The whole system behavior is not just the summation of the behavior of the parts, rather systemic behavior emerges from the interdependent activities of the parts. In organizations, this behavior can be used to explain how and why the behavior of a whole group may have coherence, while the behavior of individuals may appear to be random. For example, a commonly-held value may require that different employees behave quite differently within their respective areas of influence, but a pattern of behavior emerges to indicate that the underlying value is the same. This dual ability is referred to as autopoesis. In organizations, autopoesis would indicate that the corporation as a whole retains its identity, even though, over time, employees come and go.
Every complex system encompasses difference.
One part of the system will be different in some way than other parts of the system. The area of distinction between the differing parts of a complex system is called a boundary. The boundary is not imposed from outside the system, rather it emerges because of differences within the system itself. The boundary becomes the focal point for change and adaptation of the system, like a cold front in a weather system. Boundaries abound in organizations, and they are focal points of change and turbulent behavior.