Management from the perspective of systems theory

Usual management theories focus on phenomenological aspects of organisations and management. Abstract communication systems theory offers a different approach, which can be used to analyze social systems, uncover their internal logic and structure, and to understand their interactions with other social systems. We show in this paper how to apply the abstract communications systems approach to management. This analysis reveals that the management is a subsystem of the organisation, which deals with memories of the organisation, and organizes as an information subsystem and possibly as an identity subsystem of the organisation. We discuss how the systems theory interpretation helps in understanding some management related issues: the growth of management, charismatic leadership, and the trade-off between complexity and standardisation.