore, preparing organizations for thriving under stress has important implications for theory. Practical implications An organization’s ability to create value from stressors is a key advantage. As the goal of any organization is long-term sustainability, those with antifragile capabilities are better positioned for success. Organizations can move beyond mere recovery by using design to create conditions that promote antifragility, as is the case with robustness and resilience. This paper provides a roadmap for organizations to thrive amidst disruptions, offering practical strategies for implementation and equipping the reader with actionable steps to enhance their organization’s adaptability. Originality/value Designing organizations to benefit from disruptions represents a significant paradigm shift. The nascent field of understanding how organizations can embody antifragility is of great value. This paper is among the first to offer a design-oriented approach to this concept, adding significant value to the existing body of knowledge. The perspective and insights presented in this research will engage scholars and practitioners in organizational design and management.