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Socially sustainable work organizations: A chaordic systems approach
Author(s) -
Kira Mari,
Eijnatten Frans M. van
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
systems research and behavioral science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.371
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1099-1743
pISSN - 1092-7026
DOI - 10.1002/sres.896
Subject(s) - sustainability , viable system model , work (physics) , function (biology) , process (computing) , stakeholder , sustainable development , process management , knowledge management , systems thinking , business , management science , computer science , engineering , cybernetics , management , political science , economics , ecology , artificial intelligence , mechanical engineering , evolutionary biology , law , biology , operating system
Abstract This paper outlines an approach to socially sustainable work organizations. Socially sustainable work organizations have a dynamic ability to function both by repeating accustomed and by devising innovative solutions, and they maintain this operational viability by promoting the functional capabilities of their stakeholders. The organizational and stakeholder functional capabilities are founded on complexity stemming from the simultaneous uniqueness and integration of resources. It is argued that traditional socio‐ technical systems (STSs) approaches do not offer optimal foundations for achieving sustainability. Instead, a migration into chaordic systems thinking (ChST) is proposed. It is concluded that to promote social sustainability, a work organization has to be understood as a holon system in which development can only take place when also its members grow in their interior and exterior complexities. Complexity development is outlined as an emergent process; the importance of ‘un‐learning’ or dissipation is also explored. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.