Alexander Hamilton & Organizational Design

Yesterday I’m at my first engagement kickoff in a room with a firm partner, VPs and Managers.
They all have MBAs from Wharton and Georgetown.
I have a mini-MBA diploma photocopied from the back of my 10 Day MBA book.
(a.k.a. I have no idea what’s going on).

At one point, I was confused about the difference between a centralized and a decentralized organization. Apparently my confusion was obvious by my face, and a Level 4 noticed.

Level 4: You look confused. You studied political science, right?

Me: Yes…

Level 4: Centralized organizations are like Alexander Hamilton and the Federalists. Decentralized organizations are like Thomas Jefferson and Republicanism.

.

For Visual Learners:

(Centralized Organization)

(Decentralized Organization)

The sad thing is once he said, that I understood.