Transcript OOrgan - IHMC Public Cmaps

Organizations as Organisms
From “Images of Organization” by G. Morgan
Systems Theory
“The essential nature of
matter lies not in
objects, but in
interconnections”
Assumptions from Systems Theory
• A system is a set of units that connect to
form a whole.
• The whole system functions because of
interdependence of its parts.
• Systems have input, output, control, and
feedback processes.
• Living systems are more complex than
mechanical systems.
Living Systems
Life: a property of
improbably complexity
possessed by an
entity that works to
keep itself out of
equilibrium with its
environment.
R. Dawkins (1986)
8 Characteristics of Living Things:
(Biology 101)
• Living things
– are organized
– work together to form increasingly
higher levels of complexity.
– metabolize
– maintain internal environment.
– grow
– respond
– reproduce
– evolve
Characteristics of Living Systems
• Living systems learn constantly (are
adaptive).
• Living systems are self-organizing.
• Life is systems-thinking.
• Living systems are webbed with feedback
(reciprocal modification)
• Living systems are interconnected.
• Living systems are self-referential
• Living systems are autopoetic.
Mechanistic, Holistic, Ecological
Approaches
Mechanical: The part extrapolates to the
whole
Holistic Approach
The whole is the sum of its parts.
Deep Ecological Approach
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts
Organic Approach
Attributes of Living Systems
Form (pattern)
Structure
Process
Organisms vs. Machines
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Open versus closed
Dynamic versus static
Fluid versus bounded
Adaptive versus rigid
Complex versus simple
Quantum versus Newtonian
Non-linear versus linear
Organic versus mechanistic
Interrelationships versus objects
Chaotic pendulum versus clock
Laws of Thermodynamics
• First Law: Total
energy in the universe
is constant. (Energy
can neither be created
nor destroyed.)
• Second Law: Total
entropy (randomness)
in the universe is
increasing.
• You can’t win: You can
only break even.
• You can’t even break
even.
System: Open versus Closed
• Open system: exchanges energy and mass
with its environment
• Closed system: exchanges energy, but not
mass with its environment.
• Isolated system: doesn’t exchange either
mass or energy
Self-regulation
• Desired states emerge from within system,
not directed by external agents.
– Purposeful behavior
– Feedback loops
– Essential variables
• Living systems can anticipate disturbances
that enhance ability to respond.
Self-reference
• Evolve and change in ways that are
consistent with self and with environment.
• Innate characteristics
• Continual embodiment of system’s pattern
of organization
• "the law of the situation” (Follett)
Autopoiesis
• network of production processes in which
the function of each component is to
participate in transformation of other
components in the network
Autocatalysis
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Feedback loops
Reciprocal modification (Follett)
Small change can have large effect
Amplification and damping
Self-organization
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Self-renewing
Reconfiguration in face of disturbance
Resiliency rather than stability
Interdependence, interconnected with
environment
• Collaboration
Self-organizing systems change their
environment
Self-organization
Domains of
• independence and interdependence
• processes that support change and
stability
• continuity and newness
• autonomy and control
“A self-organizing system has the freedom to
grow and evolve, guided by only one rule:
It must remain consistent with itself and
its past”
Question:
• How can you hold a hundred tons of water
in the air with no visible means of support?
You build a cloud
Equilibrium
• A condition in which all acting forces are
canceled by others resulting in a stable,
balanced, or unchanging system.
• (Physics) The condition of a system in
which the resultant of all acting forces is
zero.
• Thermodynamic: DG = 0
Equilibrium
• End state in evolution of isolated systems,
point at which the system has exhausted
all of its capacity for change, done its
work, and dissipated its productive
capacity into useless entropy. At
equilibrium, nothing left for the system to
do….it can produce nothing. (Wheatley, p.
76.)
• Spontaneity/capacity for change (demo)
Entropy: The arrow of time
• In a closed system, entropy can never
decrease
• Measure of disorder
• Measure of capacity to change
• “Mixedupness” (W. Gibbs)
• Complex to simple
• Order to disorder
Models of Change and Adaptivity
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Evolution (Darwin):
change is continuous and intrinsic
natural selection
selective reproduction
genetic drift
genetic variation
random mutation
“survival of the fittest” (NOT!)
Change and Adaptivity
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Punctuated Equilibrium (Gould)
equilibrium punctured by short periods of
intense change and reconfiguration
stable structures at equilibrium
change is disruptive, rare event
chaos theory
occurs in small, isolated populations
Evolution vs. Innovation
Evolution: Organism
• Improve reproductive
success through gene
pool.
• Impossible in large
population
• Non-purposeful
(species doesn’t
choose to evolve.)
• Need variation within
species.
Innovation (Organization)
• Paradigms (formal
knowledge & collective
perceptions)
• Impossible if
organization resists it.
• If chose to punctuate
equilibrium.
• Need continual crossfertilization between
learning units.
