ABSTRACT
The Logic of Self-Transformation Introduction In the remainder of this book we will explore the possibilities of intentional identity change – so-called ‘self-transformation’. An exploration of this kind of change seems particularly interesting as it demonstrates the degree of an organisation’s control over itself. In this chapter we will analyse the logic of selftransformation, which will serve as a basis for the exploration of mechanisms of self-transformation in the next one. In the first section we will explore the concept of change in general and differentiate self-transformation as one particular type from other types of change. In the second section we will analyse the ‘paradox of self-transformation’. In the third section we will analyse the logical implications of this paradox for the organisation’s reproduction. Finally, in the last section we will identify organisational mechanisms for dealing with this paradox. 1. Self-Transformation and the Concept of Change a. Complexity and Change In order to discuss organisational change we have to deal with the concept of complexity. This concept is necessary for understanding how a system that is operationally closed – in the sense that it cannot receive new elements from its environment – can change. The argument is that systems can only change into forms that already exist in the system as possible forms. We have to start our discussion with the definition of the term ‘complexity’. The complexity of organisations is often discussed in the organisation literature without a clear definition of the concept.1 Mostly, the term ‘complexity’ is contrasted with the term ‘simplicity’. The underlying distinction is that between a whole and its parts. A unity, in this sense, is complex if it is composed of several parts and simple if it cannot be further decomposed.2 As Luhmann writes:
which contained the complex and the other the simple. The distinction marks mutually exclusive terms: something has to be either simple or complex.3
