The Dual Nature of Organizational Policies

Hans Weigand; Paul Johannesson; Giancarlo Guizzardi

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-77908-4_17

The Dual Nature of Organizational Policies

Hans Weigand^*
, Paul Johannesson
, Giancarlo Guizzardi

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review

17 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Organizational decisions are usually constrained by policies and rules, sometimes up to the point of completely automated decision making. Policies exist on multiple levels within the organization and require organizational power to be created. They are typically expressed in a policy document that has multiple practical functions. Drawing on and extending the UFO-L ontology on legal positions, we offer a critical analysis of the relationship between policy and policy document and make an argument for the dual nature of policies. We present four ontological patterns that we claim to be fundamental for organizations as social and economic phenomena. These patterns address: (1) organizational coordination and policy, (2) policy documents, (3) delegation, (4) community ruling. For an initial evaluation, the patterns are exemplified in the university domain.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	The Practice of Enterprise Modeling
Subtitle of host publication	17th IFIP Working Conference, PoEM 2024, Stockholm, Sweden, December 3-5, 2024. Proceedings
Editors	Elda Paja, Jelena Zdravkovic, Evangelia Kavakli, Janis Stirna
Place of Publication	Cham, Switzerland
Publisher	Springer
Pages	279-294
Number of pages	16
ISBN (Electronic)	978-3-031-77908-4
ISBN (Print)	978-3-031-77907-7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-77908-4_17
Publication status	Published - 30 Nov 2025
Event	17th IFIP WG 8.1 Working Conference on the Practice of Enterprise Modeling Forum, PoEM 2024 - Stockholm, Sweden Duration: 3 Dec 2024 → 5 Dec 2024 Conference number: 17

Publication series

Name	Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing
Publisher	Springer
Volume	538
ISSN (Print)	1865-1348
ISSN (Electronic)	1865-1356

Conference

Conference	17th IFIP WG 8.1 Working Conference on the Practice of Enterprise Modeling Forum, PoEM 2024
Abbreviated title	PoEM 2024
Country/Territory	Sweden
City	Stockholm
Period	3/12/24 → 5/12/24

Keywords

2025 OA procedure
policies
UFO-L
ontology of organizations

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-031-77908-4_17

ArticleFinal published version, 3.27 MBLicence: Taverne

Cite this

Weigand, H., Johannesson, P., & Guizzardi, G. (2025). The Dual Nature of Organizational Policies. In E. Paja, J. Zdravkovic, E. Kavakli, & J. Stirna (Eds.), The Practice of Enterprise Modeling: 17th IFIP Working Conference, PoEM 2024, Stockholm, Sweden, December 3-5, 2024. Proceedings (pp. 279-294). (Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing; Vol. 538). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-77908-4_17

Weigand, Hans ; Johannesson, Paul ; Guizzardi, Giancarlo. / The Dual Nature of Organizational Policies. The Practice of Enterprise Modeling: 17th IFIP Working Conference, PoEM 2024, Stockholm, Sweden, December 3-5, 2024. Proceedings. editor / Elda Paja ; Jelena Zdravkovic ; Evangelia Kavakli ; Janis Stirna. Cham, Switzerland : Springer, 2025. pp. 279-294 (Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing).

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abstract = "Organizational decisions are usually constrained by policies and rules, sometimes up to the point of completely automated decision making. Policies exist on multiple levels within the organization and require organizational power to be created. They are typically expressed in a policy document that has multiple practical functions. Drawing on and extending the UFO-L ontology on legal positions, we offer a critical analysis of the relationship between policy and policy document and make an argument for the dual nature of policies. We present four ontological patterns that we claim to be fundamental for organizations as social and economic phenomena. These patterns address: (1) organizational coordination and policy, (2) policy documents, (3) delegation, (4) community ruling. For an initial evaluation, the patterns are exemplified in the university domain.",

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Weigand, H, Johannesson, P & Guizzardi, G 2025, The Dual Nature of Organizational Policies. in E Paja, J Zdravkovic, E Kavakli & J Stirna (eds), The Practice of Enterprise Modeling: 17th IFIP Working Conference, PoEM 2024, Stockholm, Sweden, December 3-5, 2024. Proceedings. Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing, vol. 538, Springer, Cham, Switzerland, pp. 279-294, 17th IFIP WG 8.1 Working Conference on the Practice of Enterprise Modeling Forum, PoEM 2024 , Stockholm, Sweden, 3/12/24. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-77908-4_17

The Dual Nature of Organizational Policies. / Weigand, Hans; Johannesson, Paul; Guizzardi, Giancarlo.
The Practice of Enterprise Modeling: 17th IFIP Working Conference, PoEM 2024, Stockholm, Sweden, December 3-5, 2024. Proceedings. ed. / Elda Paja; Jelena Zdravkovic; Evangelia Kavakli; Janis Stirna. Cham, Switzerland: Springer, 2025. p. 279-294 (Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing; Vol. 538).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review

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PY - 2025/11/30

Y1 - 2025/11/30

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AB - Organizational decisions are usually constrained by policies and rules, sometimes up to the point of completely automated decision making. Policies exist on multiple levels within the organization and require organizational power to be created. They are typically expressed in a policy document that has multiple practical functions. Drawing on and extending the UFO-L ontology on legal positions, we offer a critical analysis of the relationship between policy and policy document and make an argument for the dual nature of policies. We present four ontological patterns that we claim to be fundamental for organizations as social and economic phenomena. These patterns address: (1) organizational coordination and policy, (2) policy documents, (3) delegation, (4) community ruling. For an initial evaluation, the patterns are exemplified in the university domain.

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Weigand H, Johannesson P, Guizzardi G. The Dual Nature of Organizational Policies. In Paja E, Zdravkovic J, Kavakli E, Stirna J, editors, The Practice of Enterprise Modeling: 17th IFIP Working Conference, PoEM 2024, Stockholm, Sweden, December 3-5, 2024. Proceedings. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. 2025. p. 279-294. (Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing). doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-77908-4_17

The Dual Nature of Organizational Policies

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

EMMSAD 2025 Best paper award

Abstracting Conceptual Models as a Weakening Process

An Ontological Model of the Phishing Attack Process

Conceptual modeling: Foundations, a historical perspective, and a vision for the future

Cite this

The Dual Nature of Organizational Policies

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Prizes

EMMSAD 2025 Best paper award

Research output

Abstracting Conceptual Models as a Weakening Process

An Ontological Model of the Phishing Attack Process

Conceptual modeling: Foundations, a historical perspective, and a vision for the future

Cite this