"People in systems"

The boundaries of cybernetic/organic systems are determined by the system itself. In terms of a system exchanging energy and matter across its boundary, it has three options;

- The system can take in new e/m to replace/repair worn out components. A plant cell replacing a mitochondria, a store manager replacing a retiring employee. This maintains the status quo, a stable state, but in a changing environment cannot last.

- The system can shed components, i.e. remove non-essential, redundant, problem or outdated parts. This is a goal of achieving greater efficiency. Cut the fat in business jargon. However, after the cut the system will have to gain new e/m to maintain the new status as above.

- The system can add e/m to create new components, i.e. evolve to a higher level. This process requires some type of synthesis otherwise nothing new has been created.

A system cannot refuse to take in new e/m for any significant period of time. Since energy is dissipating through entropy eventually the system will collapse. Furthermore, in the larger environment other systems will be competing for e/m. Such competition will result in scarcer resources. This will place an internal demand for either greater system efficiency or increased complexity to meet the changing environment. (Typical business response to changing markets.) The status quo will be unsustainable.

In cybernetic and higher level systems the gatekeeper for this new e/m is human, a person, committee, group, Department whatever. That means someone/s will have the responsibility to select what e/m gets into and potentially becomes a part of the system. This could include selecting employment candidates (HR), ideas (Consultants), new technology (IT), shareholders (Finance) and so on. The GK becomes a filter for the whole system.

Now factor in Friction. The GK will have to deal with external Friction, i.e. outside e/m trying to get into the system as well as internal Friction, i.e. competing agendas/needs between departments/organs. This means that new e/m will be filtered through and influenced by Friction. Systems will be created, managed and maintained as much by fear, fatigue, uncertainty, disagreement, chance, outside constraints, unpredictable outsiders and poor doctrines as much as by optimism, planning, cooperation, good fortune and so on. Before a system can win the war with the outside, it has to resolve the war within.