Niklas Luhmann and organization studies

✍ Scribed by Kai Helge Becker (editor); David Seidl (editor)

• Publisher: Copenhagen Business School Press; Liber; [Sælges på internettet]
• Year: 2013
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 465
• Series: Advances in organization studies
• Category: Library

✦ Table of Contents

Niklas Luhmann and Organization Studies
Copyright
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction: Luhmann’s Organization Theory
Some important aspects of Luhmann’s theory
The reception of Luhmann’s work on an international level
The structure of Luhmann’s oeuvre
The contents of this book
PART I: The Theory of Autopoietic
Social Systems
Chapter 1: The Basic Concepts of Luhmann’s Theory of Social Systems
The concept of autopoiesis
a. The original biological concept of autopoiesis
b. Luhmann’s general, transdisciplinary concept of autopoiesis
Social systems
a. Communications as the elements of social systems
b. Interpenetration: the relation between social and psychic systems
c. Communication and action
Society and interaction
a. Society
b. Interaction
Organization
a. Decisions as the elements of organizations
b. Uncertainty absorption
c. Decision premises
d. The double closure of the organization
e. The paradox of decision at the heart of Luhmann’s organization theory
Luhmann’s theory of social systems as a theory of distinction
a. Observation as basic concept
b. Autopoietic systems as distinction processing systems
Conclusion
Chapter 2:The Concept of Autopoiesis
Acknowledgements
Chapter 3:The Autopoiesis of Social Systems
Meaning and life as different modes of autopoietic organization
Communications as the basic elements of social systems
Societies and interactions as different types of social systems
The relation between action and communication
Maintenance of social systems by self-referential production of elements
The contribution of the general theory of autopoietic systems
The epistemological consequences of autopoietic closure
Acknowledgements
PART II: Organization, Decision
and Paradox
Chapter 4: The Paradox of Decision Making
What are “decisions”?
On the function of paradoxes
Unfolding the paradox
Decision premises
Uncertainty absorption
Rationality and motivation
Perception and communication
From principle to paradox
Acknowledgements
Chapter 5: Displacing the Paradox of Decision Making
Key concepts
A self-referential organization emerges
Deparadoxization and uncertainty (1)
Increasing areas for decision making, increasing uncertainty
Complexity
The simultaneous existence of opposite decision premises
Changing decisions
Summing up
Displacements
Deparadoxization by reasons
Deparadoxization by hearings
Deparadoxization by changing decision-proposals
Deparadoxization and uncertainty (2)
Why displacements?
Reforms and self-reference
Conclusion
Chapter 6: On Gorgon Sisters: Organizational Action in the Face of Parad
Protecting paradoxes
Organizing as deparadoxization
When deparadoxization does not work, or the tragedy of action
Slaying the Medusa, or the manager-hero
Observers of institutions: Paradoxes and organization theory
PART III: Organization, Interaction
and Society
Chapter 7: Organization and Interaction
Introduction
Organization and interaction as two types of social systems
Conceptualising organizational interactions
Deciding interactions
Functions of organizational interactions
Possibilities for conditioning organizational interactions
Conclusion
Chapter 8: Organization and Society.
Introduction and problem exposition
Critique of the classical organization theory and the differentiation concept of the ontological system model
Types of social systems and the logic of internal system differentiation
The repraesentatio identitatis phenomenon of modern society – Organizations as communicators, communicative addresses and communicable systems
Subordinate forms of differentiation and the role of organizations
Organizations as interdependency breaks
Structural coupling and organizations
Conclusion
Chapter 9: The Design of Organization in Society
Which society?
Organizational design
Routines
Conclusion
PART IV: Luhmann’s Theory in the
Context of other Theories
Chapter 10: Luhmann’s Systems Theory and Theories of Social Practices1
Introduction
Basic aspects of the concept of “social practices”
Systems theory and theories of social practices as cultural theories
The “cultural turn” and theories of social practices
Systems theory as cultural theorizing
The de-centring of the subject
The de-centring of the subject and its impact on theories of social practices
Niklas Luhmann’s move to de-centring the subject
