【中英双语】混合工作制下的4种组织模式，哪种最适合你的企业？
Which Hybrid Work Model Is Best for Your Business?
在新冠疫情期间，许多国际企业发现，尽管人员始料未及地几乎完全撤离了办公室，但他们却继续保持了高效率和有成效的运作。信息处理、与客户沟通和客户服务等日常任务和活动的数字化得到加强。对于网上接洽取代面对面的日常互动，员工也表现出了很好的接受度。因此，这些国际企业的领导人开始重新思考他们的组织模式。 During the Covid-19 pandemic, many organizations with an international presence discovered that their operations continued efficiently and effectively, despite an unanticipated and almost fully-fledged evacuation from the office. The digitalization of routine tasks and activities, such as information processing, communication with clients, and customer service intensified. And employees demonstrated a good degree of receptivity to the substitution of face-to-face daily interactions with online engagement. As a result, leaders of these international companies are rethinking their organizational models. 然而，
大规模远程工作既存在机遇，也存在挑战。
那些能够成功驾驭这些好处的企业可能会获得竞争优势。但这需要改变组织的设计方式。为更好地理解此事可能是何模样，我们借助了领导和研究这些企业的综合经验以及新收集的数据。我们采访了20位来自美国不同跨国企业的高管，这些企业的名字在全世界家喻户晓，其中既包括年轻的、高增长企业，也包括早已享有盛誉的全球巨头。
There are both opportunities and challenges of remote working at scale, however.
Those organizations that can successfully navigate these benefits will likely enjoy a competitive edge. But this will require a shift in how organizations are designed. To better understand what this might look like, we drew on our combined experiences of leading and researching these organizations and a new collection of data. We interviewed 20 senior executives in different U.S. multinationals that represent household names across the world. The multinationals included a mix of young, high-growth organizations and well-established global giants. 我们的研究涵盖了原生数字企业和正加速进行数字化转型的企业，以及提供实体产品的企业。我们研究了领导者如何思考他们的组织模式，包括他们预见了哪些挑战和机遇，以及他们正在考虑哪些模式。领导者的评估考虑到了企业及其员工的需求。 We covered natively digital firms and firms that are fast-tracking their digital transformation, as well as businesses with physical product offerings. We examined how leaders are thinking about their organizational models, including what challenges and opportunities they foresee and what models they are considering. The leaders’ assessment considered the needs of the business and their employees.
我们的研究映射出最高层领导思考未来组织结构的方式。它还根据两条新的设计原则提供了四种独特的模式供国际企业考虑。
Our research signals how top leaders are thinking about their organizational structures going forward. It also provides four unique models for international organizations to consider, based on two new design principles.
国际企业的两项原则
Two Principles for International Organizations
我们确定了两项新的设计原则，以帮助你确定最适合大规模远程工作的通用组织模式。 We identified two new design principles to help you to identify the most suitable generic organizational model for remote working at scale.
考虑贵企业核心活动的任务环境背景。
Consider the task context of your organization’s core activities.
这将帮助你确定远程工作与办公室工作之间的平衡。为了调查任务环境背景，领导者会评估有效且高效执行任务所需的同事间关系性交流程度或事务性交流程度。 This will help you determine the balance between remote and office work. To examine task context, leaders assess the level of relational or transactional exchanges required between colleagues to perform reach task effectively and efficiently. 需要关系性交流的任务包括创新、知识创造和企业刚开始推进的活动。这些活动仰赖于个体间在进行生动、自发的互动时随时产生的创造性火花。因此，关系型任务最好在经过配置的办公室环境中执行。一家快速发展的科技公司的副总裁强调，他们的组织模式必须包括足够的关系性交流来创新和分享知识，特别是在新员工融入企业文化的问题方面。 Tasks with relational exchanges encompass innovation, knowledge creation, and activities where the organization has nascent processes. These activities rely on moment-to-moment creative sparks as individuals engage in vivid and spontaneous interactions. Relational tasks are therefore best performed in the collocated setting of an office. A vice president of a fast-growing tech company emphasized that their organizational model must include sufficient relational exchanges to innovate and share knowledge, especially around the integration of new hires into the organization’s culture. 相形之下，需要事务性交流的任务是常规化和程序化的任务，因此适合于数字交互。这些任务可以由独立工作并与他人进行虚拟协调的员工高效完成。