Self-renewal of Systems Pirjo Ståhle, Professor, Innovation Executive ACSI
May 21, 2015
Self-renewal of SystemsPirjo Ståhle, Professor,Innovation Executive ACSI
Two dynamics of self-renewal
• Self-organization – Ilya Prigogine
• Autopoiesis and self-reference – Humberto Maturana and
Fransisco Varela– Niklas Luhmann
A person can understand a system only by participating in it.
Niklas Luhmann
Luhmann emphasises constant ongoing development; a change where the core
identity of the system remains.
Prigogine emphasises quick and radical change; self-organization and spontaneous
transformation.
Both Prigogine and Luhmann say that the core of renewal is communication on micro
level.
• The quality of the communication within the system defines its capability for renewal, radical change, innovation and influence.
• Both point out the importance of the formal and informal power structures of the system; the either promote or prohibit communication within the system.
The antecedants of self-organization
• Far from equilibrium• Entropy
•Iteration
•Bifurcation
Chaos or unstability lead to innovation and self-organization only if the antecedants are being met.
Otherwise the outcome is only disruption.
Self-referential systems – continuous renewal
• Communication is the basic unit of self-referential systems.
• Communication refers to action, event and understanding not primarily to the content
• The purpose of communication is to lead on to choices not on to consensus.
• Only communication can create situations that open new possibilities.
Antecedants of autopoietic self-renewal
1. Self-referential closure– What we are not -> what we are– Using others as a (negative) mirror– The ultimate goal is to define itself as a
entity that jumps out from the environment
2. Double contingency
– The relationship between two people is the basic of renewal
• positive dependency on each others
• equality and voluntariness
– The links between people create the limits for learning and renewal.
– Relationship forming is always based on risk taking. If the risks are not taken, the whole system is being blocked.
3. Processing meaning
• All systems test and create trust before being able to process meanings. Processing meanings is based on the trusty relationships in the system.
• The system’s capability of processing meanings leads on to quick renewal