Organizational restructuring is a visible sign of change but often not effective

Changes to an organization’s structure are tangible but don’t necessarily bring about any concrete results. Consider the example of the UK’s National Health Service. It regularly reorganizes but doesn’t change much. “The reason is simple,” says Professor Henry Mintzberg in an interview with Business People. “Changing the administrative structure gives the idea that something is being done, but in the end these changes largely do not affect how healthcare personnel work.” They follow specific medical protocols, so changing the hierarchical representation of the organization is simple and fast, but not effective.