COUPLING (Loose)

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Charles François (2004). COUPLING (Loose). International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(1): 741.

Collection	International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics
Year	2004
Vol. (num.)	2(1)
ID	◀ 741 ▶
Object type	General information, Methodology or model

A condition in systems by which change in one part does not generate necessary any predictable changes in all others.

Loose coupling may imply:

- a discontinuous, on-and-off interrelation between some elements

- the outright absence of connexions between some elements

- connexions triggered only when some threshold of activity is crossed.

Applying this idea to organizations, J.A. JOHANNESSEN and A. HAUAN make the following complementary statements:

“In order to change a tightly coupled system, a device must be implemented that makes the parts of the system where changes are most wanted more loosely coupled, thus creating ”shock waves“ that stir up the patterns of relations” (1992, p.186).