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Bayer AG : from hierarchy to flat structure amidst need for innovation / Arpita Agnihotri and Saurabh Bhattacharya

Author
Agnihotri, Arpita
Published
London : SAGE Publications: SAGE Business Cases Originals, 2025.
Physical Description
1 online resource : illustrations
Additional Creators
Bhattacharya, Saurabh
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Summary
The case is about Bayer AG (Bayer), led by William N. Anderson, who, after experiencing financial downfall, realized that Bayer's hierarchical organizational structure was causing bottlenecks and decided to switch to a flat organizational structure with a dynamic shared ownership (DSO) model. Bayer is a producer and marketer of healthcare and agricultural products. The company expected a flat structure to fasten innovation and decision-making in the organization, with 95% of decisions made by employees and not involving middle-level management. In the past, Bayer tried several ways to be more innovative and flexible, such as through parallel structure, but this was unsuccessful. However, other companies, including Google and Meta, had adverse experiences with a flat structure. What advantages can DSO offer to Bayer? Has Anderson made the right decision to switch to a flat structure from a hierarchical structure? What could be the alternatives? What are the implications for cultural values at Bayer, given this change in structure?
Subject(s)
ISBN
9781071979921 : (SAGE Business Cases)
View MARC record | catkey: 47384706