Systems Theory
Dr. Len Elovitz
Chapter 4 in Owens & Valesky
General Systems Theory
Biologically speaking
What is an organism?
An integrated system ofinterdependent structures andfunctions
Organization
An organization is anintegrated system ofinterdependent structures andfunctions
General Systems Theory
An organization is constituted of groups and agroup consists of persons who must work inharmony. Each person must know what theothers are doing. Each one must be capableof receiving messages and must besufficiently disciplined to obey. . . .
F.K. Berrian
Two central concepts: subsystems andmultiple causation.
Peter Senge and The FifthDiscipline
Peter Senge wrote a popular book in 1990 titled, TheFifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the LearningOrganization.
Proposed 5 disciplines that must be studied and put intoplace to promote the organization’s ability to learn
The five disciplines are: personal mastery, mentalmodels, team learning, shared vision, and systemsthinking.
The fifth discipline, Systems Thinking, is essential forintegrating the other four disciplines in making theorganization effective.
School
A school is an integratedsystem of interdependentstructures and functions.
Organization
An organization (school) isconstituted of groups and agroup consists of persons whomust work in harmony.
Types of Systems
Open -
Interact with their environment
Maintain a steady state
Are self-regulating
Closed - do not Interact with their environment
Balanced aquarium
Are schools open or closed systems?
Inputs from society
Educational process
Outputs to society
Are schools open or closed systems?
Knowledge, Values, Goals, Money
Curriculum & Instruction
Graduates
Linear Model
Is this how things really happen?
Does the Educational processever effect the inputs?
Do the outputs ever effect theinputs?
Social System Model for Schools
W. K. Hoy © 2003, 2008, 2011
TransformationProcessTransformationProcess
Structural System
(Bureaucratic Expectations)(Bureaucratic Expectations)
CulturalCultural
SystemSystem
((Shared
Orientations)
PoliticalPolitical
SystemSystem
(Power(Power
Relations)Relations)
Individual System
((Cognition and Motivation)
Learning
Learning
Teaching
Teaching
OutputsOutputs
InputsInputs
Environmentalconstraints
Human and
capital resources
Mission and
board policy
Materials andmethods
Achievement
Job satisfaction
Absenteeism
Dropout rate
Overall quality
Discrepancy betweenActual and ExpectedPerformance
EnvironmentEnvironment
For schools, we define closed systemsas those organizations that tend to limitthe influence of the community and tendto proceed as though unrelated to thelarger real world in which they exist.
Daniel Griffiths
The organization(System)exists in an environment(Suprasystem) havingwithin it an administrativeapparatus ( subsystem)
Administration:
Subsystem
Organization:
System
Environment:
Suprasystem
School
School
District
Community
Department
School
Community
Where does the individual fit in?
The individual is functioning in theorganization not only as anindividual but also as one whooccupies a certain role within thesocial system in the organization.
Where does the individual fit in?
The individual is functioning in theorganization not only as anindividual but also as a teacherwithin the department in the School.
The
Individual
or Self
The
Role
The
Work Group
The
Organization
The
Culture
The
Individual
or Self
The
Teacher
The
Department
The
School
The
Community
The individual shapes his/her roleand is also shaped by it.
Role Theory
The dynamic interaction of people withvarying psychological makeups in theorganizational setting is the domain of roletheory.
Useful Terms
Role – Expectations of behavior held by theindividual and others
Role description – Actual behavior of the roleincumbent
Role Prescription - Behavioral norm of what isexpected
Role Expectation – the expectations that oneindividual has for the behavior of others
Role Perception – the perception that anindividual holds for another’s perceptionabout his/her role expectation
Manifest Role – The obvious and primerole of an individual
Latent Role – A role that is not expressedat a given time
Can lead to role conflict
Two people are unable to establish asatisfactory or reciprocal relationship.
Role expectations may conflict with thepersonality needs of the role incumbent.
Role Ambiguity – role prescriptioncontains contradictory elements or isvague
Role Set - can be described in graphicterms which includes all players importantto the role perception and roleexpectations of any particular role.