我们的领导者谈到的例子包括软件开发、呼叫中心、内部销售及许多支持职能部门。一位副总裁提到，通过利用远程工作处理这些任务，他的公司估计，办公室空间面积可以减少大约三分之一——这是一项重大的成本节约。 In contrast, tasks with transactional exchanges are routinized and proceduralized, and therefore suitable for digital interactions. These tasks can be performed efficiently by employees working independently and coordinating with others virtually. Examples our leaders spoke about included software development, call centers, inside sales, and many support functions. One vice president mentioned that by capitalizing on remote working for such tasks, his company estimates that about one-third of its office footprint can be reduced — a major cost saving. 当然，许多活动同时包括关系性交流和事务性交流。因此，至关重要的是要检查每种交流所占的比例，以及需要关系性交流的任务间的彼此联系，还有实体办公室在提供社会化空间以植入企业文化方面具有的价值。拥有强大企业文化的科技企业的多数领导者强调，他们的远程工作政策将包括指望部分工作在办公室完成。这就使员工必须居住在合理的通勤距离内。在任何情况下，视所需的平衡而定，混合制模式仍然可以以办公室为中心（办公室工作>远程工作）或以虚拟为中心（远程工作>办公室工作）的方式实现。 Of course, many activities encompass
both
relational and transactional exchanges. So it’s critical to examine the proportion of each, as well as interconnections between tasks that require relational exchanges and the value of the physical office for offering a space for socialization to embed an organization’s culture. Most leaders of tech firms with strong organizational cultures emphasized that their remote working policies will include expectations for a certain presence in the office. This makes it essential that employees live within a reasonable commuting distance. In any case, depending on the balance needed, a hybrid model is still possible in either an office-centric (work in office > remote work) or virtual-centric (remote work > work in office) manner.
评估在国际市场雇有员工对于竞争力的重要性。
Evaluate the competitive importance of having employees in international markets.
我们的多数领导者都提到了全球性的“人才争夺战”，并指出远程工作为他们的企业提供了前所未有的灵活性来引进员工。这可能包括以更低的成本找到稀有、专业化人才或通才。它还可能涉及收购一家可以留住关键人才的公司（为了技术或市场份额）。此外，创建一个新的中心、将一批特定领域内公认的人才荟聚在一起可能符合企业的利益。 Most of our leaders mentioned a global “war for talent,” and noted that remote working gives their organizations an unprecedented level of flexibility to access employees. This may include finding rare, specialized skillsets or generic skillsets at lower costs. It may also involve the acquisition of a company (for technology or market share) where key talent can be retained. Moreover, it may be in the organization’s interest to create a new hub where there is a recognized cluster of talent focused on a particular sector. 当然，在更多国家雇有员工会增加成本并带来复杂性。我们访谈过的一位领导者对员工驻扎在多个国家时所产生的更大行政负担特别警惕，因为就业和税收法律存在巨大差异。她发出警告，这是一个企业在多个地方追踪人才时通常被人低估的成本因素。 Of course, having employees in a larger number of countries increases costs and creates complexity. One leader that we spoke to was particularly alert to the greater administrative burden when employees are based in several countries due to disparate employment and taxation laws. She warned that this is an often underestimated cost factor as organizations follow talent in multiple locations. 根据企业产品的性质，在国际市场上所需的存在程度也会有所不同。具有全球品牌认知度、可以通过电子方式进行营销、交付和支持的产品（比如软件应用）适合集中运作，无需地域分散。另一方面，建筑材料或易腐食品等昂贵或难以分销的实物产品需要在每个国家的市场上有一定程度的实物存在，即使营销和销售是以电子方式进行的。 The required degree of presence in international markets will also vary depending on the nature of the company’s offering. Offerings that can be marketed, delivered, and supported electronically with global brand recognition (such as software applications) lend themselves to centralized operations with little geographical dispersion. On the other hand, physical products that are expensive or difficult to distribute, like building materials or perishable foods, will require some level of physical presence in every country market, even if marketed and sold electronically. 综合这两项考虑因素，企业可以选择是在部分国家（国际化程度低）还是在许多国家（国际化程度高）雇佣员工。 Drawing together these two considerations, firms can choose between having employees in some countries (low internationalization) or many countries (high internationalization).
