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The Current Version of Emery's Open Systems Theory
Abstract
There are variations on the idea of an open systems theory (OST) or socioecology. This paper deals with the "current" variant developed primarily by Fred Emery, or OST(E). It is "current" because that terminology acknowledges a continuing development of knowledge. OST(E) is heir to a long line of intellectual development known as the "thin red line" and can be distinguished from other variants by its adherence to that line of development. The paper outlines the state of the art of OST(E) and its historical relation to the thin rd line.
... Therefore, for the organisation to be successful, it must interact with the external environment in which it operates (Bastedo 2004;Thien and Razak 2012). Central to this theory is the promotion and creation of change toward a world that is purposefully designed by people and for the people (Emery 2000). The system is pronounced as people and organisations in the environment act persistently to influence the environment and communicate, collaborate and learn from it (Barton and Selsky 2000). ...
... In OST (E), agency is understood as adjustment through cognisant collective action, which is beneficial for creating a dynamic equilibrium between the system and the environment. OST (E) further promotes the concepts of joint sociotechnical systems and optimised human purposefulness and creativity (Emery 2000). ...
... OST (E) stands on four basic parameters, namely, system, environment, planning and learning. According to Emery (2000), these four parameters are the foundation of human decision-making and consequently can be the source of human ideals and societal transformation. As expressed in OST (E), CE articulates the transaction between the institutions of higher learning and the external community. ...
This study explores how three universities have responded to the Higher Education Qualifications Committee (HEQC) recommendations regarding deficiencies in implementing their community engagement (CE) missions. The Education White Paper 3 locates community engagement within the policy changes of transformation in higher education. However, literature reveals that there is still considerable resistance to accepting CE as a core function of universities. This study is qualitative and uses document analysis to understand the extent to which three universities identified for this study have progressed regarding their CE missions. The documents analysed include HEQC first audit cycle reports, policies, strategic plans, annual reports and institutional websites. Open Systems Theory (Emery) was used to underpin the findings of this study. The results revealed that despite the challenges reported in the literature, universities had developed policy frameworks to facilitate understanding of the concept among internal stakeholders and put structures for managing CE initiatives.
... Henceforth, in Islamic accounting, due to a limited number of Islamic accounting literature, identification was conducted by exploring some influential works and institution discussing Islamic accounting, such as Abdel-Magid (1981), Haniffa (2002), Napier (2009), Hamid et al. (1993, Al-Obji (1989), Archer and Karim (2001), Al-Jalf (1996), Daoud (1996), Karim (1990a;1990b;1995;, Gambling and Karim (1986;1991), Kamla et al. (2006), Mirza and Baydoun (2000), Baydoun and Willett (1997;2000), Lewis (2001), Haniffa and Hudaib (2002;, and AAOIFI (2020). ...
... From this angle, Islamic accounting issues under AAOIFI, then, have begun to be noticed by Muslim countries or countries with most Muslim A Review and Synthesis populations through harmonization or adoption (partially or fully). In addition to Karim (1990a;1990b;1995;, the development of AAOIFI is much inspired by the recurring discussions from many scholars such as Mirza and Baydoun (2000), Baydoun and Willett (1997;2000), Lewis (2001), Haniffa and Hudaib (2002; and many others, who continuously echo Islamic accounting. Furthermore, the emergence of International journals, specifically related to Islamic accounting, such as the Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research pioneered by Haniffa and Hudaib confirm these attempts. ...
