INTRODUCTION
This chapter will take the reader to the starting point of this paper which is determined by the question as to which motivation led to choosing the topic of this MBA assignment and in which area of management studies the topic can be located. Furthermore, this chapter will seek to delineate the research area and try to describe which boundaries confine the subject.
Change management is a contemporary subject in management and business studies. There is a vast body of literature on the management of change encompassing numerous recipes and prescriptions on how to turn around organizations, how to induce change, and how to organize, streamline, re-engineer, re-structure organizations. Some of the material is written in an easy-to-read, easy-to-implement fashion. Some of the concepts in the light of academic scrutiny turn out to be business fads(3) . Others, on in-depth study are revealed to be paraphrased ideas from the 1920s and 1930s(4) . And even the more serious accounts of change and managerial intervention - the critique also finds ample evidence beyond 'airport literature'(5) - sometimes are based on over-simplified accounts which retrospectively explain implementing a nouvelle management practice as a veni, vidi, vici: rational, well-planned, coherent managerial action(6) . Finally, to take issue with the distribution of business success recipes, management recipes are often disseminated into the business community through business consultants, "merchants of meaning and beautiful words"(7) . Within the business community there is ample suspicion that consultants arbitrarily come up with new cures to well-known evils every other year - and nothing ever changes.
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3 Pascale (1990:18pp)
4 See e.g. Mumford (1996:46pp) on Mary Parker Follett's ideas.
5 I am indebted to an unknown author for this phrase.
6 Marchington (1995:52pp)
7 Czarniawska-Joerges, quoted from: Björkegren (1994:101)
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. SYSTEMIC THEORY AND COMPLEX SOCIAL SYSTEMS
2.1. Complex Social Systems - a Starting Point
2.2. Systems Thinking and Systems Archetypes
2.3. Self-reference and Autopoiesis of Social Systems
2.4. Summary
3. METHODOLOGY
4. "FIXING THE BIKE, WHILE WINNING THE TOUR DE FRANCE"- F.C.M.'s CHANGE PROCESS
4.1. Becoming a Global Player
4.2. Acquisitions, Mergers and Integration
4.3. A Climate of Transition
4.4. The Permanent Crisis
5. CONCLUSION
Objectives and Themes
This dissertation explores how systemic theory and models of systemic thinking can be applied to understand an organization facing significant growth and transition. It investigates how an organization's self-referential logic often hinders its ability to adapt, even when management is aware of necessary changes.
- Application of systems theory and systemic archetypes to organizational case studies.
- Examination of self-reference and autopoiesis in complex social systems.
- Analysis of growth strategies, specifically the impact of mergers and acquisitions.
- Exploration of how organizational "guiding distinctions" shape perceptions and responses to change.
Excerpt from the Book
4.1. Becoming a Global Player
F.C.M.'s growth strategy is reflected in its mission statement, according to which F.C.M. "will lead the industry with superior products and services" in small to mid-sized construction equipment. The superordinate goal of F.C.M. is to "maintain and strengthen its position as the global leader in the light-to-medium construction equipment category". Chart 1 below is used to communicate to F.C.M. employees, customers, dealers, and prospective partners F.C.M.'s strategic position and goal. The goal is clear: close gaps in the product offering, and increase geographical presence.
Summary of Chapters
1. INTRODUCTION: Outlines the motivation for this research and identifies the central focus on management of change within a specific organization.
2. SYSTEMIC THEORY AND COMPLEX SOCIAL SYSTEMS: Provides the theoretical framework, detailing the principles of complex systems, systemic archetypes, and the theory of self-referential social systems.
3. METHODOLOGY: Describes the explorative research approach, including content analysis and qualitative covert interviews conducted within the organization.
4. "FIXING THE BIKE, WHILE WINNING THE TOUR DE FRANCE"- F.C.M.'s CHANGE PROCESS: Applies the theoretical findings to F.C.M.'s specific situation, focusing on global strategy, acquisitions, and the organizational climate.
5. CONCLUSION: Synthesizes findings and offers recommendations for future managerial intervention, reflecting on the study's scope and limitations.
Keywords
Systemic Thinking, Complex Social Systems, Autopoiesis, Self-Reference, Change Management, F.C.M. Corporation, Organizational Growth, Acquisitions, Systems Archetypes, Sensemaking, Management Strategy, Leadership, Business Culture, Communication Patterns, Corporate Epistemology
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research examines how systemic theory and management models can help explain the difficulties organizations encounter during rapid growth and transition phases.
What are the central thematic areas?
The work centers on organizational change, systemic theory, the dynamics of corporate growth through acquisitions, and how internal communication structures limit adaptability.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to apply systemic thinking to a concrete business case to determine if it offers better diagnostic tools for understanding why organizations struggle to change despite management's intentions.
Which scientific method is utilized?
The study uses an explorative ethnographic approach, employing content analysis of internal and external corporate communications combined with covert qualitative interviews of staff and stakeholders.
What topics are explored in the main body?
The main body analyzes F.C.M.'s specific discourses, including its push to become a "global player," its reliance on aggressive acquisition strategies, and the persistent internal crises resulting from these choices.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Systemic Thinking, Change Management, Self-Reference, Organizational Autopoiesis, and Strategic Growth.
How does the author define the role of individual managers in systemic change?
The author concludes that individual impact is limited by the organization's existing communication patterns and rules; systemic change requires altering the base operational procedures rather than just changing individual mental models.
What are the "guiding distinctions" mentioned in the text?
These are the institutionalized mental frameworks or "blind spots" within an organization—such as the obsession with margin versus volume—that dictate what the system identifies as relevant and what it ignores.
- Citar trabajo
- Ralf Frank (Autor), 1998, What can Systemic Thinking Contribute to the Understanding of an Organization in a Process of Growth and Change ?, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/2382
