ABSTRACT
This chapter shows that the fundamental perception of the nature of organisations can be grouped into two main ideas: organisations as technical systems and organisations as human systems. It suggests that there is a series of divides in the discussion of organisations: organisations as self-centred versus social systems; as technologically driven versus human-driven systems; as irresponsible versus responsible systems; as drivers for change versus obstacles for change. Organisations play an important role in modern society. Organisational thinking is still influenced by this divide and takes that as background for the conceptualisation and discussion; organisations are both formal and dialogical. As the core nature of organisations is inhuman, it has to be modified with a deliberate attention to human needs. This is also the background for socio-technical thinking in organisational theory. Humans construct it, but the machine often has power beyond human beings. Humans may try to steer the machine.
