Without a boundary there is no system, and the boundary or boundaries determine where systems and subsystems start and stop. Boundaries can be physical, like the clear lines that separate the United States from its neighbors to the north and south. They
also can be maintained psychologically through symbols such as titles, uniforms, and indoctrination rituals. At this point, it is ';tif
ficient to acknowledge that the concept of boundaries is required for an understanding of systems and that their demarcation for the study of organizations is problematic.