Self-organizational models and principles

Leadership

The mistaken assumption that organizations are machines is fundamentally wrong. In fact, organizations are required to be adaptive, flexible, and intelligent. And all of these are characteristics of living systems, which have the capacity to self-organize. Considering this perspective, it becomes clear the leadership is no more oriented toward control, through tools and techniques, but looks for those attributes that make organizations adaptive and vibrant. Certainly, every organization works with two kinds of tasks: routine tasks and novel tasks. Leaders in organizations have gained sufficient understanding how to control the routine tasks, but controlling novel tasks does not make sense, because it requires guidance, coaching, and continued feedback (Ashkenas, Ulrich, Jick, and Kerr, 1995).

Because organizations are considered as living systems and all living systems, have the capacity to self-organize. Therefore, to deal with this kind of organization, the leadership that is required is different from the traditional one.

In this kind of organization, the main goals of the organizational leaders are to create changes in the organizations so that organizations can renew and revitalize themselves. In these systems, change is the organizing force (Cherns, 1987). Structures and solutions are considered temporary that change with times. Resources and people come together to work on a project and then disband quickly; and they join other groups to create new initiatives to deal with other organizational tasks.

When leaders begin to understand that their main tasks are to initiate changes and create initiatives in the organization, experimentation and trail and errors become the norm. Local solutions predominate but are kept local, not elevated to models for the whole organization. Involvement and participation constantly deepen. These organizations are experts at the process of change. They understand their organization as a process of continuous organizing.

The concept of self-organization becomes evident when one looks at how communities of practice collaborate and share information within the organization. The communities of practice is not controlled by the traditional leadership styles, rather these groups sustain themselves and leaders emerge from the groups that are willing to take the change of managing the specific tasks (Morgan, 2001).

The self-organization concept refers to the identity, vision, mission, and values of the organization. An organization's identity includes current interpretations of its history, present decisions and activities, and its sense of its future. It is the identity that provides the capacity for evolution and self-organization.

To hold the organization together for an identity, the free-flow of information is considered important. Only when information belongs to everyone in the organization, people begin to organize rapidly and effectively around customers, competitors, and environments (Stewart and Manz, 1995). It is that creates the conditions for the emergence of fast, well-integrated, and effective responses. Also, free flow of information brings together members of an organization for solving the organizational problems (Ashby, 1969). Beyond that, customers become the stakeholders that help in refinement of the organization.