Get Organized At Work! A look inside the game design process of Valve and Linden Lab

This article considers the configuration of modular and temporary organization designs. By drawing on two prominent developer firms, namely,Valve Inc. and Linden Lab, respectively,"cabals" and "studios" are explored.The results of interviews conducted with employees of these firms are used as evidence. The article demonstrates that, to various extents, these organization designs organize, facilitate, and maintain how work is accomplished and coordinated within the boundaries of a permanent firm. It extends our understanding of how these designs provide a structure to how tasks are constituted in conjunction with the nature of the product.