Structural Coherence (C)

1. Canonical Definition

Structural Coherence (C) is the degree to which a system’s roles, pathways, decision rights, and interaction patterns form an architecture that transmits meaning consistently. In Meaning System Science, C determines whether truth fidelity (T) and signal alignment (P) can travel through the system without producing incompatible outcomes, ownership ambiguity, or routing inconsistency.

2. Featured Lineage

James March — A Behavioral Theory of the Firm (1963)
Showed that coherent action depends on compatible roles, processes, and flows. MSS extends this by treating coherence as the architectural condition for consistent meaning transmission.

Jay Galbraith — Designing Complex Organizations (1973)
Showed that structure must match information processing demand. MSS adapts this by defining coherence as the fit between pathway design and interpretive load.

3. Plainly

Structural Coherence means the system is built so information and decisions move through clear routes with clear ownership. When structure is inconsistent, the same inputs produce different outputs and drift rate rises.

4. Scientific Role in Meaning System Science

C represents the architectural dimension of MSS. It explains how pathway design, routing rules, and decision rights preserve or distort meaning across contexts, and why stable interpretation can fail even when information is accurate.

5. Relationship to the Variables (T, P, C, D, A)

• T: Structure preserves fidelity by enforcing stable definitions and update routes.

• P: Alignment depends on consistent propagation and authority routing.

• C: Measures pathway integrity, ownership clarity, and cross-context consistency.

• D: Structural inconsistency increases inconsistency accumulation through duplicated or conflicting routes.

• A: Ambiguous structure increases demand and reduces correction throughput.

6. Relationship to the Physics of Becoming

L = (T × P × C) / D

C is a stabilizing term in the law. Higher C supports legitimacy by preserving compatible transmission of T and P. Reduced C lowers legitimacy by increasing routing inconsistency and inconsistency accumulation.

7. Application in Transformation Science

Transformation Science uses C to model how pathway changes alter system behavior, identify when architecture cannot support current load, and explain why local fixes fail when routing and ownership remain inconsistent.

8. Application in Transformation Management

Practitioners improve C by clarifying roles and decision rights, standardizing pathways, governing interfaces, and designing operating models that preserve compatibility across teams and time.

9. Example Failure Modes

• Two workflows adjudicate the same case with different rules.

• Ownership is unclear, so issues recur without assigned resolution.

• Routing varies by manager preference rather than declared structure.

• Interfaces lack handoff standards, producing incompatible downstream interpretations.

10. Canonical Cross References

Meaning-System • Interpretation • Meaning System Science • Physics of Becoming • First Law of Moral Proportion • Legitimacy (L) • Truth Fidelity (T) • Signal Alignment (P) • Drift (D) • Affective Regulation (A) • Systems Theory • Interface • Coupling • Meaning Topology • Drift Catalysts (β₆) • Coherence Regulators (γ₆) • Constraint Failure • Closure Failure • Meaning-System Governance • Transformation Science • Transformation Management • LDP-1.0 • 3E Standard™