Hybrid Design in Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs)

This project explores the phenomenon of decentralized autonomous organizations, or DAOs, which are a novel form of organizing that utilizes blockchain technology to manage and automate participation by community members in a decentralized fashion. Notably, some firms with non-financial goals are creating DAOs and delegating decision making to these communities as a way to help the firm maintain fidelity to its non-financial goals. We leverage a multiple case study design to examine the role that firm hierarchies play in structuring the participation and decision-making of DAO communities and investigate how the ideology of techno-optimism informs the way firms attempt to utilize DAO communities to resolve the tensions of hybridity, and to what effect. (With Mike Lee, INSEAD)