... Likewise, standardization and integrated-report issues could also be investigated in shariacompliant-firm contexts in countries and institutions adopting or not adopting AAOIFI. These issues usually adopt the four theories: 1) system theory from Emery (2000) and Bala (2010) emphasizing sustainability through a value chain based on an open market system (consisting of social value, entity, and the environment) to promote equality among citizens in society, 2) triple bottom line (TBL) theory initiated by Elkington (1997) focusing on social sustainability performance, economic, financial environment or the 3Ps, 3) agency theory (minimizing the differences between companies' performance and the stakeholders' expectation), and 4) stakeholder theory (reducing the information asymmetry through making equilibrium among stakeholders, and CSR financial reporting) (see Bonsón and Bednárová, 2015) and the existence of IIRC (International Integrated Reporting Council in 2013). Also, referring to Lemus (2016), research should be led to examine the joint-theme studies of socialsustainability (social-economics-environment) (the 3Ps) and financial information to be applied in various publication themes such as the linkage between CSR disclosure requirements and sustainability in the stock exchange; integration among sustainability, financial statement, and the evolving measurement of SROI (social return on investment); linkage between quality of integrated report and corporate characteristics (Iredele, 2019); adopting socio-political theory (see Cho & Patten, 2007); examining the regulatory impacts of non-financial information from the 2013 European Commission: the determinants and the consequences (Damak-Ayadi, 2006;, and many others. ...
This study aims to explore a framework of developing the Islamic decision usefulness (IDU) concept through a review of non-financial information and Islamic accounting under the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) literature for convergence and the extent to which this convergence will inspire future empirical-research opportunities for the increased Islamic decision usefulness (IIDU). Exploring and delineating historically non-financial information literature to be linked with Islamic accounting trends through content analysis, this study suggests that decision usefulness of non-financial information has flourished from being complementary to the strategic role of information, adopting the ideas of creating shared value (CSV), and sustainable value-creation (SVC). To this point, the enhancement of decision usefulness emitted from non-financial information and Islamic accounting literature points to the same pole (convergence), exposing the firms’ relevant-sustainable shared-value for 3Ps (profit, people, and planet) blended with Islamic accounting concepts, whereby welcoming many future empirical-research opportunities for the increased Islamic decision usefulness (IIDU).
... The conceptualization in this chapter is premised on the understanding that the feedback mechanism in an open system is well placed to explain the PSO institutional evolution. As earlier alluded to in this chapter, the OST is underpinned by three key organic processes: (1) planning; (2) environment; and (3) learning (Emery, 2000). Although von Bertalanffy's (1950) is rightly regarded as the Father of Open Systems Theory, his conceptualization is limited to people as 'biological bodies'. ...
... In this chapter, the first assumption postulated that all systems have permeable boundaries (Emery, 2000). This implies that logical formulation of a given system must be constructed as a whole. ...
... Thirdly, systems behaviour and environment are necessary conditions for the subsequent occurrence of a certain event or achievement of a goal (Emery, 2000). In other words, the internal system (the PKTCs) and the broader PSO ecosystem are correlated in terms of direction. ...
Since the rebirth of the African Union in 2002, the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), has been considered as an epitome of institutional design. However, there exists no functional mechanism to link the generated human capacities and regional peace and security needs. In view of this system-capacity gaps, APSA structures in collaboration with RECs in 2003 initiated capacity enhancement initiative. However, despite this arrangement, peacekeeping capacities, especially civilian and police remain below the global bench-mark. This rarity of capacities has been attributed to challenges related to the nature of the design of the African PSO ecosystem. The system has been faulted for a mismatch between the demand and supply of peacekeeping capacities, i.e. the loop does not link the input (investment in training) and the demand for peacekeepers as required by the PSO doctrine. In other words, the principal paradox facing the African PSO remains, ‘too much capacities, yet too little civilian peacekeepers available for deployment’. Why is this so? Does it have to do with configuration/design of PSO architecture? In this chapter, we have reconfigured a PSO system design undergirded by four principles: 1) fit for purpose; 2) people and systems; 3) systems behaviour and environment; and 4) relationship between AU oversight, RECs/RMs and other auxiliary structures.
