Niklas Luhmann and organization studies

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