9
Organizations Can
Help—or Hinder
I am tempted to believe that what we call necessary
institutions are no more than institutions to which we have
become accustomed. In matters of social constitution, the
field of possibilities is much more extensive than men
living in their various societies are ready to imagine.
—Alexis de Tocqueville
Democracy in AmericaBuffeted by the tides of change, by forces that didn’t even exist
a generation ago, under siege on all sides, too many organiza-
tions have simply hunkered down defensively. But like the old
joke, they prepare for nuclear attack by gathering the wagons
into a circle. They will not move and will not be moved. Mean-
while, outside the circle, everything is in motion.
Although more and more organizations claim to welcome
change, it is as unsettling as it ever was. In recent years, non-
profit organizations have seen their costs soar, their sources of
revenue dry up, their endowments shrink, and their missions
challenged. Corporate America has been roiled by scandal on a