Wildfire Entertainment's Flashcards
Early Days
Wildfire Entertainment started as an informal, exciting workplace with a focus on building great software products, particularly games, animations, and learning apps. The organization was flat, with decision-making centralized among the founding members.
Functional Structure
As the company grew, it adopted a hierarchical, functional structure under the guidance of Elizabeth Rankin. This structure aimed to bring clarity to roles and responsibilities, with different functional units operating as teams. However, as the organization expanded, the structure led to increased complexity, slower decision-making, and decreased collaboration between teams.
Matrix Structure:
To address the challenges of functional silos, Wildfire implemented a matrix structure where dedicated product teams coexisted with functional units. This structure aimed to integrate product focus with functional expertise. However, it introduced new challenges related to decision-making, resource allocation, and power struggles between functional heads and product leaders.
Divisional Structure:
The case suggests that Wildfire is considering a move towards a divisional structure, with separate divisions for Game Development, Animation & Movie Development, Learning Tools, and Administration. This move reflects the company’s growth and the unique opportunities in each market segment. However, Elizabeth is wary of the potential pitfalls of siloed thinking and the need to maintain coordination and integration across divisions.
Adaptation and Customization:
Elizabeth emphasizes the importance of evolving the organizational structure to fit the strategic context and reality of the company. She acknowledges that there is no one-size-fits-all solution and that structures must adapt to changes in markets, technologies, and business models.
optional conclusion
In summary, Wildfire Entertainment has undergone a series of structural transformations in response to its growth and changing strategic context. Each organizational structure has its strengths and weaknesses, and the company is continuously adapting to find the most suitable arrangement to support its objectives.
