In all guiding processes, patterns develop in order to relieve the respective systems. With regard to trust and control, what impresses is that these patterns, in organisations, are formed with exceptional speed and create exceptional stability. Trust calls for trust, control calls for counter-control. The latter was formulated like this by Luhmann: Supervision of the …
To understand an organisation, you must always ask the question as to how informal decisions are handled, i.e. how these are observed and evaluated within and outside of the organisation. There are many names and forms of informal decisions: favouritism, cronyism, nepotism, insider dealings, bribery, backhanders, extortion, patronage (collusion), price cartels, backroom deals, political dialogue, …
According to Luhmann one can state that uncertainty represents the basis for the existence of organisations. If one were able to control the present and lay down the future, and if all people were coordinated as if by themselves, then why and for what purpose would an organisation exist? Organisations are therefore a solution for …
‘Complexity is the solution to all problems which have more than one solution’ (Dirk Baecker) From our point of view, for consultancy this is the most important definition of complexity. After all, it points out that complexity cannot be made into a recipe. This means, for complex situations there cannot be general instructions on how …
What does it mean that organisations consist of communicating decisions (on this subject we recommend strongly the book from Luhmann, ‘Organisation and Decision’)? Every decision made has three features in organisations: • It creates conditions for other decisions. Thus it becomes an element of the organisational system. (Once the board of directors has decided, then …
The idea that organisations are there for people, or ought to be, is wide-spread. Through organisations, people seek fairness, purpose, esteem, security and much more. For two reasons, we must now ask whether such a purpose is helpful for life in organisations. Firstly, it must be established whether it is even possible for organisations to …
Membership in organisations is time-limited. Unlike in family or tribe, you are not a member from birth, but you enter an organisation (though not always voluntarily; school, church, guild etc.). With the entry into an organisation (contract, identity card etc.) you accept particular expectations (homework, working hours, work tools etc.) and, in return, you can …
Peter Kruse, the system theoretician, who sadly died much too soon, has contributed significantly in Germany to the fact that thinking and acting in non-linear causal connections is also known about and respected within organisations. His research about the conditions under which a process pattern change can occur, have contributed much to the understanding as …
Wolfgang Looss is a man who wanders between the worlds of thought, spirit and action, and who is an example and inspiration for this site in bringing together, feeling together and thinking together. His abilities to skillfully resist the client’s demand for meaning in relation to coaching, management training and organisational consulting accomplish much: opening …