Autopoietic Organization Theory: Drawing on Niklas Luhmann's Social System Perspective

Organization theorists have, since the 1980s, pointed out that autopoiesis represents considerable potential for developing alternative ways of understanding organizations. Niklas Luhmann's autopoiesis, being developed specifically for theorizing social systems, is gradually finding its way into organization studies. In bringing together authors from different European countries and institutions, as well as from different disciplines, this anthology introduces the reader to selected areas of Luhmann's autopoiesis that have bearing on organization theory. It discusses aspects that are of particular interest to both theoretical and empirical organization theory, and in doing so it enables students of organizations to acquire better appreciation of Luhmann's thinking.