Organizations are representations of our humanity
(Smircich, 1985). Social forms and social arrange-
ments reflect the interplay between cultural systems
of thought and organization. The system reflected
the symbols of political and economic power and
authority, technology and the law, and the psycho-
dynamics of caring in human experience. Middle-
range theory embodies the perspective that these
theories fall between the concrete world of practice
and the grand theories that guide nursing research
and practice (Moody, 1990). Bureaucratic caring
reflects the concrete world of practice and responds
to the caring ideal that is unique to nursing.
Therefore, the Theory of Bureaucratic Caring is not
only a grounded theory, but also a middle-range
theory; it could also be considered a grand theory
because of the ubiquitousness of the constructs of
caring and culture.
HOLOGRAPHIC THEORY
The holographic paradigm in science recognizes
that the ontology or “what is” of the universe or
creation is the interconnectedness of all things, that
the epistemology or knowledge that exists is in the
relationship rather than in the objective world or
subjective experience, that uncertainty is inherent
in the relationship because everything is in process,
and that information holds the key to grasping the
holistic and complex nature of the meaning of
holography or the whole (Battista, 1982; Harmon,
1998).Holographymeans that the implicit order
Holography means that the implicit order
(the whole) and explicit order (the part)
are interconnected, that everything is a
holon in the sense that everything is a
whole in one context and a part in an-
other—each part being in the whole
and the whole being in the part.(the whole) and explicit order (the part) are inter-
connected, that everything is a holon in the sense
that everything is a whole in one context and a part
in another—each part being in the whole and the
whole being in the part (Harmon, 1998; Peat, 2003;
Wilbur, 1982). It is the relational aspect of informa-
tion that makes it a holistic rather than a mecha-
nistic construct.
Ray (1998) states that “complexity theory is a
scientific theory of dynamical systems collectively
referred to as the sciences of complexity” (p. 91).
Complexity theory has replaced other theories,
such as Newtonian physics and even Einstein’s be-
liefs that the physical world is governed by law and
order. New scientific views state that phenomena
that are antithetical actually coexist—determinism
with uncertainty and reversibility with irreversibil-
ity (Nicolis & Prigogine, 1989). Thus, both linear
and nonlinear and simple (e.g., gravity) and com-
plex (economic and cultural) systems exist to-
gether. One of the tools in the studies of complexity
is chaos theory. Chaos deals with life at the edge, or
the notion that the concept of order exists within
disorder at the system communication or choice
point phases or where old patterns disintegrate or
new patterns evolve (Davidson & Ray, 1991; Ray,
1994a, 1998). This new science, which signifies
interrelationship of mind and matter, intercon-
nectedness and choice, carries with it a moral re-
sponsibility and the quest toward wisdom, which
includes awareness and creativity (Fox, 1994).
Certain nursing theorists have embraced the notion
of nursing as complexity in which consciousness,
caring, and choice making are central to nursing
(Davidson & Ray, 1991; Newman, 1986, 1992;
Ray, 1994, 1998).
The Theory of Bureaucratic
Caring as Holographic Theory
Can the Theory of Bureaucratic Caring be viewed
as a holographic theory? The theory arose initially
from the decisions that were made about the struc-
ture of organization (consciousness), the caring
transactions that were engaged in (caring), and the
effective negotiations or ability to make choices and
reconcile the system demands with the humanistic
client care needs (choice making). The theoretical
processes of awareness of viewing truth or seeing
the good of things (caring), and communication,
are central to the theory. The dialectic of caring
(the implicit order) in relation to the various struc-
tures (the explicit order) illustrates that there is
room to consider the theory as holographic.The synthesis of Bureaucratic Caring
Theory shows that everything is inter-
connected—humanistic and spiritual
caring and the organizational system—
the whole is in the part and the part is
in the whole, a holon.366 SECTION IV Nursing Theory: Illustrating Processes of Development