... and 2) what types of cultural factors affect the emergence of innovative green technologies? In considering these two research questions, this study mainly employs the functionalism approach, which is based on the objective dimension of regulation sociology (Burrell and Morgan, 1979) and the causal texture model (Emery and Trist, 1965;Emery and Trist 1973;Emery, 1977;Emery, 2000). The causal texture model broadly covers the interdependence between organizations and their environment from an abstract functionalism perspective. ...
... To examine the causal texture model (Emery and Trist, 1965;Emery, 1977;Emery, 2000) upon which this study is based, we review the treatment of the natural environment in traditional organization studies prior to contingency theory. The reason we begin here is that previous studies of contingency theory inherently took a mainstream, functional approach to organizational studies. ...
... This study examines the causal texture model (Emery and Trist, 1965;Emery, 1977;Emery, 2000), which has been quoted and widely used in contemporary studies (Selsky and Barton, 2000;Herrmann et al., 2007;Barton et al, 2009;Neumann, 2010;Robey et al., 2013;Waterson, 2014;Greenwood, 2017). Using contingency theory, Emery and Trist (1965) drew up a cognitive framework to explain the interdependence between organizations and their external environment. ...
Previous studies suggest that humans have significantly upset the balance between nature and society and that people should realize the impact of their activities on nature given the repercussions of global warming for the world at large. Simultaneously, business organizations are under increasing pressure to proactively contribute to a sustainable model that minimizes harm to the world. This study examines innovative green technologies that have emerged in response to this social demand. It applies the causal texture model and examines green technology emergence using discourses from Japanese firms. It further focuses on the Japanese cultural values of mittomonai and mottainai (both relating to the avoidance of undesirable actions) and their role in the learning process of collective causal beliefs. Finally, we present an amended causal texture model to more positively account for the natural environment and to clarify the interdependence between organizations and the environment.
... The basic proposition of open systems theory is that open systems have permeable boundaries and consequently are open to their environments (Bertalanffy, 1950;Emery, 2000Emery, , 2004Emery, , 2010. At the organizational level, an organization learns from its environment and implements plans to be more effective in this environment, a form of purposeful adaption. ...
... Although open systems describe organization structure, they also impact on organizational culture. Bringing about cultural change is inherent in the open systems concept (Emery, 2000). Open systems principles and their reliance on interconnections with the external environment facilitate cultural change within organizations as information and knowledge is transferred and begins to influence norms, values and behavior over time. ...
... Open systems theory is used as a theoretical basis to create a framework for social media use. The open systems theory literature has argued that its principles can be applied at the organizational level (Emery, 2000;Emery, 2004). What we have done is to extend this work to include the role of social media. ...
Open systems theory purports to offer many benefits related to developing an innovative and sustainable organization. In this paper, we examine if collaborative tools afford a move towards a more open‐orientated organizational form that can support innovation capability and the issues that need to be managed in the process. Constructs that characterize open systems are identified from the literature, and these are used to frame the case analyses on the nature of collaborative tools and changing organizational forms. The validity of the open systems concept is explored through an examination of three case studies. Although collaborative tools offer potential organizational benefits, issues exist in relation to its management and use that can circumscribe its impact. Collaborative tools were used in contexts where there was a weak understanding of open systems concepts, and this resulted in a weak conceptual strategy. The lack of methodological guidance on how to use collaborative tools to become more open was a significant issue. The combination of these two issues created a number of implementation problems including lack of widespread participation and an inability to obtain and leverage knowledge via collaborative tools to improve innovation. The paper highlights that a tool‐focused collaborative systems approach produces less effective integration of collaborative tools and creates problems in moving to a more open organizational form.
... A system is an entity made up of interrelated subsystems (Emery, 2000). An open system is a system that has permeable boundaries and interacts with its environment through the exchange of information, energy or materials (Bertalanffy, 1950;Emery, 2000Emery, , 2004Emery, , 2010. ...
