A systems approach to alternative paradigms for organisation and organisational change

Abstract

Responsiveness to changing conditions is an essential characteristic of every viable system. Responsiveness for an organisation implies: 1) changes in its short, medium, or long-term strategy; 2) refinement of its sociotechnical infrastructure that supports strategy; 3) modification of its tactical and/or operational practices that are adapted to achieve strategy; 4) any combination of the above. The organisation's capacity (or lack thereof) to continuously respond to changing conditions may lead to new opportunities that reinforce its viability, or may result in its stagnation and ultimate demise. Yet, decision makers often view change as a discrete event rather than the result of a continuous multi-dimensional process that is subject to the cognitive boundaries of shifting paradigms that shape understanding of the conditions that warrant action and the means through which these conditions need to be addressed. This work applies a systems approach to the various paradigms that framed our perception of the organisation and its function, so as to outline the overall context through which to explore the relationship between the characteristics, attributes, and structural features of change and the manner through which system change may be embraced by decision makers, as a means of fortifying the organisation's viability.