A Reference-Scheme for Describing Organizations

Graphical languages such as dataflow diagrams, entity-relationship diagrams or organization charts are used to describe various aspects of organizations. These languages have their origins in the field of software-engineering and organizational theory. Looking at organizations regarding Grochlas sociotechnical systems [Grochla, 1978, p. 10] these languages describe the rules, which have to be followed to reach the aim of the organization, the tasks including processes and objects, which have to be mastered by the organization, the tools, used to solve the tasks, and the people working in the organization and their relationships. The rules, given by laws can be described by predicates. A lot of graphical or textual languages like task-lists, task decompositions, data-flow-diagrams, nets, control-flow-diagrams,Nassi-Shneiderman-diagrams, state-charts, etc. are used to describe procedural aspects of tasks. Objects which are worked at can be described by use of entity-relationship-diagrams or object diagrams. These process and object-related languages are also used to describe more software-technical aspects of tools used in the organization. To describe the personal interdependences diagrams like organization charts are given. Figure 1 shows some examples of languages concerning procedural and object related aspects of hospital information systems.