... A system is an entity made up of interrelated subsystems (Emery, 2000). An open system is a system that has permeable boundaries and interacts with its environment through the exchange of information, energy or materials (Bertalanffy, 1950;Emery, 2000Emery, , 2004Emery, , 2010. Open systems theory (OST) can provide a basis for NIS. ...
... As far as the authors are aware, OST has not been applied to countries as a test of their openness. The management literature has examined the open systems concept and applied it to organizational forms as we discuss below (Emery, 2000;Vahter et al., 2014). Although Bertalanffy's definition is situated on a clear differentiation between open and closed systems, the management literature views the concepts as extremes of a continuum, with no perfect examples of either existing in organizational practice. ...
Open systems theory offers a conceptual platform to understand how systems can be effective in adapting to their environments through purposeful action. It is relevant to the performance of national systems of innovation: open-oriented countries are more likely to be successful in innovation because of the knowledge exchange between international organizations and organizations within the same country. In this paper, the open systems concept is defined and measured by a number of factors including extent of open trade, information and communication technology development, and online government service measures. In this study, the relationship between the measures of openness and the level of innovation of each country (measured using the Global Innovation Index) is analysed using analysis of variance, with results indicating a positive relationship. The theoretical contribution resides in the argument that a nation's openness relates to innovation capability and that this can be assessed by the factors in the model used in the paper. We argue that rather than focusing on innovation, countries should consider developing an open systems platform for innovation by maximizing their interactions with the international environment and developing mechanisms to circulate knowledge internally within the country. This should result in a supportive context where innovations can emerge. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
... This paper is an exploratory study of the nature of information in IS. The key thesis is that the information in IS is a system, or specifically, a meaning system (Mingers, 1995), a human activity system (Checkland, 2000), an inquiring system (Churchman, 1971) or an open system (Emery, 2000) in its own right. Based on Gharajedaghi's (2005) holistic thinking developed from Ackoff's systems approach (1974), a conceptual model of information-as-system is developed through the pragmatism semiotics (Peirce, 1931) with the validity support of the perceiver-concerns model of information (Metcalfe & Powell, 1995), the schema of situational actions (Mingers & Brocklesby, 1997), the argumentation theory (Toulmin, 1964) and the theory of systems boundary judgment (Ulrich, 2003). ...
... At this point, we claim that, with our context triad referring to systems boundary, information-as-system would be an Emery's (2000) (Barton, Emery, Flood, Selsky, & Wolstenholme, 2004, pp. 13-14). ...
... Ultimately, the paper claims that, along with IS as a human meaning systems (Mingers, 1995), human activity system (Checkland, 2000), inquiring system (Churchman, 1971), or open system (Emery, 2000), information itself also needs to be considered such a system or such all systems at once but definitely not an independent variable of IS. Information-assystem is both input and outcome of IS as well as of human actors. ...
This article investigates the complex nature of information in information systems (IS). Based on the systems thinking framework, this study argues that information in IS is a system in its own right. A conceptual model of information-as-system is built on the systems thinking perspective adopted from Gharajedaghi?s holistic thinking rooted from Ackoff systems approach, which is developed through Peirce?s semiotics with the validity support of Metcalfe and Powell?s perspective of information perception, Mingers and Brocklesby?s schema of situational actions, Toulmin?s theory of argumentation and Ulrich?s theory of systems boundary. The proposed model of information-as-systems is described in terms of triads?on the structure, function, and process, all interdependent?in a context of information-as-system in IS.
... The socio-ecological perspective taken is within the world hypothesis of contextualism (Pepper, 1942), by which we simply mean people-in-environment. People are embedded in natural and social systems and are co-implicative with their environments (Emery, M., 2000;Trull, de Guerre, Seguin & Pace, 2008). ...
... In Figure 1 (Directive Correlation) the changes shown are directively correlated and, therefore, adaptive. "Of course, an infinite number of cases exist in which system and environment are not directively correlated and, therefore, are maladaptively related" (Emery, 2000). The directive correlation model expresses when adaptation is or is not occurring over time. ...
