Zihlmann, Gian Ludwig (2023), Performance as a social system – examined using the example of the transformation of PvL Partners with a focus on the new organizational structure, Bachelor thesis, University of St. Gallen (HSG).
In today’s society, more and more areas of life and activities are experienced from the point of view of performance metrics (Muller, 2018; Wilsdon, 2016), especially in the area of the economic system. As an alternative approach to look at this performance theme, the «performance as a social system» concept according to Spickers (2023) has been merging. This newly developed performance model is based on Niklas Luhmann’s theory of self-organized, autopoietic social systems, whereby organizations, for example, can be described in a strictly operational, differential way (Spickers, 2023, p. 6). Consequently, this paper explores the question of the ways in which this performance concept can be used to identify the social phenomenon of «performance» as a differentiated social system on the basis of a real case and thereby generate observational advantages. The internal transformation of the Zurich-based consultancy PvL Partners towards a new organizational structure serves thereby as a case study. Using information from qualitative interviews with employees, the effectiveness of this new approach is tested through a chronological description of the case based on the three levels of resolution. It is shown that with this concept, «performance» or «competence» can be crystallized as a self-referential system and that the concepts defined in the theory structure are fully applicable to the case study. In addition, the transformation can be described in a coherent way using the performance concept and thereby shows new perspectives of contemplation. Further work on the approach according to Spickers (2023) would, in the author’s opinion, be particularly interesting in terms of placing an even stronger focus on organizational structures and decision-making premises. However, it should be noted that the performance approach is currently still being reviewed with regard to these topics and these differentiations have not yet been fully incorporated in this work.