Social organization

1. A durable system of differentiated and coordinated human activities utilizing, transforming, and bringing together human, material, capital, and natural resources, physically or conceptually, into a unique problem-solving whole whose function is to satisfy human needs. The social organization functions in interaction with other systems of human activities and resources in its particular environment as well as with other social organizations in a common greater environment, local, national or international.

2. A partially self-controlled system with the following characteristics: (a) responsibility for choices from the sets of possible acts in any specific situation is divided among two or more individuals or groups of individuals; (b) the functionally distinct subgroups are aware of each other's behaviour either through communication or observation; (c) the system has some freedom of choice of means (courses of action) and ends (desired outcomes).

3. A group or cooperative system with the following characteristics: an accepted pattern of purposes; a sense of identification or belonging; continuity of interaction; differentiation of function; conscious integration efforts on the part of those responsible for bringing or holding the members together.