Organizational Structuralism: A Comprehensive Multidisciplinary Hypothesis for the Interpretation of Organizational Phenomena

Preface
Acknowledgements
Contents
List of Figures
1 An Attempt to Introduction
1.1 The One Who Knows Only One Discipline Knows Nothing About That Discipline
1.2 From the Phoenician Alphabet to the Structure of “O” According to Sofia
Reference
2 Organizational Fields and Organizational Processes
2.1 A General Outline
2.2 The Total Quality Management Systems
2.3 The Hunt of Competencies
2.4 The Hunt of Performances
2.5 The Recent Years and the Actual Situations
2.6 Why This Book
References
3 Introduction to Organization Structuralism
3.1 Functional (Systemic) and Structural (Analytic) Study of Structures
3.2 Organizational Epiphenomena
3.3 Epiphenomena and Superstructures
3.4 Superstructures and Structural Development of Organizations
3.5 Change Matters Relatively
3.6 Organizational Dystopias
3.7 Processive Structures and Leadership
3.8 Leadership and Epiphenomena
3.9 From First Principles to Long-Term Competitive Advantages
3.10 “The 13 Principles of Organizational Structuralism”
References
4 Fundamental Properties of Organizational Structuralism: From Homogeneity to Autonomy
4.1 What Is a Structure?
4.2 Some Fundamental Considerations
4.3 Some Fundamental Properties and Definitions
4.4 A Fundamental Property: The Homogeneity
4.5 Homogeneous and Homogeneity in Linguistic Systems (Some Examples)
4.6 Homogeneous Systems and Variances
4.7 Heterogeneity, Homogenetic, Phylogenetic and Heterogenetic Properties
4.8 Autonomy and Heteronomy
4.9 Teleonomy and Invariance
4.10 Anelyxis, Katelyxis Endogenous and Exogenous Phenomena
References
5 Methodological Foundations of Organizational Structuralism
5.1 The Necessity of a Deductive Approach Based on Observation
5.2 Towards an Organizational Theory Based on Physics or Natural Sciences
5.3 The Law of Noncontradiction as a Key Concept in Organizational Structuralism
5.4 The Principle of Uncertainty in Organizational Theory and Design
5.5 The Exclusion Principle in Organizational Theory and Design
5.6 The Principle of Invariance: The First Fundamental Pillar in Organizational Theory and Design
5.7 The Principle of Teleonomy as the Main Driver for the Creation of Symbolic Structures
5.8 Some Conceptual Deepening of the Homogenetic Principle
5.9 The Phylogenetic Principle as a Fundamental Property in Organizational Theory
5.10 The Principle of Organizational Autonomy
5.11 The Principle of Incompleteness in Organizational Theory
5.12 The Principle of Successive Approximations Applied in Organizational Theory
5.13 The Principle of Observer Interference
References
6 Organizational First Principles and Introduction to the Organizational Field Theory
6.1 Some Fundamental Considerations or “Starting from First Principles”
6.2 Towards a New Paradigm for Organizational Development: The Organizational Fields
6.3 Canonical Symbolic and Material Structures
6.4 The Structural Field Theory of Organizations
6.5 The Property of Conservative and of Non-conservative Organizational Fields
6.6 The Organizational Fields as Non-conservative Fields
6.7 The Property of Homogeneity in Organizational Field Theory
6.8 The Property of Isotropy in Organizational Fields
6.8.1 Geometric Properties and Symmetries
6.9 The Homeostatic (and Heterostatic) Property
6.10 The Property of Cause-Effect Correlation
6.10.1 The Criticism on the Ishikawa Diagram
6.11 The Property of Metrification
6.12 The Property of Anelyxis
6.13 Organizations as Systems of Canonical Structures Submerged in Organizational Fields
6.14 The Principles of Organizational Structuralism as a Field Theory Derivatives
6.15 Towards a New Paradigm of Managerial Ability
References
7 The Structural Evolution of an Organization (a Geometric Approach)
7.1 Prolegomena to This Chapter
7.2 The Beginning of the Development of an Organization (or Phase 1)
7.3 The Formation of the First Core Processes in an Organization (Phase 2)—Inbound Supply Chain and Purchasing
7.4 The Development of the Activities Related to Operational Marketing (Phase 3)
7.5 The Initiation of an Organizational Formation (Phase 4)
7.6 Research and Development and Product/Service & Process Development (Phase 5)
7.7 The Development of the Strategic Marketing Process (Phase 6)
7.8 The Initialization of the Ellipsoidal Configurations (Phase 7)
7.9 The Development of the Manufacturing (or Operations) Process (Phase 8)
