ABSTRACT
One may use requisite organization (RO) to define the roles and accountabilities at different levels of an organization. This framework was originally developed by Elliot Jaques in the 1970s. Some of the assumptions behind RO are at odds with the realities of modern organizations, characterized by a reliance on teams and horizontal co-ordination, lack of predictability, and subsequently lower emphasis on long term planning. Yet even flexible, project-based organizations need a minimum of structure and clarity with regards to accountability. One can increase the applicability of RO by describing jobs in terms of outcomes as opposed to activities, and by combining RO with the concept of the modular organization to create a layered structure in flexible, project-based firms.
