The Changing Organization: An Agency Modelling Approach

Abstract

Agency theory explores autonomous systems which have the capacity to develop their own patterns of behaviour and to change that behaviour, too. Change of an agency emerges from the immanent dynamics of its own internal processes, and as responsive change from interaction with other agencies in its environment. In this paper, we deal with the cybernetic foundations of agency theory and generic system hierarchies into which agencies are nested. The modelling exercise begins with the instrumental agency, and is step wise extended into higher cybernetic orders: the cognitive-affective agency, the defining socio-cultural agency, and finally to superstructure modelling. Agency dynamics is explored through elaboration on internal (immanent) dynamics which may consequently lead to paradigm change.

Keywords: agency theory; complexity; change; superstructure; substructure; dynamics.