The Next Next Common Sense
life for the many people” provided clear criteria for prioritizing safety, employee welfare, and customer accessibility over short-term profitability. This acceleration mechanism functions by reducing decision fric- tion—when values alignment is strong, organizations spend less time debating priorities and more time implementing solutions. Research by decision scientists Kathleen Eisenhardt and Jean-Louis Barsoux (2022) quantifies this effect, showing that organizations with high purpose clar- ity make strategic decisions 38% faster during crises than those with low clarity, while achieving better implementation outcomes.
3. Resource Reallocation Without Identity Fragmentation
Coherent organizations can rapidly reallocate resources across busi- ness units without triggering territorial conflicts. When Microsoft needed to shift thousands of engineers to remote work tools during the pandemic, traditionally competitive divisions worked together because they shared the overarching purpose of empowerment. This reallocation mechanism operates through what organizational psychologists call “superordinate identification” (Zhang & Luo, 2023)— when employees identify strongly with organizational purpose, they be- come more willing to transcend local interests for collective benefit. This enables faster adaptation to changing conditions without the friction that typically accompanies resource redistribution.
4. Distributed Intelligence Activation
Organizations with strong coherence can utilize the full intelligence of their workforce during crises because employees understand how to make decisions aligned with shared purpose. When Southwest Airlines faced pandemic disruptions, frontline employees could make customer accommodations without constant approval because they deeply under- stood the company’s commitment to customer experience.
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