In the culture chapter we discussed Karl Weich’s idea organizations enact their environment as people assign patterns of meaning and significance to the world in which they operate. The ideas on autopoiesis are very consistent which they operate. The ideas on autopoiesis are very consistent with this perspective, encouraging us to view organizations enactments as part of the self- referential process through which an organizations attempts to tie down and reproduce itself.
Consider the cartoon in exhibit 8.1 We find here a typical process of organizational self reference a meeting has been convened to discuss certain policy issues
- Where do we stand?
- What’s happening are we in the environment?
- What business are we in?
- It is the right business?
- How can we penetrate new markets?