The concept of a decentralized autonomous organization as an innovative organizational structure

Purpose: The aim of this article is to present the concept of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations in the context of the evolution of organizational structures. The article presents the current state of knowledge about DAOs, taking into account the principles of their functioning and the current state of development. The roles of individual actors involved in the DAO were also discussed and typical features of the DAO organization were indicated. Design/methodology/approach: The main method used in this article is a literature review supplemented with an analysis of online industry sources and reports of consulting companies. The analysis included a review of the characteristics of the DAO organization against the background of traditional structures and the ways of functioning of the DAO. Findings: The article describes the characteristics of organizations managed with smart contracts created thanks to the use of blockchain technology. The stages of the formation of DAOs and the main principles of their functioning based on the possession of digital tokens of a given organization, as well as the right to participate in voting on decisions made in the DAO, were indicated. The basic advantages and risks associated with the functioning of DAOs were also indicated. Originality/value: The originality of this article lies in the confrontation of the theory and practice of DAOs with traditional, hierarchical organizations with specific features. The current literature in the field of DAOs is not very extensive, especially in relation to the issue of organizational structures, as demonstrated in the Materials and Methods section of this article. Keywords: decentralized autonomous organization, organizational structure, blockchain technology, smart contracts. Category of the paper: literature review.