Systems Theory

In this chapter, we explore the possibility to think of organizations as open systems that aim at states of equilibrium in the exchanges with their environment. In Systems Theory, flows of information are conceived as an essential component of the functioning of organizations. As a social open system, an organization exchanges information with the environment and transforms information in throughput processes. This approach allows for a more comprehensive account of the flows of information with respect to both Scientific Management and Human Relations.

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Notes

See, in particular, Burns and Stalker (1961), Emery and Trist (1960, 1965), and Lawrence and Lorsch (1967a, 1967b).

Flood (1999) has further explored the idea that systems thinking may provide a general framework for a comprehensive approach to the analysis of how social systems develop organizational solutions to deal with the complexity of reality by communicatively articulating and establishing meaningful maps of the processes that determine it.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

1. Civilizations and Forms of Knowledge, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy Giacomo Turbanti

1. Giacomo Turbanti