A community-based participatory action research methodology was used to assist the English-speaking community in the Eastern Townships of Quebec to develop a picture of its most desirable and achievable future and a set of strategic action plans to create that future. Following a brief introduction to Open Systems Theory and its methods (Emery, M., 1999), this paper reports on the preparation, the implementation, and the follow-up and diffusion stages of this project and then compares the actual achieved conditions with the ideal sought-after conditions. The conclusion includes a summary of the partici-pants' findings and their report to the English-speaking community. Résumé Une méthodologie de recherche-action participative s'appuyant sur la collectivité a été utilisée pour aider la communauté anglophone des Cantons-de-l'Est à tracer le portrait de son avenir le plus souhaitable et le plus réalisable ainsi qu'à définir un ensemble de plans d'action stratégiques en vue d'assurer un tel avenir. À la suite d'une brève introduction sur la théorie des systèmes ouverts et ses méthodes (Emery, M., 1999), cet article rendra compte de la préparation, de la mise en oeuvre et des étapes de suivi et de diffusion de ce projet et comparera les résultats réels obtenus avec les résultats idéalement envisagés. La conclusion inclura un résumé des constatations des participants et leur compte rendu à la communauté d'expression anglaise.
... This theory saw organisations as a system created and activated by input and output (Katz and Kahn 1978). They were democratic designs; employees Page 5 of 42 at all levels participated in accomplishing the organisation's strategy (Emery 2000) and had access to information resulting in shared decision-making and shared trust among employees (Martins and Terblanche 2003). ...
... As Lewin, Lippitt, and White (1939) observed, there are three leadership styles when it comes to making decisions: autocratic, or authoritative, in which leaders make decisions themselves; democratic, in which leaders involve others in the decision-making process; and laissez-faire, or delegative, in which decisions are made by a leader's followers. The traditional forms of organisation design, ranging from closed bureaucratic to natural systems and open systems, showed an authoritative to increasingly democratic style of organisation design (Bass and Bass 2009, Weber, Gerth, and Mills 1948, Emery 2000 and this has resulted in an evolving perspective on decision-making as Table 1 demonstrates. Recently, Snow et al. (2011) proposed a new organisational form, that of collaborative communities in which organisations share knowledge and engage in collaborative relationships with industry partners to drive innovation and make decisions (Lin, Tsai, and Wu 2014). ...
Blockchain technology records and forever maintains data that cannot be changed. It also involves ‘smart contracts’ and consensus mechanisms that govern processes of automation, as well as the development, evaluation and execution of decisions. Blockchain technology has the potential to transform organisational design due to its decentralised and distributed characteristics. As such, this paper examines decentralised autonomous organisations, which, by design, establish governance and trust among actors, based entirely on autonomous computer software and cryptography. The analysis reveals that current theories of organisation design fail to adequately explain organisational forms that are based on blockchain technology. This conceptual study introduces blockchain technology to organisation design theory and discusses the many challenges organisations are facing once adopted. It proposes a basic framework that explains emerging decentralised and autonomous organisation designs as the next evolution in organisation design, and presents a research agenda for this exciting phenomenon.
... An organisation is a system too, created and activated by input and output (Katz & Kahn, 1978). Likewise, such organisation design is democratic, in that employees at all levels participate in accomplishing strategic objectives (Emery, 2000), and everyone has access to information. Resulting in shared decision-making and shared trust among employees (Martins & Terblanche, 2003), this heralds the first wave of advanced IT-enabled, open system organisation design (Huber, 1990). ...
... In today's fast-paced business environments, network organisations with increasingly democratic characteristics (Bass & Bass, 2009) are very receptive to market and technological developments, and are able to anticipate disruption (Teece, Pisano & Shuen, 1997). These organisations have an authoritative to increasingly democratic style of organisation design (Bass & Bass, 2009;Emery, 2000;Weber et al., 1948). 2 Recently, Snow, Fjeldstad, Lettl and Miles (2011) proposed collaborative communities as a new form of organisation. Here, organisations use technologies to share knowledge, and engage in collaborative relationships and decision-making with industry partners (Lin, Tsai & Wu, 2014). ...
