Level 0 vs Level 1 Self-organization : “Invisible” vs “Hidden” hand explanations of order in organizations

Self-organization refers to the emergence of global order without global interactions. While the concept has been fruitful in studying order in physical and biological systems, it has remained largely metaphorical when applied to human groups. I first develop a definition of self-organization that is relevant to human groups and apply it to self-governing systems that seem to manage without an active role for authority (formal or informal). This exercise reveals that the absence of the “visible hand” of authority does not necessarily indicate the presence of the “invisible hand” of self-organization. Order may instead be produced through the “hidden hand” of authority- which needs to do little once an appropriate design is in place, much as the director of a play need not appear on stage. Further, I propose that a useful step forward entails the recognition of a distinction between order produced directly through self-organization (“Level 0”), and through global influence structures that themselves emerge through self-organization (“Level 1”). In fact, Level 1 processes may be the most interesting aspect of the emergence of self-governing systems