Organizacja i miasto z perspektywy teorii systemów – ujęcie porównawcze
Organization and the city from the perspective of systems theory – a comparative approach

Summary/Abstract: Systemism offers a valuable cognitive perspective in the social sciences, including interdisciplinary research. System analysis for management purposes employs an organicistic metaphor, treating the living organism as a model for the functioning of manmade systems. The city and the organization are complex artificial systems that play a key role in the functioning of society and the economy. Comparing these systems and identifying their characteristic features should facilitate the formulation of practical management recommendations. The aim of the article is to determine the features of organizations and cities from a systems perspective and to identify similarities and differences between them. The article portrays organizations and cities as complex artificial systems that are subject to similar regularities, while maintaining distinct goals and territorial conditions. On the basis of a narrative literature review, key systemic characteristics of both entities were identified, such as openness, the need to maintain homeostasis, limited self-regulation (compared with natural systems), and a particularly high level of complexity. The analysis shows that cities exhibit a more territorial character and a greater capacity for long-term existence, whereas organizations are more strongly oriented towards the pursuit of economic goals and are more frequently liquidated. This comparison confirms the usefulness of organicistic and mechanistic metaphors in the systems analysis of cities and organizations and indicates the possibility of transferring selected systemic solutions between the organizational and the urban level, which is relevant for shaping development strategies and management practices. Involving employees in the organization’s development processes and remaining open to cooperation with various stakeholders can form part of an organizational strategy that strengthens competitive advantage in the longer term, as illustrated by the success of smart cities.

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