7.10 The Development of Sales or Customer Acquisition Processes (Phase 9)
7.11 The Development of After Sales or Customer Care Management (Phase 10)
7.11.1 The Shared Services
7.12 The Structural Development and Growth Phases of an Organization (Phase 11)
7.13 The Ultimate Evolutionary Stage of an Organization (Phase 12)
7.14 The Beginning of the Decline of an Organization
7.14.1 Converging and Diverging Forces in Organizational Theory and Design
7.14.2 Converging and Diverging Forces During the Stabilization Phase of the Organization
7.14.3 The Beginning of the Decline of an Organization Continued
7.14.4 Quality and Quantity Trapping
7.14.5 The Geometrical Configurations of a Declining Organization
7.14.6 The Asymmetric Configurations of the Decline of an Organization (Case 1: Privileging the Commercial Field Section and of the Related Processes)
7.14.7 The Asymmetric Configurations of the Decline of an Organization (Case 2: Privileging the Operations or Manufacturing Field Section and of the Related Processes)
7.14.8 Some Basic Considerations Regarding the Asymmetric Decline of Organizations
7.15 The Final Stages in the Life of an Organization
7.16 The Death of an Organization
7.17 General Chapter Conclusions
Reference
8 Graphical Representations of Some Fundamental Properties of Organizational Structuralism
8.1 Conditions for the Continuous Development of a Structural Development of an Organization
8.2 The Converging Forces During the Formation of an Organization
8.3 The Diverging Forces During the Formation of an Organization
8.4 The Growth of Invariance in Time
8.5 The Growth of Teleonomy in Time
8.6 The Mathematical Formulae of the Evolution (Growth) of Invariance and Teleonomy in Time
8.7 Invariance and Teleonomy in Relation to Single Anelyxis Projects and Their Evolution in Time
8.8 The (Simple) Relationship Between Invariance and Teleonomy
8.9 Life Expectancy of an Organization and Structuralism
8.10 The Main Factors and Processes for the Structural Evolution of Organizations
8.11 The Development of Invariance and Teleonomy in Relation to First Principles and to the Configuration of Quantum Pairing and of Their Sequential Matrices
8.12 The Structural Approach to the Development of an Organization: From Basic Teleonomic Principles to the Autonomy and to “Canonicism”
8.13 The Gap Between Signifier and Significant Stands as the Gap Between Material and Symbolic Structures
References
9 Organizational Structuralism and Mathematical Symbolism
9.1 A Mathematical Analysis of Organizational Structures Based on Geometrical Analysis and Hydrodynamics Theory
9.2 Analysis of a Single Process
9.2.1 Analysis of the Organization as a Whole
9.3 Analysis of Ideal Case and Worst-Case Scenario
9.4 A Further Integration (and an Alternative Treatment) to the Mathematical Model of Organizational Structures (a Hydrodynamic Analogy)
9.4.1 A Possible Correlation in Nature
9.5 A Mathematical Expression for the Correlation of Material and Symbolic Structures at Three Distinct Levels (Organizational Quanta, Masys and Processes)
9.6 Some Questions for Readers Who Understand and Manage Mathematics Far Better Than the Author
10 The Microstructure of Structural Organizations
10.1 Organization of Material and Symbolic Quanta
10.2 Agents Do not Make the Difference but Structures Do in Organizational Development
10.3 Increasing the Complexity (but also the Completion) by Increasing the Symmetric Capabilities of the Microstructural Configurations
10.4 The Systemic Delegating Business Management (Based on Basic Business Knowledge) Model
10.5 The Interdisciplinary (not to Be Confused with the Multidisciplinary) Approach for the Development of Long-Term Competitive Advantages
10.6 The Multidisciplinary Approach for the Design of Organizational Microstructures
10.7 The Multidisciplinarity as a Long-Term Key Competitive Advantage on Global Level
10.8 The Development and Structuring on Operational Level of the Quantum Pairs
10.9 Partial Integration of Material and Symbolic Structures and Related Competencies for the Development of Quantum Pairing Conditions
10.10 The Quantitative and Qualitative Factors in Quantum Pairing and the Factors that may Inhibit and Distort the Complete Overlapping Between Material QM and Symbolic QS Quanta
10.11 The Organizational Quanta and Their Impact on the Transformation of Quantitative into Qualitative Changes
10.12 The Inhibiting Elements for the Development of the Microstructure of an Organization Based on Organizational Quantum Pairs
