"The Tyranny of Structurelessness" is a great read on this. TLDR: structure will always form, so it's best for formalize it from the beginning.
That said, I've been interested in the idea of "adhocracies" for a while now, and it seems to me that it would be possible to form structureless groups that, once they have fulfilled their purpose, disband thus becoming immune from the sort of rot that would otherwise happen.
And I'll also say: the same rot can happen in a group with a well-defined structure too. So it's not all cut and dry.
If the culture is adhocracy then leaderless teams are extra effective. Though a self organising or autonomous team can thrive in any organisation. For example Toyota in the glory days of TPS. Where individuals took up their role in driving change and attending the needs of colleagues.
"The Tyranny of Structurelessness" is a great read on this. TLDR: structure will always form, so it's best for formalize it from the beginning.
That said, I've been interested in the idea of "adhocracies" for a while now, and it seems to me that it would be possible to form structureless groups that, once they have fulfilled their purpose, disband thus becoming immune from the sort of rot that would otherwise happen.
And I'll also say: the same rot can happen in a group with a well-defined structure too. So it's not all cut and dry.