Adaptability and Copability: A Study of Social Systems,Their Environment,and Survival

Abstract

This paper explores two central processes that are basic to any social system's sur vival-adaptability and copability. Adaptability refers to a social system's ability to sense and understand its internal and external environments and to take action to achieve a fit or balance between the two. Adaptability leads to greater relevancy of a system. Copability (cope-ability) is a social system's ability to conserve its identity, deal with internal disharmonies, and internally overcome change-in duced problems. They are not totally independent of one another and are com plementary. Emery and Trist's typology of environments is used to construct an appropriate model of behavior for system survival. Implications of these concepts and their contingent characteristics with other organizational variables are dis cussed. The author stresses that as the environment becomes more turbulent it be comes increasingly important that social-system practitioners (managers, organization development consultants, therapists) assess the system's adaptability and copability.

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