Superordinate
1
Pivotal role player
Superordinate
2
Colleague
2
Subordinate
3
Superordinate
1
Colleague
1
Pivotal role player
Superordinate
2
Subordinate
1
Subordinate
2
Getzels and Guba
We conceive of the social systemas involving two major classes ofphenomena, which areconceptually independent andphenomenally interactive.
Getzels and Guba
There are, first, institutions withcertain roles and expectationsthat will fulfill the goals of thesystem.
Getzels and Guba
Second, inhabiting the system arethe individuals with certainpersonalities and need-dispositions, whose interactionscomprise what we generally call“social behavior.”
Social
System
Institution
Role
Expectation
Observed
Behavior
Individual
Personality
Need-Disposition
ORGANIZATIONAL (Nomothetic) DIMENSION
PERSONAL (Idiographic)DIMENSION
B = f(R x P)
Where B = observed behavior
R = institutional role, and
P = personality of the role incumbent
Role
Personality
b
a
Role
Personality
b
a
Artist
Army Private
Getzels & Thelen
Please Read Social Behavior and theAdministrative Process
By Getzels and Guba
Equilibrium - Needs of the organization andthose of the Individual
Schmidt ($1.15 for 12.5 tons - $1.85 for 47.5tons)
Collective bargaining
Homeostasis - Schools adapt and dealeffectively with changes in the environment
Feedback - Circular pattern of information
Role Related to Social SystemsTheory (continued)
Changes in the environment stimulate areaction that is either static or dynamic:
In Static reactions, the organizationresponds to maintain status quo.
Dynamic equilibrium is characterized bysubsystem changes to steady the system(i.e., homeostasis).
Role Related to Social SystemsTheory (continued)
Systems that do not have sensitive antennaepicking up accurate feedback information or that donot provide information to decision makers, find itdifficult to react appropriately to environmentalchanges.
Such systems tend to be in a static, rather than in adynamic, equilibrium with their environments. Theytend to lack the self-correcting, homeostaticprocesses essential to maintaining themselves inenvironments characterized by change.
These organizations will decline over time.
Why did so many high schoolsadopt block scheduling?
Reaction to feedback
1. Too many topics to concentrate on at onetime
2. Some lessons require more than 45 minclass
3. Students are carrying too many books
4. Too much homework
What do you need to do to effectivelyimplement block scheduling?
Structure
Schedule
Facilities
Contract
Task
Teach for 90 min
Staff Development
Technology
Curriculum
Materials
People
Buy in
Abilities
Training needs
Sociotechnical Systems Theory
A change in one subsystem will affect theother subsystems.
Owens and Steinhoff
Contingency Theory
Different beliefs in organizational theory,such as classical, human relations, orhuman resources, will lead to competingadvocacy positions.
None of the three approaches is superiorin all situations. - Do you agree?
Contingency Theory (continued)
Organizational structure and management methods canbe identified as being most effective under specificsituational contingencies.
Three basic propositions underlie the contingencyapproach to organizational behavior in schools:
There is no one best universal way to organize and administerschool districts or schools.
Not all ways of organizing and administering are equallyeffective in a given situation: effectiveness is contingent uponappropriateness of the design or style to the situation.
The selection of organizational design and administrative styleshould be based on careful analysis of significant contingenciesin the situation.
Contingency Theory (continued)
Organizations that deal successfully with uncertainenvironments tend to differentiate internally more thanless successful organizations do; yet they are able tomaintain high levels of integration between the varioussubunits.
New technological developments, typically developedexternally, of every description tend to alter thecontingencies that affect the internal arrangements ofthe school.
The school system or school, as a sociotechnicalsystem, is in constant dynamic interaction with the largerexternal environment in which it exists.
THE QUESTION
What style will likely yield the mostproductive behavior (in terms of achievingorganizational goals) from subordinates inthis situation?
Different administrative styles will evokepredictably different responses fromindividuals
The Effective Leader
Is able to match leadership style to thecontingencies of the situation in order toachieve the behavior on the part ofsubordinates that will contribute most toachieving the goals of the school district orthe school.
Research indicates that the most effectiveorganizations are those in which humanresources leadership is prime.