THE WAY YOU LOOK DETERMINES WHAT YOU SEE (OR SELF-ORGANIZATION IN MANAGEMENT AND SOCIETY)

Abstract

The concept of self-organization is reviewed and its implications are explored in relation to management processes and social systems. A world view is taken, emphasizing a descriptive distinction of levels associated with the physical, biological, social, and mental. Self-organization principles, it is argued, are operative in all levels of such a stratified scheme, but they are manifest in different mechanisms and different embodiments.