Possibilities of N. Luhmann's Organization Theory in the Study of School Management

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Other Title
  • 学校経営研究におけるルーマン組織論の可能性 : 組織の作動的基礎としての意思決定を中心に
  • ガッコウ ケイエイ ケンキュウ ニ オケル ルーマン ソシキロン ノ カノウセ

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Abstract

As self-renewal, self-innovation or self-organization is said to be the important strategy of school improvement, one of the keywords about school management today is "self". Then what is the "self" of an organization? In this paper, I examine N. Luhmann's organization theory to elucidate what the element of organization is, how the elements relate each other and how the distinction between the organization and its environment is made. Luhmann recognizes that an organization consists of decision makings which are based on the expectations (Envartungen) as the structure of the organization. In organizations double contingency problem is solved by the form of membership which is also a kind of decision based on an expectation. Because decisions are made only in relation to the other decisions and the operation of organization is self-producing process, organization is one kind of autopoiesis system. Luhmann's organization theory can be used to reconstruct the theoretical basis of the study of school management. First, the "self" of the school organization is not an entity but is produced and reproduced as the relationships between decision makings. Second, the "self" of the school organization should not be understood as the collaboration or the common objectives among members of the school because the diversity of decisions is essential to the organization as a social system. Third, the distinction between the school organization and its environment should be reconsidered as the closeness of an autopoietic system.

Journal

  • Journal of JASEA

    Journal of JASEA 40 (0), 82-94, 1998

    The Japanese Association for the Study of Educational Administration

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