A system of organization or management that is flexible and informal, responding to immediate needs rather than following fixed rules or hierarchy.
Coined in the 1960s by combining ad hoc (Latin 'for this particular purpose') + -cracy (Greek kratos, 'rule'). Created to describe modern organizations that adapt quickly rather than follow bureaucracy.
Tech startups and creative agencies run on adhocracy—teams form and dissolve based on projects rather than fixed departments, which is the opposite of traditional corporations with their rigid hierarchies and rulebooks!
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