Friday, February 17, 2012

Systemantics Origins

There is apparently a fair bit of sophisticated social theory behind Gall's humorous Systemantics.  I don't know if he knew that.  There is Jerry Pournelle's Iron Law of Bureaucracy,
...in any bureaucratic organization there will be two kinds of people: those who work to further the actual goals of the organization, and those who work for the organization itself. Examples in education would be teachers who work and sacrifice to teach children, vs. union representatives who work to protect any teacher including the most incompetent. The Iron Law states that in all cases, the second type of person will always gain control of the organization, and will always write the rules under which the organization functions.
itself deeply related to heretical Marxist/syndicalist Robert Michel's Iron Law of Oligarchy.
Rule by an elite - or "oligarchy" is inevitable as an "iron law" within any organization as part of the "tactical and technical necessities" of organization.

1 comment:

Texan99 said...

I always think of Alec Guiness at the end of "The Bridge on the River Kwai" -- "What have I done?"