Main principles (concepts, methods) of Ronald Stamper’s organizational semiotics

The purpose of the work is a detailed analysis of “organizational semiotics” by Ronald Stamper. The behavioral approach, in which it is embodied, is currently considered one of the most effective modern methods of studying, analyzing and designing organizations of various types. In accordance with the set goal, the main attention in the work was focused on revealing the content of the main concepts of organizational semiotics, identifying logical relationships between them, and considering methodological principles. Analytical and comparative methods were used as the main methodological strategies in the work. The first of the declared methods was used in the process of defining the main concepts and methodological arsenal of organizational semiotics. The second as a tool for their comparative comparison and disclosure of semantic relationships between them. It is demonstrated that in the realities of the information society, Ronald Stamper’s “organizational semiotics” is a new interdisciplinary method of studying and designing organizations. Within this approach, the organization is understood as a necessary component of the modern infosphere, as a complex information structure created by communicative processes, objects and services. Both global and local reasons for the appearance of this approach, as well as its varieties, are established. It was found that one of the most effective methodological variants of Ronald Stamper’s “organizational semiotics” is the so-called Behavioral approach. Its conceptual basis, which consists of the concepts of “information field”, “affordance”, “semiotic ladder” and “Umwelt”, is analyzed. The close semantic interrelationships between the specified concepts have been demonstrated. It is shown that with the help of these concepts, the functioning of the organization is understood as a special semiotic space constituted by various behavioral patterns and social norms. Relying on them, social agents are able to perform communicative actions, create or change knowledge, adhere to or deviate from formal and informal norms of joint existence. The main methodologies of the behavioral approach (semantic and normative) are analyzed and the main phases of their deployment are revealed