Organizations : social systems conducting experiments / Jan Achterbergh, Dirk Vriens.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Achterbergh, Jan.

Contributor:

Vriens, Dirk Jaap, 1963-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Social systems.

System theory.

Physical Description:

xii, 379 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Dordrecht, The Netherlands : Springer Verlag, 2009.

Summary:

What are organizations? What is their point? How should one design successful organizations? Although these questions have been treated by many authors in many different ways, this book offers a new perspective. In a nutshell, the book combines cybernetics, social systems theory and Aristotle's ethics to describe organizations as "social systems conducting experiments with their survival" and to formulate principles for their design.

In Part I, the authors, argue that 'experimenting' and 'social, interaction' are key features of organizations. In order to survive, organizations continuously have to experiment with goals, infrastructures and transformation processes and this experiment is an inherently social activity.

In Part II principles are given guiding the design of organizational infrastructures.

In Part III Aristotle's ethics, cybernetics and social systems theory are instrumental to describe and derive design principles required for social responsibility.

Contents:

1 Introducing Organizations as Social Systems Conducting Experiments 1

1.1 Introduction 1

1.2 Making Sense of Organizations: From "Phenomena" to "Key Features" 1

1.2.1 Situation 1: Strategy Formulation 2

1.2.2 Situation 2: A Worker in Trouble 4

1.2.3 The First "Arche": The Experimental Character of Organizations 6

1.2.4 The Second "Arche": The Social Systemic Character of Organizations 6

1.2.5 The Relation Between the Social Systemic and the Experimental Character of Organizations 7

1.3 Organizations as Social Systems Conducting Experiments 8

1.3.1 Conducting Experiments 9

1.3.2 Organizations as Social Systems 17

1.4 Principles Improving Organizational Design 20

1.4.1 Functional Design Principles 21

1.4.2 Specific Design Principles 22

1.5 Conceptual Background 23

1.6 Outline of the Book 25

1.6.1 Part I: Organizations as Social Systems Conducting Experiments with their Survival 25

1.6.2 Part II: Designing Organizations as Social Systems Conducting Experiments 27

1.6.3 Part III: Poor and Rich Survival 28

References 29

2 The Experimental Arche: Ashby's Cybernetics 31

2.1 Introduction 31

2.2 Cybernetics: Effective Methods for the Study of Complex Systems 32

2.2.1 Describing Behavior: "Systems" and "Transformations" 33

2.2.2 Regular Behavior and Input 36

2.2.3 A procedure to Describe Behavior and Identify Regularity 38

2.3 Cybernetics: Effective Methods for the Control of Complex Systems 44

2.3.1 Ashby's Views on Regulation: Definition, Types of Regulation and Requisite Variety 44

2.3.2 Control, Design and Operational Regulation 52

2.3.3 Adaptive Behavior 63

2.4 Organizations as Systems Conducting Experiments 67

References 70

The Experimental Arche Continued: Von Foerster on Observing Systems 71

3.1 Introduction 71

3.2 Two problems in first-order cybernetics 74

3.2.1 The problem of selection 74

3.2.2 The problem of defining the transformation 75

3.2.3 Dealing with Both Problems: The Cybernetics of Observing 81

3.3 Observers as Closed Systems Producing Eigenvalues 81

3.3.1 Closed Systems and Their Eigenvalues 82

3.3.2 Closure, cognition and observing 89

3.3.3 Problems of First-order Cybernetics Revisited 99

3.4 Von Foerster and the Risky Nature of the Organizational Experiment 102

3.4.1 A Common Sense Understanding of Risk 103

3.4.2 A More Fundamental Understanding of Risk 104

3.4.3 Two Consequences of von Foerster's View on Risk 106

References 110

4 The Second "arche," Organizations as Social Systems: Luhmann 113

4.1 Introduction 113

4.2 Luhmann's General Theory of Social Systems 114

4.2.1 Autopoietic or Self-Producing Systems 115

4.2.2 Meaning Processing Systems 124

4.2.3 Social Systems 129

4.3 The Social "arche": Organizations as a Particular type of Social Systems 137

4.3.1 Elements of Organizations: Decisions 139

4.3.2 The Organization's Structure: Decision Premises 142

4.3.3 Processes of Self-Production: The Autopoiesis of Organizations 154

4.3.4 Questions Concerning Luhmann's Theory of Organizations 155

4.4 Organizations as social systems reflecting complexity 160

References 162

5 Epilogue to Part I: The Two "Archai" Combined 165

