Learning from the Mormons

The unique organization structure of the Mormon network has worked for them very well. Worldwide, some 14 million members of the church are divided into thousands of units, most of them made up of 300 to 400 people. A bishop presides over each member unit, which keeps detailed records—address, phone, work address and other information on each member. This is very relevant to any large organization - the key is to keep groups small enough so they can be cohesive but at the same time reflect the values of the larger organization across these subgroups. Their response to the Japan earthquakes and Tsunami is something to be taught in all MBA courses - their structure helped the missionaries in Japan to keep tab of each other, work towards relocating to a safer area, and mobilize resources to aid relief operations.