Building cell 1: Company structure and Corporate culture
A company’s structure as well as its corporate culture, underpin how people interact with each other. On the one hand, the harsher and more formal side, on the other hand, the softer and informal side. You have encountered several times how both sides impact performance and affect the results of the company. Meanwhile, you know that a formal operation and structure are needed, but that they are secondary to the informal. Norms, values, leadership, power, informal coalitions, social codes and loyalty determine the strength of an organization. Nevertheless, a well thought out company structure remains the hidden force behind every enterprise.

✓ Company Structure
A Sundry Seeds hub should grow organically by translating the Mission into new concepts, based on the core skills and collective capacity of the network. This is concretised in a twin structure, whereby a balance is monitored between chaos and order, innovation and consolidation and between creativity and bureaucracy.
The daily organic operating structure between the independent organizations of a Sundry Seeds hub is similar to those of a jazz band, ‘a coherent structure in non-equilibrium’. The various organizations must be encouraged to change in such a way that the individual creativity remains directed on the common mission. Each link gets its authority through its own input. The operation is process-oriented, innovative, ad hoc and inspiring.
Essential is the interaction, in which the cohesion is assured by our clear-defined mission. This fairly loose work structure is not an obvious choice for everyone. It assumes a belief in people and in their strengths. Control freaks will shudder here because only the broad large lines are defined, creating a spacious freedom for personal interpretation. Sundry Seeds believes: give meaningful assignments, give responsibility, give trust, and people transcend themselves.
A Soft Social Franchise Agreement.
Sundry Seeds may be developed in the framework of Soft Social Franchising
Franchising is first and foremost a way of transferring knowledge and experience from one successfully enterprise to another. The “Franchisor” gives the “Franchisee” the right – but also the obligation – to operate a business according to the Franchisor’s concept and conditions. The Sundry Seeds Social Franchise Agreement is defined as a ‘soft franchise’ due to the high degree of autonomy of the “Franchisee”.
Social franchising is the use of a commercial franchising approach to replicate and share proven organizational models for greater social impact. Social franchises recognize that local ownership is important to create dynamic, entrepreneurial organizations that are responsive to local needs. As such, the social franchise defined in this Sundry Seeds agreement covers SMEs that make profit but also have a social purpose.
The “Franchisee” commits to run its company as an independent entrepreneur in accordance with the mission and the concept of the “Franchisor”, to uphold the good name and fame of the Sundry Seeds concept and to design its establishment recognizable as a Sundry Seeds. The exploitation of the Sundry Seeds hub of the “Franchisee” will be completely on their own account and risk. The “Franchisor” requires and expects a Professional, Profitable and Responsible entrepreneurial approach of the “Franchisee” and cannot be held responsible for the activities of the “Franchisee”. The intellectual property, trademark and any copyrights belonging to the “Franchisor” will remain the property of the “Franchisor” at all times.

✓ Corporate culture
Unity in diversity
‘Sundry Seeds’ are growing networks of diverse community oriented enterprises which are active in the broad sector of tourism, and which are mainly managed by young women or young newcomers. The Sundry Seeds inspire, challenge and support (potential) entrepreneurs to develop one of the Community Oriented Enterprises of the local ‘Sundry Seeds’ in areas like food & drinks, retail, art, creative industries, lodging,tour operating, healthcare, transport and guiding. The different entrepreneurs of these Community Oriented Enterprises will create employments for the larger target groups. Together they will create a ‘Great Good Place in town’ full of diversity for locals and tourists.
Sundry Seeds developed general guidelines for its partners, but each partner is free to adapt his or her activities to respond to local needs and his aspirations while respecting the vision and mission. Each Sundry Seeds will be unique and different. The management, the framework, the atmosphere, the business, the programming, the cultural and social projects are fundamentally linked to the individual Sundry Seeds managers and their partners. It is evident that the location, the housing and the rate of interaction with the local environment will determine the specific realization.

The fact that each Sundry Seeds should merge with the local environment and community, makes each Sundry Seeds unique. Sundry Seeds is a value driven community built on the principle of unity in diversity. It is based on organic growth, distinct but in harmony with the whole.

• Този отговор беше редактиран на преди 5 години, 3 месеца от  Sundry Seeds.