Blockchain technology records and forever maintains data that cannot be changed. It also involves ‘smart contracts’ and consensus mechanisms that govern processes of automation, as well as the development, evaluation and execution of decisions. Blockchain technology has the potential to transform organisational design due to its decentralised and distributed characteristics. As such, this paper examines decentralised autonomous organisations, which, by design, establish governance and trust among actors, based entirely on autonomous computer software and cryptography. The analysis reveals that current theories of organisation design fail to adequately explain organisational forms that are based on blockchain technology. This conceptual study introduces blockchain technology to organisation design theory and discusses the many challenges organisations are facing once adopted. It proposes a basic framework that explains emerging decentralised and autonomous organisation designs as the next evolution in organisation design, and presents a research agenda for this exciting phenomenon.
... An example of such mindfulness is the concept of high reliability organisations (HRO) [20]. Moreover, it becomes necessary to design organizations that can co-evolve with their environment (i.e., learn and innovate) by participating in a healthy two-way mutually defining relation [5,11]. To achieve mindfulness, properly engaging stakeholders and effectively fostering shared understanding are becoming paramount concerns. ...
... A number of fields, such as organizational cybernetics and sociology, have insights that can provide answers for these questions in the context of complexity. Fred [5] open sociotechnical systems design approach, based on the concepts of sociotechnical systems design developed at the Tavistock Institute in the 1940s and 50s, offers scientifically tested principles for conducting organizational design and engineering based on participative democratic values. In addition, Stafford Beer's viable systems model offers many insights into the governance processes of organisations [8]. ...
The human-made technology that is used by organizations has played a crucial role in enabling humans to accomplish impressive endeavors. Despite the critical importance that organizations (or organizing) have played (and still play) in shaping the modern world, they are a technology that humans know very little about, and are still struggling to design and use adequately. The crux of the problem is that the study of organizations (including their design) does not fit neatly into the boxes that are modern academic disciplines. Another important series of issues concerns conducting multidisciplinary research across the silos of academic discipline. Crossing these silos is especially difficult when trying to cross-pollinate ideas as well as publish because of terminological, political, and social challenges. As such, the OD&EE journal is a necessary and important step in the right direction for addressing these issues by promoting research that is both multidisciplinary as well as oriented towards the proactive stance of design and engineering.
... Within-family analyses demonstrated that familial transmission of cigarette smoking occurred between the second and third generations (Markides et al., 1987). Together, this evidence supports social learning and socio-environmental theories (Bandura, 2001;Emery, 2000), in the sense that observational learning of smoking in the home environment may influence children and youth to become smokers by observing their parents or other relatives smoke cigarettes. ...
... Our findings support relevant socio-cognitive and socioenvironmental theories (Bandura, 2001;Emery, 2000) of cigarette smoking initiation, including social learning theory which emphasizes the importance of the learning process early in life. Our data suggest that children who grow up in a smoking household environment are more likely to initiate smoking through observation and imitation. ...
... With regard to sustainability, how can we learn to develop sustaining organisations when the current levels of organisational functioning so demonstrably lacks such a capability? Single-loop learning models are not up to the task of resolving this paradox because this level of learning is embedded within the conventional adaptive cooperation between a social entity and its environment (Emery, 2000). It is not adaptive reactions that are required here but proactive transformations. ...
... Turbulent environments place immense stress on organisations and the individuals that work in them. In such environments we are faced with the paradox of retaining a coherent identity and stability while also embracing radical change to develop adaptive capabilities (Emery, 2000). In other words, organisations need to sustain a coherent and cohesive identity while also sustaining a transformative identity that can meet the sustainability imperative. ...
