Visions polarise the organisational theoretician. Some see them as indispensable, others condemn them. Mostly visions are treated as ‘major objectives’: a vision of the future which unites everyone, which joins all forces, which focuses all resources to one purpose, which welds together all expectations of success and provides the organisation with robustness during difficulties and …
How is effectiveness created? The concepts, which were developed for this, differ fundamentally, * you can rely on the individual (hero) or structures (laws), * you can rely on will (influence) or development (create favourable conditions), * you can rely on pro-active intervention (activity) or on using opportunities (waiting), * you can rely on direct …
In the context of this theory, the most important consideration within the context ‘strategy’ is that an organisation always has and must have a great many of them, that these are in competition with each other, oppose each other, and are represented, officially and unofficially, by many stakeholders. The idea of a single purpose, which …
Mindfulness is a competence within people. Therefore, there cannot be mindful organisations. This is comparable with the body having digestion, but not the psyche. From this comparison, though, you can also recognise that if and how the body digests definitely does have influence on the psyche. Psyche and body are firmly coupled as are personnel …
Decisions in organisations provide them with meaning, i.e. one reduces complexity by deciding an alternative and another good alternative is discarded. If you can observe in an organisation, that constant disputes occur in particular places, you must always reckon with the possibility that the chosen meaning ought to be reviewed. After all, it could be …
The term ‘Regulation of Exceptions’ already incorporates the paradox: is it possible to regulate exceptions? How, then, are exceptions from the regulation of exceptions regulated – through regulation of exceptions to the exceptions? An endless regression threatens. And how does one deal with the fact that the exception, by regulation of exceptions, threatens to become …
One of the most important functions which hierarchies have (can have) in organisations, is to permit exceptions. If the respective hierarchy situationally suspends a regulation, (usually) this does not impair the regulation. At the same time, (usually) enough influence exists to procure the abandonment of the regulated behaviour. In organisations with no, or little hierarchy …
If you examine in which organisations particularly frequent so-called fire-fighting is to be observed, then you will find a direct correlation to the volume of planning. Fire-fighting means, that the organisation is constantly confronted with, what is for them, surprising, urgent and important problem situations, which were not included in their planning and reporting, and …
Worry damage, this pleasant term comes from N. Luhmann and describes one aspect of dealing with an unknown future. Those who assume that they can have influence upon whether a particular event can be prevented through action in the present, must decide if they should look ahead or if they should allow things to take …
If you intend to plan, then conditions in organisations must be prepared in such a way that they are fit for planning. In particular, this implies measurability. What cannot be measured, cannot reasonably be used in the planning as a starting point or as a milestone. To build the internal organisational world upon figures carries …