Final answer:
The statement regarding concentration on subsystem efficiency leading to overall system efficiency is false. Systems thinking requires optimization of the whole system, considering complex interactions and the alignment of subsystems towards the organization's broader objectives.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that a systems approach is to concentrate on efficiency within a subsystem and thereby achieve overall efficiency is false. Systems thinking involves optimizing the entire system as opposed to just improving its individual components. Concentrating on the efficiency of a subsystem alone may not necessarily result in the overall system's efficiency. This is because systems often have complex interactions between their parts, and changes in one subsystem can have unintended consequences on others.
For instance, in an organization structured as a bureaucracy, the intended positive aspects such as increased productivity and increased efficiency are expected to result from a well-defined division of labor and set procedures. However, these efficiencies are not solely contingent upon the performance of individual subsystems, but on the cohesion and alignment of these subsystems towards the organization's broader objectives.
Similarly, in physics, the concept of potential energy within a system acknowledges that internal structure can confer energy potential due to conservative forces at play. Efficiency within a subsystem does not guarantee the efficiency of an entire system unless it is considered within the context of the whole and the interrelations among subsystems are properly managed.