Cambridge Business Association
The rise of the mutable organization and what it means for business transformation
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The rise of the mutable organization and what it means for business transformation

MaryLou Costa
Raconteur, 2023
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Recent AI developments are sparking changes in the world of work – from hiring practices to organizational structures. Workers themselves are also taking new approaches to their careers. Many have shifted to freelance, skill-based employment as more businesses become “mutable” organizations – hiring workers based on desired outcomes, rather than to fill set roles. Business writer Marylou Costa offers an interesting overview of the new mutable organization trend, which she sees as part of a larger shift toward smaller in-house teams augmented by AI and a freelance human workforce.

Summary

“Mutable” organizations are on the rise.

The latest organizational downsizing trend is different from those that have come before. It’s not so much a response to an economic downturn as a reflection of how technological developments – particularly AI – will give rise to a new kind of organization: the “mutable” organization. In the not-too-distant future, companies’ in-house workforce will likely be much leaner, consisting of a small group of in-house managers who oversee teams of highly skilled freelance workers.

A mutable organization – a term coined by Richard Skellett, founder of Globalution – does not think of workers...

About the Author

Marylou Costa is a business writer covering the future of work, work culture, sustainability, innovation, technology, start-ups, marketing and more.

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