Think of the square in any neighbourhood. What do you think it was like fifty years ago? A simple place, surrounded by cobblestones and lampposts, where neighbours gathered to chat and shopkeepers offered their wares on market days. Now think of that same square today. It’s probably a much more dynamic space, with outdoor cafés, cultural events and a mix of people of different ages, backgrounds and cultures.

What was once a local meeting point is now a node of global interaction, full of new stories and meanings. The square changed, yes, but it did so in response to the needs and transformations of its surroundings.

Organisations work in a similar way. According to the open systems theory, put forward by the biologist Ludwing von Bertalanffy, any system -be it a square, an ecosystem or a company- evolves in interaction with its environment. Organisations, far from being rigid or isolated entities, are living structures that depend on what’s happening around them to remain relevant, respond to challenges and thrive.

The big question is how to strike this balance between the need to adapt to change and maintain a distinct identity. In this interplay of forces, understanding companies as open systems may be the key to imagining more dynamic models that are ready to face the future.

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The origin of theory: from biology to business

In the mid-20th century, Ludwing von Bertalanffy, an Austrian-born scientist, argued that living organisms could not be understood as isolated entities, but as open systems. In other words, he described how living things constantly interact with their environment, exchanging matter, energy and information to stay alive and adapt to change.

This idea broke with the traditional mechanistic view, which saw organisms as closed, autonomous machines. According to Bertalanffy, the survival of any system was based on its ability to continuously adapt to a changing environment. The key wasn’t just what happened inside, but how it responded to external influences.

 

“The survival of any system was based on its ability to continuously adapt to a changing environment”.

 

Over time, this theory transcended the boundaries of biology and began to be applied in other disciplines, such as sociology and psychology. However, it was in the field of business management that it found particularly fertile ground.

Organisations, like living things, operate in changing environments and need to adapt in order to survive and thrive. From this perspective, they’re not rigid structures but dynamic systems that depend on their interaction with external factors such as the market, technology and social changes.

This approach marked a crucial shift in how companies are managed. Instead of seeking completely closed and predictable structures, open systems theory emphasised the importance of flexibility, innovation and real-time responsiveness. How is this achieved? Here’s an explanation:

 

Flexibility as a pillar of open systems

In nature, organisms that fail to adapt to changes in their environment are doomed to extinction. The same is true of organisations. An emblematic example of successful adaptation is Netflix

Businesses face challenges ranging from digitalisation to environmental sustainability, and doing so with an open system approach can make a difference. This means not only adapting to change, but also actively participating in it, defining new trends and contributing to positive transformations in their environment.

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Multidisciplinary teams: the engine of innovation

In an increasingly interconnected world, where challenges are complex and simple solutions are no longer sufficient, multidisciplinary teams have become a key driver for change and innovation within organisations. According to the open systems perspective, organisations need to integrate different perspectives and knowledge to adapt to the continuous changes in their environment. Multidisciplinary teams embody this idea by bringing together diverse skills and experiences to tackle challenges from new angles.

Moreover, working in such teams breaks down traditional silos within companies, encouraging a freer and richer flow of ideas. This not only allows to solve existing problems, but also to anticipate future needs, which is vital in a market where the speed of change is relentless. In the framework of organisations as open systems, multidisciplinary teams are not just a sum of experts, they’re the spark that ignites innovation.

 

“Multidisciplinary teams embody this idea by bringing together diverse skills and experiences to tackle challenges from new angles”.

 

External factors: cultural diversity as an opportunity

In today’s environment, organisations are not islands, but entities connected to external factors that shape the way they operate and evolve. These include cultural diversity, global trends and customer needs as key drivers of effective inclusion and dynamic development.

Cultural diversity is an inexhaustible resource of ideas and perspectives that can enrich any organisation. Beyond meeting diversity standards, embracing cultural differences allows companies to better adapt to the contexts in which they operate.

How many companies do you know that operate in dozens of countries and that have been successful in each of them because they have taken advantage of the cultural richness of each place to enrich their offer? Fast food restaurants, coffee shops, etc.

On the other hand, global trends, from digitalisation to sustainability, directly influence customer expectations and behaviours. Adopting an open system approach means not only following these trends, but actively participating in defining them.

Having taken all these factors into consideration, the question that remains is how it applies in our own environments. Are we addressing change with agility? Are we fostering collaboration between different perspectives? Do we see diversity as an opportunity? Inviting reflection is the first step in transforming any challenge into a door to the future.

 

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