Organization

caution

This page has been moved to the eSSIF-Lab Framework on Github.

Short Description

An Organization is a party that is associated with a group of actors that work to realize its objectives. Enterprises and governments are the prototypical examples. However, parts of enterprises (e.g. divisions, departments, business units) should also be considered organizations. This also holds for governments and governmental bodies.

Purpose

The purpose of documenting this term is to provide additional clarity w.r.t. definitions given in english dictionaries. Also, we need this notion as it is used in the eSSIF-Lab Parties, Actors and Actions pattern.

Criteria

A party that is associated with a (non-empty) group of actors that work to realize its (non-empty set of) objectives. This group of actors consists of actors that are owned by that party as well as actors that are employees of that party.

Examples

• Enterprises and governments are the prototypical examples.
• Parts of enterprises (e.g. divisions, departments, business units) and governmental bodies also qualify.
• Individual persons satisfy the criteria and hence qualify (see the Notes below).

Notes

One may question whether or not a single person can be a 'group of people' (who would obviously work to realize its personal objectives) and hence qualify as an organization. The answer to this question is however irrelevant within our context, because we reason with the concept party rather than the concepts organization and/or person.