The Green Bay Packers front office has switched over from a vertical (or hierarchical) organizational structure to a lateral, (or horizontal, or team-based) one. Hey, I worked in human resources for a couple of corporations somewhere along the way. So what might we expect from this development?
Before, and for many years, the Packers had a nice straight line: Mike McCarthy (supposedly) reported to Ted Thompson, who reported to CEO Mark Murphy. With that setup, employees are clear on what their responsibilities and limits are. It simplifies things, and it makes individuals solely accountable for the successes and failures of those under their command.