Massimo Franco

The present study is animated by the pespective that organizations can be compared to oxymorons lowered into the reality. The primary objective of this paper, therefore, is to highlight, through theoretical contributions and a case study, the role and the challenges that the companies face in the moments of the definition, and adaption, of the organizational structures in relation to the environmental changes and to the complexity, intended as a preliminary condition and opportunity. The essential thoughts animating the analysis are based on the concept of contingencies, on the new-institutionalism theory and they refer to the general framework of the complexity. The principal methodology used to perform the analyses was a process of literature review. In addition, another methodology used to identify a common thread in the existing research was the “conceptual generalization”. This process has highlighted the theoretical and scientific aspects of the analysis and it has been functional to the final analysis, aimed at highlighting the repercussions on the organization of the companies and the human resources of the Jobs Act, a set of laws and legislative decrees that from the end of 2014 has defined new rules and new technical and organizational scenarios

The present article originates from the effort to answer the following question: is it possible for an organizational structure to steer between organizational routines and Black Swans? (Taleb, 2007). Unexpected, unique and low-frequency events are “unknown variable” that, despite the planning and precautions deployed, catch an organization off-guard, and might have catastrophic consequences. Unexpected events impact organizations, undermining the knowledge and redefining the list of competences that an organization needs in order to be competitive. The main goal of the present article is to shed light on the role and the challenges that firms undertake in their defining moments of adaptation of their organizational assets – the structure –. The rational pattern of adaptation is exemplified by the use of ambidextrous organizational structures, which focus on activities that can be defined as exploration and exploitation. Within the analysis of “the science of complexity”, parallels, paradoxes and metaphors representing a synthesis of a largely shared doctrine will be investigated: firms need to utilize known variables, or sometimes unknown ones, that are inevitably complex, in order to find the right fit, react swiftly to change, successfully compete, and obtain results.