1. Dr. Holly Kruse Communication in Organizations
Systems Theory
Dr. Holly Kruse
Communication in Organizations

2. Systems Theory
Focus is on relationships among parts of system, rather than on parts alone (as in classical management theory).
Relationships among people make the group a system: whole is greater than sum of its parts.

3. Cybernetics & Systems Theory
Cybernetics: “The science of communications and automatic control systems in both machines and living things” (OED).
Cybernetic approaches see organizational structure coming out of the patterns of communication within an organization.

4. Systems in Organizations
Katz & Khan (1966), The Social Psychology of Organizations.
Argued that organizations are fundamentally open systems that require constant flow of information to and from their environment.

5. What is a System?
System: a complex set of relationships among interdependent parts or components.
Study of systems in organizations concerned with nature of parts of system and their relationships.

6. Interdependence Interdependence is an essential quality of systems.
Interdependent relationships among people in organizations is established and maintained through communication.

7. Open Systems Organizations are open systems.
Do not exist in isolation.
Unlike closed systems (e.g. watch, cell phone, automobile piston).
Are part of turbulent environments.
Must work with environment to succeed.

8. Open Systems
Is this an example of a closed or open system (or systems)? Video

9. Open Systems

10. Feedback
Feedback: system of loops that connects communication & action.
Negative or deviation-counteracting: re-establishes original goals.
Positive or deviation-amplifying: finds new avenues of growth.

11. Feedback

12. Contingency Theory Goals can be reached in many ways (“equifinality”)
Diverse environments and changes/problems need unique solutions, so…
There’s no one best way to organize
All ways of organizing aren’t equally effective.

13. Appeal of Systems Theory
Appeals to organizational communication scholars because of focus on communication processes.
Captures complexity of organizational processes.

14. Problems with Systems Theory
Hard to research. Hard to come up with research design that captures complexity of human organizing and all its systems.
Hard to apply in a practical way. Remains an abstract set of concepts.

15. Building on Systems Theory
Peter Senge and “Learning Organizations”:
Learning organizations understand how they function as systems; organizations with learning disabilities don’t.
See book and video.

16. Building on Systems Theory
Karl Weick and “Sense-making” (or “organizational information theory”):
Organizing is about reducing uncertainty (“equivocality”) in information processing.
Organizations are created in daily interaction.

17. Sense-Making & Interaction
Act: a statement or question.
Interact: act followed by response
Double interact: act, response, and adjustment or other follow-up by person who originated act.
All organizing activities are double interacts.

18. Sense-Making & Organizing
Elements of organizing:
Enactment
Selection
Retention
(Choice/Change – not in original model)
These happen throughout process

19. Sense-Making & Organizing

20. Sense-Making & Organizing
In process, members use routines, rules to reduce uncertainty.
Sense-making is retrospective: people act first then later examine actions to explain their meaning.
“Loose coupling” and “theory of partial inclusion”: illustrate difference from classical management theory.