Schwaninger, MarkusMarkusSchwaningerGrösser, Stefan N.Stefan N.Grösser2023-04-132023-04-132012-07https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/handle/20.500.14171/9138110.1002/sres.2111The concept of autopoiesis introduced by Maturana and Varela has, in the last four decades, triggered intellectual efforts for the understanding of phenomena of self-organization in general. This contribution aims at conceptualizing and applying two aspects of autopoiesis-operational closure and self-reference-in respect of social organizations. We formalize these concepts and demonstrate their power to explain change processes. This is achieved by means of a qualitative case study and a quantitative simulation model, which lead to counterintuitive insights about the dynamics of organizational transformation.enoperational closureself-referenceautopoiesisorganizational changeorganizational transformationcase studyformal modelsimulationsystem dynamicsmathematical modelingbifurcationjournal article