国际企业的4种模式
4 Models for International Organizations
综合一家企业的任务环境背景及其国际化程度，我们提炼出适合国际企业的四种通用组织模式。为了举例说明每一种模式，我们搜索了一些已经大胆尝试过每种模式的典型企业。此外，每一模式都显示了我们采访的领导者在与我们谈话时所概述的内容，并反映出他们对于远程工作的加速采用怎样打开了他们对潜在组织模式范围的看法。 Bringing together an organization’s task context and its degree of internationalization, we distilled four generic organizational models for international companies. To illustrate each, we searched for exemplar businesses that was already bold enough to experiment with each of the models. Moreover, each model illustrates what our interviewed leaders sketched when speaking to us, and reflects their views on how the accelerated adoption of remote working is opening their range of potential organizational models.
大型中心式组织（国际化程度低、关系型任务环境背景）
Large Hubs
(low internationalization, relational task context)
以办公室为中心，因为员工必须紧密合作才能完成专业化、知识密集型或创造性活动。这种组织在少数几个拥有大型中心的国家建立了严密的架构，这些中心配以员工，以激发创意与创新，这或许得益于知识集群或卓越中心。部分远程工作获准开展，但只能在靠近中心的地方进行。人们期待通过在办公室现身而进行频繁的合作。 This model is office-centric, as employees must work closely together to deliver on specialized, knowledge-intensive, or creative activities. The organization is structured tightly in a few countries with large hubs where employees are collocated to trigger ideas and innovation, perhaps benefitting from knowledge clusters or centers of excellence. Some remote working is permitted, but only in close proximity to the hubs. There is an expectation of frequent collaboration through the physical presence in the office. 比如，建筑师事务所等高度知识密集型的国际专业服务企业可能将其所有的工程、绘图和设计开发集中部署在每个主要地点的中心。我们的领导者对于在高度知识密集型创造性企业之外也采用这种模式表现出了更加开放的态度。比如，一家全球汽车领军企业的IT总监描述了他们公司的新系统开发如何不再是集中进行，而是向大型、区域性软件及产品开发中心转移。 For example, highly knowledge-intensive international professional service firms, such as architectural firms, might co-locate all their engineering, drawing, and design development in hubs across each major location. Our leaders indicate a more open approach to the adoption of this model beyond highly knowledge-intensive creative organizations as well. For example, the IT director of a global automobile leader described how new systems development for their firm is no longer centralized, but moving towards large, regional software and product development hubs.
中心加卫星点式组织（国际化程度高，关系型任务环境背景）
Hubs and Satellites
(high internationalization, relational task context)
也是以办公室为中心，主要依靠世界各地的重要中心，但也要辅以卫星式运作，以利用较小的知识员工集群或区域专业人才集群。比如，我们采访的专业服务企业领导者使用了卫星办公室，通过结合本地专业知识与全球视野的方式来应对本地需求。 This model is also office-centric, relying largely on key hubs around the world, but with satellite operations to take advantage of smaller clusters of knowledge workers or regional specialities. For example, leaders we interviewed from professional service firms use satellite offices to respond to local needs by combining local expertise with global perspectives. 这种组织模式的采用是为了在更复杂的市场中获得创新，以便在整个集团内共享，它让国际企业能够受益于协作和创意的交叉共享。一家领先的在线广告公司的副总裁谈到了该公司如何从大型中心模式转变为在世界各地增加国际卫星点，以便有机会进入区域人才库。这种模式基于这样一种信念，即，大多数互动最好是面对面进行，通过在主要中心和较小的卫星点为所有员工提供方便通勤的庞大办公室网络，它可以促进这一目的达成。 Adopted to access innovation in more sophisticated markets for sharing across the group, this organizational model allows international organizations to benefit from collaboration and the cross-sharing of ideas. A vice president of a leading online advertising operation spoke of how the organization is moving to from a large hubs model to adding international satellites around the world to facilitate access to regional talent pools. This model is predicated on the belief that most interactions are best done face to face, and it facilitates this by providing a large network of offices, both in major hubs and smaller satellites, within easy commuting distance for all employees.
