Organizational Development: A Manual for Managers and ... - FPDL
Organizational Development: A Manual for Managers and ... - FPDL
Organizational Development: A Manual for Managers and ... - FPDL
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Substructures<br />
Interrelations between components that are not essential <strong>for</strong> the creation of basic emergent<br />
features may create a net of delicate links; this net may also include external elements, which do<br />
not belong to the system. This net of relatively weak interrelations, non-distinctive at a macro-level<br />
of an organism, has been called substructures. (Gazarian, 1990)<br />
Substructures are often seen as in<strong>for</strong>mal relations between members of an organization <strong>and</strong>/or<br />
with outsiders. However, the <strong>for</strong>mal relations are not always particularly strong or defined features<br />
within a system. When some <strong>for</strong>mal relations are weak <strong>and</strong> evident only in particular<br />
circumstances, they should be considered as a part of substructure. On the other h<strong>and</strong>, some<br />
‘in<strong>for</strong>mal’ relations may be obviously crucial <strong>for</strong> organizational survival <strong>and</strong> may determine the<br />
basic qualities of an organization. There<strong>for</strong>e – substructures should be viewed not in terms of<br />
‘<strong>for</strong>mal’ versus ‘in<strong>for</strong>mal’, but in terms of ‘essential’ versus ‘non-essential’,<br />
When the system remains in a state of stable equilibrium, substructural relations just create a kind<br />
of ‘noise’ or accompaniment to the processes that move in accordance with the substructural path.<br />
But in a state of unstable equilibrium, or in a point of bifurcation, these small substructural relations<br />
may determine which alternative option or scenario <strong>for</strong> the future will be chosen.<br />
A significance of substructure is not the weakness of the basic structure, but rather its dynamic<br />
nature <strong>and</strong> non-linearity. At specific points of equilibrium (‘to appoint Bob or John’, ‘to buy or not’,<br />
‘accept it or rise against’, etc.) substructural relations may become critical.<br />
Substructure does not rival structure. Only in cases when structure does not determine the<br />
direction in a point of equivalent choice – substructure does. It controls equilibriums. Such cases<br />
are quite common in organizations. Equilibrium may be caused by actual equality of ‘pro’ <strong>and</strong><br />
‘contra’, or by uncertainty created by external uncontrollable factors, or just by the lack of<br />
in<strong>for</strong>mation when alternative options seem to be equal.<br />
Substructures may be stable enough to penetrate the macro structure of an organism. Usually they<br />
are much more complex than macro-structures. It may also be relevant to speak about<br />
substructures within substructures, substructures at various levels, etc. The substructures of<br />
different organisms play a key role in their in<strong>for</strong>mational interactions.<br />
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