Teoría General de Sistemas

Study Notes

Introduced by Ludwig Von Bertalanffy in the 1950s, it's a broad framework for understanding complex systems.
Focuses on interrelationships and interactions among components, rather than individual parts in isolation.
Applies to a wide range of systems, including biological, social, and physical ones.

Systems: Organized wholes composed of interconnected parts.
Components: Individual elements within a system.
Interdependence: Parts rely on each other for functioning.
Boundaries: Distinguish a system from its surrounding environment.
Open systems: Exchange matter, energy, and information with their environment.
Closed systems: Do not exchange with their environment.
Subsystem: Parts of a larger system, which can also be systems themselves.
Suprasystem: The environment or higher level system that contains a given system.
Input: Resources or information entering the system.
Output: Results or information leaving the system.
Transformation/Process: Actions within a system that convert input to output.
Feedback: Information from the output that affects the input.
Homeostasis: Maintaining a stable internal environment.
Equifinality: Multiple paths can lead to the same outcomes.
Sinergy: The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Entropy: Measure of disorder or randomness.
Morphogenesis: Ability of the system to change its structure.

Analytical approach: Breaks down a system into its constituent parts.
Systems approach: Emphasizes the relationships and interactions among parts.
Emphasis on interactions: Considers how elements interact, rather than just their individual properties.
Models and representations: Diagrams and models illustrate functional relationships in systems.

Organizations are complex systems comprised of parts (people, processes, resources, etc.) that are interconnected.
Interactions and communication are essential for organizational function.
Organizational systems can be understood through the lens of General Systems Theory.
Open systems: Organizations interact with their environment (customers, suppliers, competitors, etc.)
Goal-oriented: Organizations are created to achieve specific goals or objectives.
Systems have different degrees of "certainty", "risk", or "uncertainty" in their environment.
Organizations often aim for homeostasis (stability) and growth.
They are always changing and adapting to their environments.