Organizations in the framework of complex systems: An approach from the scientific literature

Abstract

The present review originates from the contrast between bureaucratic theory and organic theory, by virtue of both the contrast of simple systems and complex systems. It reviews the developments in the sciences of complexity, organizational autopoiesis and methodologies for the study of organizations and organizational systems. With respect to the sciences of complexity, the thermodynamics of non-equilibrium, chaos theory, fractal geometry, catastrophe theory and non-classical logic are addressed; As for organizational autopoiesis, biological autupoiesis and organizational autopoiesis are taken as a starting point; Finally, regarding the methodologies applied to the study of organizations and organizational systems, the following are considered: the analysis of complex systems, the sociology of organized action, the agent-based model, the multi-agent system and the concrete action system.