分散式组织（国际化程度低、事务型任务环境背景）
Distributed
(low internationalization, transactional task context)
模式中，多数任务都是高工作量的常规任务，因而容易数字化。因此，企业适合分散布局。工作地点依据人才的多寡和成本而定。通常，这会扩展至少数国家，但不会超过这一范围。如有必要，公司产品无需公司进驻就可以进入更广阔的市场。 In this model, most tasks are high volume and routine, and hence easily digitalized. Therefore, the organization lends itself to distribution. Work is located based on the availability and cost of talent. Typically, this will extend to a small number of countries, but not beyond that. If necessary, wider markets for the company’s products can be accessed without requiring a presence there. 比如，全球增长最快的产品及公司建设者在线社区Roadmap.com背后的软件公司Aha!，其成立时没有办公室。所有员工分散在美国各地和其他几个国际地点。因看到这种组织模式对老牌企业也有好处，一家高度规范化的制药公司的副总裁确定这一模式是一种选择，特别是在药品脱离专利、创新活动的需求减少之时。 For example, Aha!, the software company behind Roadmap.com, the world’s fastest growing online community for product and company builders, was founded without an office. All its employees are distributed across the U.S. and a few other international locations. Seeing the benefits of such an organizational model also for established firms, the vice president of a highly routinized pharmaceutical firm identified this as an option, particularly as drugs move off patent and less innovative activities are required.
全球虚拟式组织（国际化程度高、事务型任务环境背景）
Global Virtual
(high internationalization, transactional task context)
模式允许在全球范围内获取人才。这一模式的动因不是寻找特定人才或有利的劳动力成本，非常适合那些对业务的全球性有要求的企业，但在每个国家都只有少量员工的情况下仍能取得成功。比如，十亿美元级初创企业Automattic在79个国家拥有1300多名员工，他们讲99种不同的语言。在这种模式中，许多国家的员工作为一个全球性但虚拟的企业一起工作，跨越地域界限相互接洽，通常选择自己的工作地点。为了建立更深层次的联系，他们一年会一次面。鉴于这一切情形，实体办公室不会有太大价值。 This virtual organization model allows talent to be accessed worldwide. Rather than being driven by a search for specific talent or favorable labor costs, this model works well for companies whose business requires them to have a global presence, but can still be successful with a small number of employees per country. The billion dollar startup, Automattic, for example, has more than 1,300 employees in 79 countries speaking 99 different languages. In this model, employees in many countries work together as a global but virtual organization, engaging across geographical boundaries and generally choosing their own work locations. To create deeper bonds, they meet up once a year. Given all of this, physical offices would have little value. 采用这种模式的企业也可能处于虚拟开展某些关系型任务的前沿，创造性地应用技术和新的工作方法来完成通常需要实地集中办公的任务。我们的几位领导者对这种做法很感兴趣，对这种设计所提供的灵活性和适应性欣然接受。然而，他们也认识到，他们的企业可能离这种模式尚有一段距离。未来会成为这一类别中其他企业之典范的是Automattic这类今天的初创企业和规模化企业。 Organizations adopting this model may also be on the leading edge of making some relational tasks virtual, applying technology and new work practices creatively to cover tasks that would normally require physical colocation. Several of our leaders were enthusiastic about such an approach, embracing the flexibility and adaptability this design offers. However, they also recognized that their organizations may yet be some distance away from this model. It is today’s start-ups and scale-ups, like Automattic, that will act as exemplars to others in this category. 领导者必须为他们的组织选择适当的模式，以利用国际分布式远程工作所提供的机会。我们认为，本文介绍的模式将成为主流，因为它们正在被成熟企业和初创企业所采用。为了未来有备无患，哪种模式最适合你的企业？ Leaders must choose the appropriate model for their organization to capitalize on the opportunities that internationally distributed remote work has to offer. We propose that the models introduced in this article will become mainstream as they are adopted by both established businesses and start-ups. To prepare for the future, which is best for your business? 埃丝特·蒂普曼（Esther Tippmann） 帕梅拉·夏基·斯科特（Pamela Sharkey Scott）马克·甘特利（Mark Gantly） | 文 埃丝特·蒂普曼是爱尔兰国立高威大学(National University of Ireland, Galway)的战略学教授，她的研究与教学兴趣涉及国际运作企业的战略挑战。帕梅拉·夏基·斯科特是都柏林城市大学(Dublin City University)战略学与国际商务教授，研究、教学和咨询服务专注于企业领导者如何在跨国公司中制定和实施战略。马克·甘特利是爱尔兰国立高威大学的管理学兼职教授，并在美国的跨国企业中担任研发领导人，其中包括在2009-2015年间担任惠普高威公司的负责人和董事总经理。 刘隽 | 编辑