10.13 One Last Note: An Alternative Mathematical Approach: A Topological or Knot Theory?
References
11 The Processes: From Masys (or MaSys) to Single Entities and to Unified Arrays
11.1 The Analysis of the Intermediate Levels: The Processes
11.2 The Main Errors of the Models of Traditional Value Chain Models
11.3 The Traditional Value Chain Models and Some Critical Aspects Regarding Them
11.4 The First Structural Attempt in the Subdivision of Processes
11.5 The Management of the Key Criteria for the Analysis and Evaluation of the Overall Performance of an Organization
11.6 Classification and Evaluation of KPIs in a Structured-Based Processive Organization
11.7 A Combinatorial Theory of Organizational Structural Analysis on Three Levels: General (Macrostructural) Configuration, Processive (Intermediate) and Microstructural
11.8 The Analysis of a Process Based on a Combinatory Structure of Masys
11.9 Some Theoretical Considerations Regarding Masys Classification and Their Integration with the Organizational Quantum Pairs
11.10 The Evaluating Criteria for the Levels of Possession and Application of the Three Categories of Quantum Pairs in a Generic Masy Structure
11.11 Some Fundamental Variables Regarding the Definition of Masys and the General Structural Theory of Organizations
11.12 Criteria for the Evaluation of Process Performance and Process Granularity Analysis
11.13 Some Theoretical Considerations Regarding the Design and Implementation of Processes in a Structural Organization
11.14 The Evolutionary Phases of the Basic Processive Models of a Structural Organization
11.14.1 Phase 1: Circularity of Processes
11.14.2 Phase 2: Process Integrated Interactions (a Simple Example of Feedback and Feedforward Systems of Processes)
11.14.3 Phase 3: Process Omnidirectional Feedback and Feedforward Multilooping System as a Nominal Case of Interaction, Interconnection and Interrelation Between the Various Processes of an Organization
11.14.4 Phase 4: Passage from a Two-Dimensional Sequential Model to a Three-Dimensional Circular Processive Model
11.14.5 Phase 5: From the Elliptical Model to the Cylindrical One
11.15 Critical Aspects Regarding the Processes of an Organization Related to the Digital Transformation
11.16 The Integrability of the Organizational Processes
11.17 A Two-Dimensional Representation of the Arrays of Processes (A Simplified Version with Respect to the Three-Dimensional One)
11.18 The Field Modelling Criteria: How to Obtain a Unified Field
11.19 Some Basic Definitions Regarding Anelyxis
11.20 On Non-conservative, Homogeneous, Isotropic and Symmetric Fields
11.21 Structure and the Characteristics of the Feedback and Feedforward Multilooping Systems
11.22 The Two Main Rings of Core Processes of an Organization (Which Become Separated Process Arrays Before the Unification of All Processes)
11.23 An Alternative Interpretation of the Integrability of the Organizational Processes Based on the Superimposing of the Various Rings as a Means of Measurement of the Convergence, the Interaction and Gradual Integration Between Core Processes
11.24 Invariance and Flexibility of the Processes During the Transition Phase
11.25 Orders and Types of Flexibility
11.26 The Processes Behaviour and Development During the Elliptical Phase
11.27 The Values of r1a and r1b in Organizational Development
11.28 The Unification of the Process Arrays Between the Two Subfields and with the Universal Processes Array
11.29 Some Theoretical Considerations Regarding the Evolutionary Tendencies in Structural Organizations Regarding Processes and Process Improvements Projects
11.29.1 Anelyctic and Katelyctic Invariance
11.29.2 Processes Subdivision in Organizational Quanta
11.29.3 Process Arrays, Quanta and Organisational Fields
11.30 Organizational Isomorphism and Heteromorphism
11.31 The Key Variables for a Change Management Project in a Structural Organization Once Process Arrays Have Been Formed (Structuralistic Index Model)
11.32 From the Cylindrical to the Pseudosphere Configuration of an Organization in Relation to the Integration of Material and Symbolic Structures for the Unification of All Processes
