Annealing as an Alternative Mechanism for Management

This paper examines annealing as a mechanism for inducing organizational change. Similar to a sword maker or glassworker transforming physical objects, a manager who anneals strategically shakes up a team with a sudden disruption and, after seeing favorable change, stabilizes the team in a realigned and improved structure. Annealing thus involves “lighting a fire” under colleagues, observing their adaptations, and eventually locking in the gains. Using the work of Harrison C. White as our foundation, we clarify the core features of annealing in contrast to routine management, discussing annealing as a strategic response to uncertainty that temporarily sacrifices equilibrium in search of a better state. Given our interest in when annealing is likely to damage, rather than benefit, those subjected to it, we also identify three conditions under which it fails or is harmful: the annealer lacks robust status, the annealed lacks emotional energy, and the wider environment presents an imbalanced mix of resources and uncertainty. Our discussion offers a window into when and how annealing can revitalize stagnant organizations or cause unintended harm. We conclude with questions for future research.