An axiological systems theory: some basic hypotheses

Abstract Social systems, from global societies to small organizations, are made up of human beings. Acknowledgement of this fact has important epistemological implications, since, contrary to some theoretical formulations e.g., the ‘society without men’ of N. Luhmann, only by regarding human beings as the crucial element of any type of society is it possible to perceive their needs and therefore the values supposedly intended to satisfy them. The ‘need/value’ binomial thereby becomes the essential prime material of sociological analysis. Both NEEDS as a factor of motivation and VALUES as a factor of satisfaction can be operationalized and quantified to depict the principal achievements of complex social organizations, their deviation from predetermined standards and the extent to which they ultimately adapt to the environment. Standardized and therefore comparable axiological profiles comprise a tool that can be generally applied to establish a preliminary measure of the degree of overall organizational efficiency. The concept of organization is taken here in its broader sense and is appilcable to any type of society organized so as to achieve certain goals. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.