A structure is an arrangement and organization of interrelated elements in a material object or system, or the object or system so organized. Structures might consist of physical things (like buildings, roads, etc.), organisations (e.g. schools), policies (e.g. laws) or rituals (e.g. habits).


Work systems usually have a Passive structure aspect and an Active structure aspect.


In thinking models the system structure "produces" patterns of (repeating) Observable events. At the structure level one may ask questions such as:

  • “What is causing the pattern we are observing?” or
  • “What are the relationships between the parts?”.

Further reading: Structure (Wikipedia)