There are only two parts to any system: *components* and *interactions*. It is customary to think that the *aim* of the system is an essential part of the system. This is incorrect. The aim is always an emergent property either as the *design aim* or *resulting aim*. The real challenge of designing systems is aligning the designed aim and the resulting aim.
Notwithstanding the aim, I believe that the determinant factor by a mile in any system is the strength of interactions much more than the power of components. I believe that this is solved out by countless examples in real life. Take sports teams, for example: is it better to have a world class team who do not gel than have a couple of also-runs who are deeply integrated? The latter of course! Would you rather have a highly coordinated team of mediocre surgeons of an assembly of the best of the best surgeons who have to tiptoe around each others’ egos?
I believe that the dynamic properties of a system are the result of interactions while the static properties are borne out by components. This is why interactions trump components any day.