Consequences of Luhmann’s way of de-centring the subject
Luhmann’s perspective as both radical and traditional
Structure and agency
Preliminary note on the structure/agency dichotomy in both strands of theorizing
Similarities in the concepts of structure and action/operation
Differences in the concepts of structure and action/operation
The status of the “material” and the body
Two basic assumptions common to both strands of theorizing
The status of the material in systems theory
The status of the material in theories of social practices
The role of the body in systems theory and theories of social practices
Summary and conclusion
Chapter 11: Luhmann’s Systems Theory and the New Institutionalism
Introduction
Organizational analysis, new institutionalism, and world polity
Organization/society – Links in Luhmann’s theory of social systems
Micro-foundation: Organizations as distinct systems
Conclusion
Chapter 12: Luhmann’s Systems Theory and Postmodernism
Introduction
The impetus of postmodern thinking
A framework of postmodern theory
The problem of legitimation
The problem of chaining
The problem of meta-narratives
Postmodern elements in the theory of Luhmann
The idea of difference in the work of Luhmann
System and environment
The notion of self-reference
The logic of form
Obstacles to a postmodern annexation of systems theory
“There are systems”
Legitimation by performance
A super-theory with universal validity
(Not) drawing a distinction: between Luhmann and the postmodern ideas of difference
Fitting elements of different theories of difference
Chapter 13: Luhmann’s Systems Theory and Network Theory
Introduction
Social-theoretical network approach and theory ofsocietal differentiation
Theoretical divergences
The primacy of the societal differentiation of meaning
Systems and networks as complementary social structures
Network emergence as reflexive combinatorics of addresses
Social addresses – individuality and ubiquity
Individual address books as the potential for network-building
Network constitution
Stabilizing networks
Organizations and networks
Personal networks in the organizational context
Formal organizational networks
Conclusion
PART V: Forms of Organization
Chapter 14: Analysing Forms of Organization and Management: Stock Companies vs. Family Businesses
Introduction
Observation
Autopoietic systems
The organization as observed system
Strict and loose coupling
Observation of a firm
Management and re-entry
Unavoidable conflicts
Stock companies vs. family businesses
Effects of stock options
Concluding remarks
Chapter 15: On Defining the Multinational Corporation. A Systems-Theoretical Perspective
Classical and current approaches to the multinational corporation
Classical approaches
Current approaches
Luhmann’s concepts of organization, corporation and society
Organization and corporation
From pre-modern societies to the present world society
From the medieval business organization to the present world corporation
Historical forms of business organization
The present world corporation
Finance, production and marketing of the world corporation
Conclusion
PART VI: Implications for Management
and Consulting
Chapter 16: Communication Barriers in Management Consulting
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
Acknowledgements
Chapter 17: Strategic Management from a Systems-Theoretical Perspective
Introduction
The fallacy of either/or approaches to strategy
The paradigm of adaptation
Self-reference and social systems theory
The system/environment-distinction
The paradigm of self-adaptation
Dealing with self-reference
Self-reference and self-reproduction
Scientific observation of social systems
A self-referential framework for strategy research
Making sense of strategic content by means of strategic concepts
Making sense of strategic process by means of strategic routines
Making sense of strategic context by means of strategic roles
Conclusions
Chapter 18: Management Accounting from a Systems-Theoretical Perspective
Introduction
Management accounting and the objectification of reality
Management accounting and systems theory: coordination, communication, and control
The function of management accounting: delivering distinctions, defining decision premises
Conclusion
PART VII: Glossary and Bibliography
Glossary to Niklas Luhmann’s Terminology
Annotated Bibliography of Selected Works by Niklas Luhmann
Epistemology (theory of observation)
Social theory (general theory of social systems)
Theory of society (theory of modernity and functional differentiation)
Organization theory
Miscellaneous
Contributors
References
Index