Designing Through Tension: Using the Front / Middle / Back for Better Function Design

The Front-Back Model, first articulated by Jay Galbraith in the late 1990s, offers a sophisticated way to balance two competing strategic logics within an organization – for example, the need to drive global or brand consistency (the “back”) while adapting to the unique needs of local markets or customer segments (the “front”). By distinguishing these perspectives and designing clear accountabilities and metrics for each, organizations can surface and resolve tensions that often emerge when complex strategies pull in opposing directions.

In this Community Conversation, Malik Saric, shares how the same front-back logic applies not only to go-to-market structures, but also to enabling functions such as HR, Finance, and IT – functions that must constantly navigate the tradeoff between enterprise standardization and customization for internal clients. Participants will learn how to help leaders see this tension not as dysfunction but as a source of advantage when intentionally designed and managed.

We saw the power of this model during our 2024-2025 work with a news media company following a global enterprise reorganization.  During the design process, the front-back model helped HR leaders make the right tradeoffs to balance the parent company’s push to standardize with the client’s need to customize.