Organisations are complex living systems claims leading scientist

August 6, 2005 | article by Ken Thompson in Book Reviews (37)

Fritjof Capra says organisations are not just like living systems - they are living systems! In his latest book, The Hidden Connections, Fritjof Capra, acclaimed physicist and author of the Web of Life and the Tao of Physics, challenges us to go beyond the metaphor and see to what extent human organisations can literally be understood as living systems.

Capra describes the five main metaphors which people have used to understand organisations:

Machines

Organisms

Brains

Cultures

Systems of government

He concludes that the fundamental debate is really whether we see our organisations as Machines (predictable) or Living System (unpredictable)

In an inspirational chapter "Life and leadership in organisations" ( pp 85-112) Fritjof shows how a leader can address the key organisational and team challenges from a pure "living organisation" perspective including:

Change Management

Organisational Learning

Novelty and Innovation

Design and emergence

Leadership

Dignity

References

1. Capra F., 2002. The Hidden Connections, Flamingo, pp. 85-112

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This is extremely helpful info!!! Especially since you guys are offering it for free!! Very good listing. Everything is true. Thanx.

Posted by: UK thesis | August 11, 2009 4:11 AM

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