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Buurtzorg: Scaling Up an Organization With Hundreds of Self-Managing Teams

An academic case study of how Buurtzorg scaled a self-managing organization using supportive structures, internal coaches, and purpose-built information systems.

Source: Journal of Organization DesignAdded June 12, 2026Published 2025
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Why it matters

Buurtzorg is one of the clearest examples of self-management at large scale, showing that autonomy still depends on support systems.

Best for

Operators and researchers studying how distributed teams can scale without conventional middle management.

This article is especially useful for understanding that self-management does not mean lack of structure. Buurtzorg’s scale depends on small teams, coaching, shared purpose, and information infrastructure. Access may be limited, so availability should be checked before publishing.

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