System, subsystem, suprasystem: clarifying the terms

Name: Angelo – Origin: Peru

Visitor Question or Comment:

A human who works or is part of an organization or a company, in this case these would be suprasystems of the human system.

then I can say that the suprasystem is an organization or a company?

Response from ALEGSA.com.ar:

Not necessarily. The idea of ​​a systemic analysis is to focus on a particular system and, starting from that system, find its components, its subsystems, its suprasystem, functions and objectives, limits or borders, inputs and outputs, etc.

Then we can analyze that suprasystem that we found earlier. When we analyze this suprasystem, it now becomes the main SYSTEM of analysis (conceptually it ceases to be a suprasystem and is now simply a system, because it is the one we are studying now). We can then analyze its components, its subsystems (which will include the system we studied earlier, which we now conceptually call a subsystem because we changed the main system under study), functions, limits, boundaries, inputs, outputs, etc.

So, ultimately, what is subsystem, system, suprasystem depends on which is the system that we are studying/analyzing at this moment.

When analyzing an organization as a system, the main system in this case is the organization. It is not a suprasystem at the moment, because we are concentrating now on the organization as a system. Then within this organization there will be subsystems (such as employees), components, functions, inputs, outputs, etc.

An organization can be part of a group of organizations that will have a common goal, in this case that group could be seen as a suprasystem of that system. But in turn, later, we can study that group of organizations as the main SYSTEM…

I hope it has been clear, I was a bit repetitive but the idea was to understand the point that what we call system, subsystem, suprasystem, is not something fixed… it is something that varies depending on which system we are focused on.

For more information read: System

Has doubts? do you need to ask another question? We reply to your email: write here

Write a comment or question here

See other related questions and comments

Other related questions and answers:

Examples of artificial systems
In systems theory, within the classification of systems, we find artificial systems. Artificial systems are those…

What is the goal of studying a system?
The objective of studying systems, in a generic way, is to understand the functioning of the system, discover its visible limits/boundaries and…

The molecule is a system?
Of course, it is a system, since it is made up of parts (determined atoms) that interrelate (stay together). They have a …

Is a car a system? parts that make it up? imbalance?
A car is an artificial system (it is man-made). It is composed of multiple parts such as chassis, wheels, control instruments,…

What are the parts of a system?
Hello. Here is the definition of elements or parts of a system: Element of a system…

Properties of a system
Read our article: Characteristics of a system I recommend you also read this external article: Characteristics of systems…

Can you give me 7 examples of natural systems?
I leave you seven examples of natural systems: – the digestive system – a human – a dog – the system of marine currents – the c…

What things are NOT a system?
Any set of elements that are not related to each other, or fulfill an objective, is NOT a system. For example, a set of your…

System, subsystem, suprasystem: clarifying the terms
Not necessarily. The idea of ​​a systemic analysis is to focus on a particular system and, starting from that system, find its components…

Systems theory: Are there systems without boundaries?
Systems may have physical or conceptual boundaries, but the very definition of a system requires some kind of differentiation between…

classification of systems
Systems, in general, can be classified into: * Artificial system: for example, a television. * Natural system: for example, a bird,…

What is the goal of a system?
The objective of a system is its purpose, its end… what the system was designed, developed, built or intended for. For example…