holarchy

/ ˈhəʊlˌɑːkɪ /

noun

1. a system composed of interacting holons

Word History and Origins

Origin of holarchy¹

C20: from _holo- + _-archy

Example Sentences

It was an early form of what has become known as Holacracy — a trademarked philosophy that takes its name from the "holarchy" built of interdependent but autonomous units, first described by Arthur Koestler in his 1967 psychological treatise "The Ghost in the Machine."

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As a social technology designed to reinvent the hierarchical organization, holarchy—or the “flat lattice”—is disruption made into a system and baked into the enterprise.

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Yet even within the military, there are examples of holarchy at work: The legendary SAS, the elite special-forces regiment of the British Army, has active units comprised of five-man teams.

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This is where holarchy comes in.

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The fact that Zappos, at 1,500 employees, is the largest medium-sized company to try holarchy speaks volumes to the conceptual difficulties involved, never mind the practical ones.

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