The Imaginary Network : a flexible way of organising work

Abstract: Background: The changing demands of the environment is leading to the development of new organisational forms. These organisations are characterised by flexibility, specialisation, delegation of authorities and development of competence. Small organisations that have started to adapt innovative constructions in order to be flexible are becoming of increasing importance in trade and industry but are given little attention in current research. Purpose: To make an in-depth study of Agora in order to increase the understanding about small organisations where the majority of the work force consists of self-employed actors. Realisation: We have made a case study on one company, namely Agora. Our empirical findings where collected through six in-depth interviews. Results: We have come to the conclusion that Agora cannot be seen as neither a network organisation nor an imaginary organisation but something in between: an imaginary network. Furthermore, we have identified three main forces that hold the company together: the shared values, the business concept of Agora and the leadership. There is a distinct and strong leadership that to a large extent is linked to the personality of the CEO and it is crucial for the maintenance of Agora.