A metatheoretical approach to sustainability is proposed that attempts to resolve some fundamental paradoxes facing organisations. The urgency for organisations to respond to the challenges of global environmental imperatives is reaching a critical point. The issues are complex, chaotic and involve deep-seated paradoxes. On the one hand, we have growing competition in the economic arena and a consequent increase in the daily pressure on organisations to survive and prosper. On the other hand, the social demands on organisations are increasing and have been greatly complexified by an expanding set of additional bottom line factors for assessing their performance. All this has come at a time of increasing turbulence in organisational environments. Individual businesses as well as, national and international economies are caught in the paradoxical situation of responding to increasing pressure to generate economic growth while it is this very development in economic production and consumption that is causing immense environmental change and contributing to the irrevocable social disruption that results. This article uses some metatheoretical lenses identified from the relevant sustainability, transformation and organisational learning literatures to explore a number of fundamental paradoxes facing organisations – the growth, learning and sustainability paradoxes. A set of metatheoretical are identified and used to see how organisations might respond to these challenges. From this analysis some new avenues for achieving authentic sustainability and for living with the "a crowded bottom" are also identified.
... Indeed, in the Method, we consider a socioeconomic system such as a business as a system with interconnected parts, emergent forms and phenomena, boundaries, and environment; and methodologically base our critical review and constructive definitions on such considerations (Johannessen andOlaisen 2005a, 2005b;Midgley 2000). This method provides a semantic and schematic representation of a phenomenon in relationship with other phenomena of the business or organization as a system in relation to its environment (Emery 2000). For example, in the case of ‗pivot', according to Recommendation 13, the Observable Business Model was introduced to represent the business as a system and to situate the intended phenomenon among the other business phenomena . ...
Recently, the Systemic Abductive Method was introduced to help scholars with redefining controversial concepts in managerial, social, and behavioral sciences. This paper elaborates on the Method and its logic in relation to different schools of scientific thought and argues why the Method is pluralistic. Moreover, we suggest a set of practical recommendations based on a case study. Our contributions to theory-building include: 1) Arguing why researchers should use the terms concept, construct, and variable interchangeably. 2) Juxtaposing different approaches to conceptualizing abstraction levels. 3) Arguing systems thinking and abduction help theory building at the intersections of different schools of thought.
... Although CHPS has several elements, these defining interrelationships govern the delivery of service in ways that actually produce the health outcome. Open systems thinking is a field that has been embraced by several theoretical and programmatic planning approaches [31][32][33]. ...
Background
Health care systems in low and middle-income countries are decentralizing and devolving power to the periphery. Transferring power without systematic processes to develop and nurture leaders at the district compromises the effectiveness and sustainability of the decentralized health system. To address this problem, we developed an approach to leadership learning by observation and experience that improved the organization and performance of the health care system in a district in Ghana.
Methodology
Using two rounds of a longitudinal qualitative study, the study explores the determinants of implementing the Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) initiative in a district in Ghana. Insights were gained concerning the leadership regimes of two leaders who administered health services in a common geographic area at different points in time with remarkably contrasting outcomes. Insights of health workers who participated in both periods were elicited to clarify interview contexts. Ten focus group discussions (FGDs) and five expert interviews were conducted for each round of the study. The study was informed by a systems appraisal approach that utilized a thematic analytical framework.
Results
Providing district leaders with a practical observational experience had a significant influence on health care delivery in all aspects of health care provision at the district level. Exposing participants to models of best practices facilitated the replication of processes that improved the conduct of service delivery and CHPS implementation. Upon reflection, district leaders attributed performance constraints to their lack of understanding of practical ways of responding to complex district health system development needs. Observation from community members, volunteers, and health workers who witnessed the system development period corroborated narratives that leaders had expressed.
Conclusion
Effective leadership is optimally developed with participatory learning that provides leaders with direct access to fully functioning systems. Learning by observation can be structured and used to quicken the spread of managerial excellence.
