Handbook of Digital and Computational Research Methods
2026

Four Guiding Principles for Rethinking Organizational Charts

Rodighiero, Dario

https://doi.org/10.4337/9781802208993.00012

This chapter explores the transformative impact of digital tools on visualizing large organizations, highlighting the shortcomings of traditional organizational charts in capturing the interconnected nature of human dynamics. Emphasizing a respectful distance from simplistic managerial logic, it discusses four guiding principles for rethinking organizational charts with careful consideration of digital traces and the valuable information employees leave during daily practice. These principles aim to reconsider the centrality of individuals and the complex dynamics of the whole organization. The first principle stresses comprehensive representation of every employee, promoting concepts like inclusivity and irreductionism. The second principle fosters a sense of community through mutual and collective self-recognition. The third challenges traditional hierarchical structures in favor of equal representation in network-based models. The fourth underscores transparency and bottom-up collaboration in design. The chapter combines theoretical insights with practical examples, including the Affinity Map case study. This approach, in the light of opportunities offered by datafication, as described by Brinton (1939, 59-67), reimagines organizational charts to be more accurate, realistic, and useful. It serves as a guide for using digital data and computational tools to better understand and design large organizations.