Re: Organisational thinking LO3728

Jan Lelie (100730.1213@compuserve.com)
15 Nov 95 17:33:35 EST

Replying to LO3485 --

Replying to: Re: Organisational thinking LO3485

Hi Jim,

I'm a bit behind with reading my mail. You say:

"This (-organisations don't think, people do-) seems to reflect a mental
model of organizations as inanimate and machine-like. Organizations are
systems of people and like any system, the whole is greater than the sum
of the parts. Exploring the mental model that organizations are living
organisms seems to be more fruitful."

I'm sorry I gave that impression: I try to adhere to a mental model in
which an organisation works like a brain ( a set of interdependent,
interacting processes able to change behaviour, parts reflecting the whole
like a hologram; see Morgan "Images of organisation") and often try to
re-organize into interdependent sub-systems (with as much as the
functionality in it as the complete organization). I only do not stretch
the metaphore to include "thinking organisation".

Writing this I realize I don't know why. Perhaps because thinking in my
view is based on a vast set of interconnected elements? Perhaps because
of the Turing-test? Perhaps because of the implications? Perhaps because
organisations do not require the adjective "thinking" to exist?

Thank you for your comment,

--
Jan Lelie
100730.1213@Compuserve.com