Foreign Element

Chaos model

In an organizational context, a foreign element can be generated internally, inspired by the desire to improve. This desire can come from management or from participants on the operational level; the change can be mandated or voluntary. How such desires are substantiated by which stakeholder will greatly affect the reaction to the foreign element. In both cases they are reactions. In the case of an unwanted, unexpected or mandated change the people within the organisation (system) may try a number of strategies to neutralize the impact of the alien element. The system may reject and expel the foreign element; people may ignore it, use delaying tactics, or may try to encapsulate the foreign element within the "normal" ways of handling things, or they may try to find a scapegoat to attack and blame.

When mandated sequences of events are experienced a couple of times on the operational level, trust levels of operational people in management being able to lead, goes down quickly. People will anticipate more on potential future management blaming than by management desired changes. Whatever happens, people do learn to anticipate effectively!

And a healthy balanced system accepts and investigates the foreign element mirrors received with care in mind, and integrates what is (re)useful.