Niklas Luhmanns theory of social systems and its relevance for strategy as practice

David Seidl University of Munich

Lausanne, 7.5.2004

Background
Niklas Luhmann (1927-1998, University of Bielefeld) Main influences
Sociological systems theory (Parsons) Theory of Autopoiesis (Maturana / Varela, [von Foerster]) Phenomenology (Husserl) Theory of distinctions (Spencer Brown)

Structure of his oeuvre

General theory of social systems Theory of society Theory of organisation Theory of face-to-face interaction
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Autopoietic social and psychic systems

Social and psychic systems are meaning constituted systems Psychic systems reproduce themselves on the basis of thoughts Social systems reproduce themselves on the basis of communications (not only verbal) Autopoietic systems: systems that reproduce their own elements through their own elements History-dependence: the production of new elements depends on the existing elements (i.e. future elements depend on past elements)
Lausanne, 7.5.2004 3

The relation between social and psychic systems

Operative closure of autopoietic systems Psychic systems and social systems are environment for each other Structural coupling between psychic and social systems (particularly through language)
Psychic system Social system Psychic system Psychic system Lausanne, 7.5.2004 4 Psychic system

The relation between different social systems

Social systems are operatively closed with regard to each other Operative closure identity, individuality Different social systems can only cause irritations in each other Irritations are processed according to the current situation of the system

Lausanne, 7.5.2004

Operations and structures

Communications (i.e. the operations of a social system) are momentary events without any duration The production of communications is influenced (not determined) through expectations Expectations are the structures of social systems Communications can confirm existing expectations (i.e. structures) or generate new expectations (analogously to Giddenss duality of structure)

Lausanne, 7.5.2004

Types of social system

Society: all-encompassing system including all communications that are related to each other (world society) Organisation: system of decision communications (face-to-face) interaction: system of communications between people present

Lausanne, 7.5.2004

Relevance to strategy as practice

Micro-macro: structure-operation Change: evolutionary mechanism The importance of the concrete (communicative) context History matters Management as part of the system no external position New take on the relation between individual cognitions and social reality New take on inter-organisational relations (e.g. strategy consultant and company) Relation between organisation and business environment (internal construction of the environment similar to Weick)
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