Problems of Rationality
Rationality has been and still is, in many respects, the fundamental paradigm of our culture. Equally, the modern world has created evolutive innovations which cause rational procedures (analysis, planning, regulating, controlling, goal setting, strategies, risk assessments, inspections) to become ever more problematic. The actual keyword for this is ‘VUCA’ world: Volatility-Uncertainty-Complexity-Ambiguity! Rationality easily leads to constriction and fixation on plans, clarity and controllability. In addition it is too slow, overburdens the hierarchy with decisions, learns too little from mistakes, is orientated to the past and therefore dependent upon the future being like the past. So it is no coincidence that alternative steering models such as Scrum, Agile Project Management, Holacracy, Dual Organisations etc. are popular now.
An organisational theory must, for its part, be agile and therefore adaptable, incomplete and therefore expandable, ambiguous and therefore communicative, heterarchical and therefore chaos-competent, networked and therefore able to cope with complexity. This is attempted here.