Jack,
Great extension of what I was intending. I'd add the artifacts
and physical space of it all.
A constant source of wonder for me, as I contemplate organisational
design, is the intricate network of communication (chemical,
electrical, atomic, etc) that is somehow "wired in" and yet flexible,
fluid and redundant which provides the full intelligence of the human
being. Or the "design" of the communication of ants, bees, etc who
are extraordinarily adaptive.
What are the equivalents in organisations where the connections are
very few and mainly mechanistic when formal or designed. I think
that the equivalents may be found by looking at (and listening to)
small groups, teams and even some larger organisations where things
work extremely well without control.
The possibilities of groupware and new computer and communications
technologies seem to be leading us into a new era with much greater
possibility than ever before in this matter.
-- Michael McMaster Michael@kbddean.demon.co.uk