Organization as Communication A Luhmannian Perspective

This article introduces Luhmann’s theory of social systems as a prominent example of communication as constitutive of organization (CCO) thinking and argues that Luhmann’s perspective contributes to current conceptual debates on how communication constitutes organization. The theory of social system...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Management communication quarterly Vol. 25; no. 4; pp. 663 - 689
Main Author: Schoeneborn, Dennis
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.11.2011
Sage Publications
SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
Subjects:
Communication
Interne Kommunikation
Luhmann
Organisatorischer Wandel
Organization theory
Sociology
Studies
Systemtheorie
Terminology
organizational communication
communication constitutes organization (CCO)
theory of social systems
Montreal School
ISSN:0893-3189, 1552-6798, 1552-6798
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:This article introduces Luhmann’s theory of social systems as a prominent example of communication as constitutive of organization (CCO) thinking and argues that Luhmann’s perspective contributes to current conceptual debates on how communication constitutes organization. The theory of social systems highlights that organizations are fundamentally grounded in paradox because they are built on communicative events that are contingent by nature. Consequently, organizations are driven by the continuous need to deparadoxify their inherent contingency. In that respect, Luhmann’s approach fruitfully combines a processual, communicative conceptualization of organization with the notion of boundary and self-referentiality. Notwithstanding the merits of Luhmann’s approach, its accessibility tends to be limited due to the hermetic terminology that it employs and the fact that it neglects the role of material agency in the communicative construction of organizations.
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ISSN:0893-3189
1552-6798
1552-6798
DOI:10.1177/0893318911405622