5.1 Introduction 165

5.2 Cybernetics and Social Systems Theory; an Exploratory Comparison 166

5.2.1 The Goal and Core Concepts of Respectively Cybernetics and Social Systems Theory 166

5.2.2 Cybernetics and Social Systems Theory Compared 168

5.3 Combining the Experimental and the Social "Arche" 170

5.4 Transition to Part II: Designing organizations 175

References 175

6 Beer: Functional Design Principles for Viable Infrastructures 177

6.1 Introduction 177

6.2 Viability and Complexity 179

6.2.1 Complexity Relations Between Environment, Organization, and Its Management 179

6.2.2 Three Strategies to Solve the Complexity Problem 180

6.3 A functional Model of Viability 189

6.3.1 What Does it Mean to Make a Functional Mode! of a Viable System? 189

6.3.2 Beer's Functional Model of Viable Organizations 192

6.3.3 Relations Between Functions 201

6.3.4 Diagnosing and Designing Viable Infrastructures 209

6.4 The Viable System Model and Social Systems Conducting Experiments 211

6.4.1 Example 1 218

6.4.2 Example 2 219

References 221

7 Specific Design Principles: de Sitter's Organizational Structures 223

7.1 Introduction 223

7.2 Designing Organizational Structures: Aiming at Attenuation and Amplification 226

7.2.1 Organizational Structures 227

7.2.2 Relevant Organizational Variables 237

7.2.3 Disturbances 239

7.2.4 Attenuation and Amplification by Organizational Structures 241

7.3 Principles for Designing Organizational Structures 242

7.3.1 Design Parameters 243

7.3.2 Using Design parameters to Formulate Design Principles 249

7.4 De Sitter's Organizational Structures and Conducting Experiments 273

7.4.1 Relating de Sitter to Ashby, Luhmann and Beer 273

7.4.2 How Do Low Parameter Structures Benefit Organizational Experimentation? 275

References 276

8 Epilogue to Part II: functional and specific design principles 277

8.1 Introduction 277

8.2 Summary of the Design Principles 277

8.2.1 Functional Design Principles 278

8.2.2 Specific Design Principles 278

8.3 The Status of the Design Principles 279

8.3.1 Principles of Experiments with Meaningful Survival 280

8.3.2 Design Principles Figuring in Experiments with Meaningful Survival 281

8.4 Transition to Part III: Poor and Rich Survival 283

9 Poor Survival: Disciplining Organizational Behavior 285

9.1 Introduction 285

9.2 Foucault: The Disciplines in the Eighteenth Century 287

9.2.1 The Analysis of Space 288

9.2.2 The Analysis of Bodily Operations 288

9.2.3 The Analysis of the Process of Production 289

9.2.4 The Synthesis of Space, Bodily Operations and the Process of Productions 289

9.2.5 Hierarchical Surveillance 289

9.2.6 Normalizing Sanctions 291

9.2.7 Examination 292

9.3 A Cybernetic and Social Systemic Generalization of the Disciplines 293

9.3.1 Cybernetic Analysis of the Disciplines 294

9.3.2 Social Systemic Analysis of the Disciplines 299

9.3.3 Cybernetic and Social Systemic Principles Underpinning Discipline in Organizations 302

9.4 Why are the Disciplines Disquieting? 303

9.4.1 Trivialization 304

9.4.2 Self-Trivialization 305

9.4.3 Fear as a Prime Motivational Factor 305

9.4.4 A Science of Discipline 306

9.4.5 Detachment and Lack of Involvement 306

9.4.6 Contingent and Minimal Goals 307

References 309

10 Towards Rich Survival: Aristotle 311

10.1 Introduction 311

10.2 The Highest Good for Man: Basic Distinctions 314

10.2.1 The Highest Good for Man: Living a Fulfilled Life 314

10.2.2 Characteristically Human Capacities and the Fulfilled Life 316

10.2.3 Virtues Involved in Eudaimonia 318

10.3 Eupraxia: Moral Virtue, Practical Wisdom, and Choice 321

10.3.1 Moral Virtue 322

10.3.2 Practical Wisdom 325

10.4 Aristotle Versus the Disciplines 341

References 343

11 Organizational Structures Supporting Rich Survival 345

11.1 Introduction 345

11.2 Incorporating the Organization into Society 345

11.3 Rich Survival: Specific Design Principles and Corresponding Structures 351

11.3.1 Requirements to and Design Principles for "Rich" Organizational Structures 351

11.3.2 Production and Control Structures Fitting the Design Principles 364

11.4 Organizations and Rich Meaningful Survival 370

References 372

12 Epilogue 373

12.1 Introduction 373

12.2 Organizations, " Archai", Design Principles, and "Rich" Survival 373

12.3 Rich Survival: Its Applicability to Organizations and Relation to Poor Survival 375

12.4 Things to do 378

References 379.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

9783642001093

3642001092

OCLC:

310401056