Loosely Coupled Systems 1 1
Kathleen Svea Manning · 2024
In the 1970s and 1980s, Karl Weick and colleagues proposed loosely coupled systems as an alternative theory to the rational, objective views on organizational functioning. Originating in pre-K-12 educational organizations, the theory was extended to higher education by Robert Birnbaum, Burton Clark, and others. Using richly crafted metaphors to describe concepts such as enactment and sensemaking, loosely coupled systems provide a means to conceive organizations in creative, imaginative ways.