Gesellschaft für Organisation

The Gesellschaft für Organisation e.V. (gfo) is a German non-profit association that positions itself as a competence network for organisation and management. Its members include individuals, companies and public administrations. The association is headquartered in Sankt Augustin, Germany, and operates primarily in the German-speaking region, with sister organisations in Austria (ÖVO) and Switzerland (SGO). The gfo sees organising as an integral part of leadership and therefore as a central management task. It argues that strategy, organisation, culture and technology must be aligned holistically. Internal and external specialists — consultants, in-house consultants, organisers, business analysts, HR developers and project managers — can support management in these tasks both in an advisory and an executive capacity. The association's goals are summarised in its guiding principles: holding national and international conferences; facilitating experience exchange on a regional basis; publishing the journal "zfo – Zeitschrift Führung + Organisation" in cooperation with the Swiss Society for Organisation and Management (SGO) and the Austrian Association for Organisation and Management (ÖVO); collecting and further developing organisational knowledge; providing further education in organisation and management; and transferring knowledge between science and practice. The gfo runs Communities of Practice (CoPs) in which experts from various organisational fields exchange experiences, trends and ideas. It also maintains 16 regional groups for members and interested parties, enabling cross-industry exchange and local networking. Its events include the Process Solutions Day (since 2006), a congress with vendor and user contributions on Business Process Management (BPM) and an accompanying exhibition of BPM solution providers, as well as the Process Solution Award, which recognises companies and organisations that have successfully implemented innovative, exemplary process-oriented solutions with the support of IT systems. The award is typically presented at the annual Process Solutions Day. As a membership organisation, the gfo offers practical help, visibility and lively exchange at eye level. It publishes the journal zfo together with its Austrian and Swiss sister societies and has been a member and German representative in the European Association of Business Process Management since 2006. In 2009 it published the "Guide to the Business Process Management Common Body of Knowledge" and introduced the Certified Business Process Professional certification for BPM professionals, presenting a definition of the scope of knowledge around process management. The association celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2022, tracing its origins to 1922. It remains active, with a 2026 OrgSpace event and ongoing membership activities.

The origins of the Gesellschaft für Organisation (gfo) lie in the journal "Organisation", which had existed since 1898 (at the time with the subtitle "Zeitschrift für praktische Geschäftsführung, Reklame und Plakatkunst", later from 1922 "Zeitschrift für Betriebswissenschaft, Verwaltungspraxis und Wirtschaftspolitik"). At the beginning of 1922, the Organisatoren-Verband e.V. was founded in Berlin as the predecessor of today's Gesellschaft für Organisation. Within the association, two member groups were formed in 1925: a group M.d.O. (Mitglieder des Organisatoren-Verbandes) and a group G.f.O. (Gesellschaft für Organisation). The latter was originally intended — unlike the individual M.d.O. members — for companies, corporations and partnerships. On 27 April 1926, the Gesellschaft für Organisation e.V. (GfürO) was created by renaming the Organisatoren-Verband e.V. (using the group designation G.f.O.). The journal "Zeitschrift für Organisation" (ZfürO) appeared in its first issue as the official organ of the GfürO in January 1927. During the Second World War, the ZfürO appeared only every two months in shortened form. No further evidence of GfürO activities can be found. In the last wartime issue of the ZfürO on 25 September 1944, the management of the GfürO informed members of the suspension of the ZfürO and of the GfürO management for the duration of the war. After the Second World War, former members made contact with one another, and on 4 July 1950 the GfürO was entered in the association register in Frankfurt am Main as its new seat. In 2006 the gfo became a member and thus the German representative in the European Association of Business Process Management. With the "Guide to the Business Process Management Common Body of Knowledge" published in 2009 and the Certified Business Process Professional certification for BPM professionals, it presented a definition of the scope of knowledge around process management. The association celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2022, having organised itself as an association in 1922. It continues to operate, with a 2026 OrgSpace event and ongoing activities.

• 2026

  OrgSpace 2026 event planned.

• 2022

  gfo celebrates its 100th anniversary.

• 2009

  Publication of the "Guide to the Business Process Management Common Body of Knowledge" and introduction of the Certified Business Process Professional certification.

• 2006

  gfo becomes member and German representative in the European Association of Business Process Management; Process Solutions Day and Process Solution Award launched.

• 1950

  GfürO re-entered in the association register in Frankfurt am Main on 4 July.

• 1944

  Last wartime issue of ZfürO on 25 September; management announces suspension for the duration of the war.

• 1927

  First issue of the Zeitschrift für Organisation (ZfürO) as official organ of the GfürO in January.

• 1926

  Gesellschaft für Organisation e.V. (GfürO) created by renaming the Organisatoren-Verband e.V. on 27 April.

• 1925

  Two member groups formed within the association: M.d.O. and G.f.O.

• 1922

  Organisatoren-Verband e.V. founded in Berlin as predecessor of the gfo.

• 1898

  The journal "Organisation" is established, later a precursor publication.

A non-profit competence network for organisation and management professionals from business and academia, offering practical help, visibility and peer exchange.

• zfo – Zeitschrift Führung + Organisation

  Journal published in cooperation with SGO (Switzerland) and ÖVO (Austria).

• Process Solutions Day

  Annual congress on Business Process Management with vendor and user contributions and an exhibition, held since 2006.

• Process Solution Award

  Award for companies/organisations with innovative, exemplary process-oriented solutions, presented since 2006.

• Communities of Practice (CoPs)

  Expert groups for exchange on organisational topics.

• Regional groups

  16 regional groups for cross-industry exchange and local networking.

• Certified Business Process Professional

  Certification for BPM professionals introduced in 2009.

1. 1Die Community für Organisation: gesellschaft für organisation e.V. | gfogfo-web.de
2. 2Gesellschaft für Organisation – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
3. 3Gesellschaft für Organisation – Wikidatawikidata.org