References
12 The Definition of Organizational Objectives in a Structural Organization
12.1 The Problem-Solving Approach as a Preliminary Tool for the Definition of Objectives, for the Association with Structural Anelyxis Projects and for the Introduction of the “SMARTEST” Technique for Their Configuration
12.2 Anelyxis Projects Basic Requirements and Fundamental Outcomes
12.3 The Methods and Techniques for Objective (Goal) Setting in Structural Terms
12.4 A Fundamental Yet Obvious Definition of What an Objective Is and the “SMARTEST” Technique
12.5 The Goals (Objectives) Breakdown Structure or GBS (as Transposition from the WBS—Work Breakdown Structure—Which Is Widely Known in Project Management) as a Structural Method for the Definition and Structural Distribution of Performance Objectives
12.6 A Preliminary Structural Approach to Problems and to the Description of Related Phenomena That Facilitates the Definition of GBS Cascading “SMARTEST” Objectives as Derivatives of the Problems Enunciation and of Their Structural and Symbolic Impact
12.7 The Formulation of Objectives by “Trial and Error”: The Structural Goal Setting Improvement Tool
12.8 A Template and an Example for the Formulation of “SMARTEST” Objectives Following the GBS Method
Reference
13 The Fundamental Properties of an Evaluation System
13.1 Critical Success Factors for a National System of Performance Evaluation
13.2 Which Are the Fundamental Competencies for an Effective Implementation of a Structural Evaluation System?
13.3 The Introduction of the Evaluating Set of Competencies and of the “Exclusion Principle”
13.4 Why the Adoption of a Structural Processive Model at Three Different Levels of Analysis?
13.5 The Key Processes for the Development and Implementation of Three-Level Evaluation System
13.5.1 The Three-Level Process Analysis, the Operating Phases for Their Realization and Their Impact on the Overall Value Management of the Organization
14 The Extinction of the Species of a Manager: An Animal That Did Not Manage to Sustain the Multidisciplinarity or The Managerial World of the New Era: Digitists, Anelyxists or Avrions?
14.1 A Need for a Paradigmatic Change
14.2 The New Core Competencies of a Manager
14.2.1 A Need for a New Profession and a New Name?
14.3 What the New Profession Should Be Able to Do in a Structural Organization?
14.4 Cultural Identitarian Drivers and Management
14.5 Ideological Changes in Organizations and Management
14.5.1 Management and Managerial Equity
14.6 Management and Evolution in the Organizational Configurations
References
15 Organizational Structuralism for a New Ethics of Organizations (and Not Only)
15.1 A New Ethics of Organizations
15.1.1 The Universal Dimension of Organizational Structuralism and the Applicable Implications
15.1.1.1 Improve Continuously
15.1.1.2 From the Particular to the General and from the General to the Particular
15.1.1.3 Developing Collective Imaginary Structures Starting from Canonical Organizational Structures
15.1.1.4 The Real Dimension and the Apparent Dimension (Manufacturing/Operations or Marketing?)
15.1.2 Structuring: TELEOLOGY or DEONTOLOGY?
15.1.3 Interactions Between Organizational Structuralism and Dominant Traits of National Cultures
15.2 Towards a New Paradigm of Structured Organizations (How to Avoid the Decline of the So-Called Western Civilization)
15.3 Organizational Structuralism as a Constitutive Element of STRONG THOUGHT
References
16 Conclusions
Reference
Annex 1 A Change Management Model Based on Structural Principles and Variables
Some Key Points Regarding the Structural Model of Change Management
The Methodology for Competency Enhancement
Epilegomena 1 On “Cold War” and “Megalexandros”
On “Cold War” and “Megalexandros”
The Musical Analysis of the Scores from the Two Films (by Karolina Tatar)
Some Additional Structural Analysis from the Cinematography
Monothematicism and Polythematicism
A Simple Musical Analogy
Some Structural Examples from the Figurative Arts
Sibelius Fifth Symphony
References
Epilegomena 2 Achilles or Hector?
Achilles or Hector?
References
Additional Publications for Background Reading
Index