terrelated components of systems. The system itself is not merely the sum of these parts. Rather, it can only be explained as a "totality" (Kast & Rosenzweig, n.g., pp. 60-71). Systems can also be described as either open or closed. Open systems may include biological and social systems. These exchange information, energy, and material with the environment (Sheehan, 1990, pp. 819-824). Open systems may also be described according to the input-transformation-output model. These systems are in a dynamic relationship with their environment. They receive various inputs, transform them, and then export the changed outputs. Of course, all systems have boundaries. However, with social systems (i.e., organizations), these boundaries can sometimes be difficult to define. The term, negative entropy, pertains primarily to closed physical systems. Such systems may be subject to gradually increasing disorder, a complete lack of transformation of their resources, and eventual death. In contrast, the term, dynamic equilibrium, refers mainly to open system
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