Organisational Identity and Self-Transformation: An Autopoietic Perspective

Description

David Seidl brings together two important issues in organization and management studies in this volume: the concept and related theory of organizational identity, and autopoietic organization theory (as originally developed by Niklas Luhmann). The contribution of the book is twofold: it provides an introduction to autopoietic organization theory and it provides a new perspective on organizational identity and self-transformation. Thus the book is relevant to both organization theorists interested in new approaches to organization and to researchers of organizational identity. The themes are reflected in the structure of the book. Chapters one and two provide an introduction to Niklas Luhmann's organization theory. Based on this, chapter three develops a new concept of organizational identity. In chapters four and five a theory of organizational self-transformation (i.e. change of identity) is developed. Cover Half Title Title Copyright Contents List of Figures Acknowledgements Foreword Preface Chapter 1: Autopoiesis, Luhmann, Spencer Brown Introduction 1. New Systems Theory: The Concept of Self-Referential Autopoietic Systems 2. Luhmann’s Theory of Autopoietic Social Systems 3. A Theory of Observation: Spencer Brown’s Laws of Form 4. The Laws of Form and the Theory of Social Systems Chapter 2: Organisation as Autopoietic System Introduction 1. Organisation and Decision 2. Organisation and Society 3. Organisation and Interaction 4. Organisational Culture 5. Summary Chapter 3: Organisational Identity Introduction 1. Concepts of Organisational Identity in the Literature 2. Organisational Identity in the Context of Autopoiesis 3. Forms of Self-Description 4. Multiple Self-Descriptions 5. Summary Chapter 4: The Logic of Self-Transformation Introduction 1. Self-Transformation and the Concept of Change 2. The Decision to Change the Self-Description 3. Paradox and the Risk of Paralysis 4. Loose Coupling, Episode and Interactionally Framed Decision Processes 5. Summary Chapter 5: An Evolutionary Model of Self-Transformation Introduction 1. Luhmann’s General Theory of Evolution 2. Variation and the Interactionally Framed Decision Process 3. Selection and the Differentiation between Organisation and Interactionally Framed Decision Process 4. Re-Stabilisation 5. Summary Conclusion: The Distinctions of the Study Bibliography Index