Evolution vs. Innovation
Evolution: Organism
• occurs only in small
isolated populations
• mutations
• no interbreeding
between species
• cannot pass on
acquired
characteristics
• competition for
survival
Innovation (Organization)
• occurs only in small
isolated populations
• entreprenurialship
• merge and blend at will
(but NIH)
• changes passed on
through cultural and
educational programs.
• Competition and
cooperation
Complex Adaptive Theory
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Dynamic systems
Non-linear
Network dynamics
Multiple levels of organization and
structure
• Bounded instability:
– stable equilibrium or explosive instability
• Generative complexity in boundary between
rigidity and randomness
Dissipative Structures (Prigogine)
• Systems that maintain themselves in a
stable state but are far from equilibrium
• Use disequilibrium to avoid deterioration
• Continual influx of energy flow, but overall
structure is maintained.
• Continuously import energy and discard
entropy
• Self-organizing systems
• Dissipate energy in order to recreate new
forms of organization
Dissipative Structures (Prigogine)
• Self-amplifying feedback loops push
system farther from equilibrium until
reaches threshold of stability
• Change agent has huge effect
• Bifurcation points: crossroads between
death and transformation
• path not predictable, but self-referential
• Increasing complexity
Dissipative Structures
• Structure and fluidity
• Non-linear/Chaos Theory
• Vortex: continuous flow but constant
structure
– draining water
– storms
Dissipative Structures
• Oscillating reactions
• Circadian rhythms
– heartbeat
– circulation
– breathing
Organizations as Organisms
Living systems
Organizations
Learn
Globally stable,
Adapt
Locally changing
Self-organize
Self-governance
Interconnected
Web
Feedback loop
Open communication
Autocatalytic
Change Agent
Heritability
Workers
Self-reference
Guiding principles
Organizations as Organisms
Living systems
Organizations
Immune response
Organizational culture
Co-evolution
Collaboration
Mutations
New personnel
Open system
External input
Symbiosis
Interdependence
Fluid
Flexible
Communities
Learning community
Organizations as Organisms
Living systems
Organizations
Cross-pollination
Partnerships
Adaptation
Reconfiguration
Diversity
Diversity
Genetic code
Paradigms
Cellular network
Network
Organizations as Self-Organizing
Systems
• Adaptive Systems: adapt form to fit task
(adhocracies) - to “fit the moment”
• Capacity for spontaneously emerging
structures that best fit present need
• Flexible response to change
• Strong relationship to environment - as
matures, more efficient, more adaptive
Organizations as Self-Organizing
Systems
• Co-evolution with environment: establishes
basic structure facilitates insulation that
protects system from constant, reactive
changes
• Chaos forces organization to seek new
points of view
• Organizations and their environments are
evolving simultaneously toward better
fitness for each other.
Organizations as Self-Organizing
Systems
• Portfolio of skills--not portfolio of
business units
• Many levels of autonomy
• Need strong competency, identity, and
vision
• Strong frame of reference (Self-referent)
Organizations as Dissipative
Systems
Hypercycles
– multiple feedback loops
– catalytic cycles
– self-replication
Organizational Change
• When system is far from equilibrium,
creative individual can have a huge impact
– amplification of feedback loop
– presence of lone fluctuation gets
amplified
– autocatalysis
• Bifurcation points
Learning Organizations and
Punctuated Equilibrium
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Respond to environmental changes
Tolerate stress
Compete effectively
Exploit new niches
Take risks
Develop symbiotic relationships
Evolve or perish?
Characteristics of Successful
Organizations
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Self-organizing or self-renewing
Adaptive
Flexible to internal and external change
Feedback loops
– reflection, self-awareness, information
• Globally stable with local fluctuations
• Open system
• Self-referential
Living Systems Theory and
Transformational Leadership
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Organizational beliefs (genetic code)
Feedback loop: reciprocal modification
Guiding principles, shared vision
Straddle both continuity and discontinuity
Adaptable
Aware of environment
Reflective and synnoetic
Self-transcendent
Adhocracy
Transformational Leadership
• Entreprenurial
• Visionary
• Build sustainable niche in emergent
economic systems
• Leader’s task is to communicate shared
values and guiding principles, keep them in
the forefront, and allow individuals in the
system random, chaotic-looking
meanderings. (Wheatley, p. 133)
Strengths of the Metaphor
• Focus on relationships and connectedness
– within organization
– between organizations
– with environment
• Change and diffusion theory
– provides model for innovation
Weaknesses of the Metaphor
• Emphasis on cooperation rather than
competition
• Need additional theories to use metaphor
effectively
– Living Systems Theory
– Complex Adaptivity Theory
– Punctuated Equilibrium
– Non-linear Math and Chaos Theory
The Web of Interconnectedness
“...Whatever befalls the earth,
befalls the sons and daughters of the earth.
Man did not weave the web of life;
he is merely a strand in it.
Whatever he does to the web,
he does to himself”
in F. Capra, “The Web of Life”, 1996.