Entropy and emergence in organizational systems under a turbulent environment

Authors

  • Ricardo Tejeida-Padilla IPN
  • Ignacio Peon-Escalante IPN
  • Isaias Badillo-Piña IPN

Keywords:

entropic, homeostatic, and morphogenetic equilibrium, collapse, emergence, cycle of life.

Abstract

System science, studies important systems processes, among of them are elements in the life cycle of organizational systems: entropy and emergence. Entropy, a thermodynamics concept, has become a part of the systems language. It indicates the degree of system disorganization. Entropy can be conceptualized as the progressive loss of the relationships that integrate a system. Collapse is violent and sudden, disgregation of systems structures and processes that occur under turbulent conditions. This process can be modeled with the life cycle metaphor of organizations, which include four stages: birth (design), growth (improvement), maturation (maintenance), and death (obsolescence). The gradual stages of improvement and maintenance occur under stable conditions and the sudden stages of design and obsolescence, occur under turbulent environmental conditions. When organizations systems operate near state of equilibrium stability prevails through an homeostatic process of change. Organizations under turbulent conditions suffer an entropic process, loose their heterogeneity and suffer collapse of their structures and processes. When organizational systems are far from an equilibrium state, they can collapse, or new complex systems may develop.

Author Biographies

Ricardo Tejeida-Padilla, IPN

Professor and Researcher of Instituto Politécnico Nacional / México.

Ignacio Peon-Escalante, IPN

Professor and Researcher of Instituto Politécnico Nacional / México.

Isaias Badillo-Piña, IPN

Professor and Researcher of Instituto Politécnico Nacional / México.

Published

2007-07-31

How to Cite

Tejeida-Padilla, R., Peon-Escalante, I., & Badillo-Piña, I. (2007). Entropy and emergence in organizational systems under a turbulent environment. Proceedings of the 51st Annual Meeting of the ISSS - 2007, Tokyo, Japan, 51(2). Retrieved from https://journals.isss.org/index.php/proceedings51st/article/view/469

Issue

Section

Evolutionary Development