Organizational DNA: diagnosing the health of organizations in Armenia

Abstract

Organizational performance has been in the scope of interest of many researchers throughout many years. However, as the great bulk of organization theorists have revealed, in spite of the vast literature on leadership, there is hardly one generalizing framework that provides the managers with the insights and procedures required to combat the root causes of organizational performance. Stemming from this, the present study is based on the new approach developed by the consultants from Booz Allen Hamilton. By adapting the metaphor of biological DNA to the theory of organization, the researchers succeeded both in diagnosing the root causes of organizational dysfunction, and in providing managers with valuable information about the unique weaknesses of each organization. Based on the methodology developed by Booz Allen Hamilton the current research examines the nature of the relationships between organizational ‘genetic code’ and performance in organizations in Armenia through systematic comparison of selected organizations in the Armenian non-profit sector. It once more supported the idea that genetic code of an organization and its performance are directly correlated. Further, the study found out that the size of organizations together with the founding culture have a considerable impact on the way the traits of organizational genetic code interrelate with each other and generate different profiles ranging from resilient to outgrown. Finally, the study discusses implications for managers and further research directions.