... These three aspects contribute to economic creation, social changes, and the evolution of nature. In early 2000, system theory (Emery, 2000) was interpreted as a reliable conceptual framework. b) Triple bottom line theory (TBL):In 1997, John Elkington was the founding father of the triple bottom line (TBL) theory. ...
The present decade of 21 century, is characterized by intense competition and
dynamic changes in the business world & economies. Understanding the nature of
global trends has never been more important ever before. Business concerns and
companies across the world are attempting to grapple with the changing business
environment and it is realized that executing an existing strategy may no longer be
enough. Businesses and economies need to think more deeply about the opportunities
and risks presented by evolving trends and chart a roadmap to success. In the above
context one day national conference is organised, the discussions & presentations on the
current trends were undertaken that will shape the future of business & economy.
The themes of the conference are related to Financial Management, Economy,
Human Resource Management, Marketing and General Management. All the papers
published are reviewed by subject experts. The Review committee members reviewed
the papers and gave their valuable suggestions at various stages. We express our
profound gratitude to all members.
The editors acknowledge the cooperation and support received from all the
contributory authors. This conference has been successful in attracting participants from
various parts of India.
... With respect to sustainability, how might we figure out how to create supporting organizations when the present levels of organizational working so certifiably need such an ability? Single-loop learning models are not up to the assignment of settling this paradox since they bolster learning forms that install regular hierarchical practices (Emery, 2000). It is not adaptive or utilitarian learning that is required here however transformational learning. ...
Its about employees satisfaction with ultratech cement
... That is, convergence or divergence (Lincoln et al., 1978) in sociological development (Meyer et al., 1975). It is an open systems perspective (Emery, 2000) that recognizes a wide array of influences from the external environment such as economic, social, and political forces. It is not particularly compatible with conceptualizations of postcolonialism. ...
Organizational crossvergence is the identifying framework in this study of the emerging similarities between both educational systems and business systems in India and the United States. A sample of 237 international MBA graduates was examined relative to the education they received in a combined United States and India management program. They studied in both countries, and pursued careers in either country. We confirm that the applied value of advanced business education originating in India was enhanced, but not significantly surpassed, by the Western learning experience. The applicability of graduates’ acquired skills was as relevant for employment in India as in American organizations. Implications for policymakers resulting from the findings highlight the clear justification of deepening management education collaboration amongst educators and employers in emergent and developed markets.
... 14 scale-up is more likely to be successful and effective if the organizational culture of the frontline service operation was consistent with social organization and norms. [85][86][87] Evidence-based credibility: GEHIP revised the national information system for monitoring the geographic coverage, pace, and content of CHPS-sponsored services. progressed in the past, but achieving further progress remains fragile. ...
Introduction
Achieving effective community‐based primary health care requires evidence for guiding strategic decisions that must be made. However, research processes often limit data collection to particular organizational levels or disseminate results to specific audiences. Decision‐making that emerges can fail to account for the contrasting perspectives and needs of managers at each organizational level. The Ghana Health Service (GHS) addressed this problem with a multilevel and sequential research and action approach that has provided two decades of implementation learning for guiding community‐based primary health care development.
Method
The GHS implementation research initiatives progressed from (i) a participatory pilot investigation to (ii) an experimental trial of strategies that emerged to (iii) replication research for testing scale‐up, culminating in (iv) evidence‐based scale‐up of a national community‐based primary health care program. A reform process subsequently repeated this sequence in a manner that involved stakeholders at the community, sub‐district, district, and regional levels of the system. The conduct, interpretation, and dissemination of results that emerged comprised a strategy for achieving systems learning by conducting investigations in phases in conjunction with bottom‐up knowledge capture, lateral exchanges for fostering peer learning at each system level, and top‐down processes for communicating results as policy. Continuous accumulation of qualitative data on stakeholder reactions to operations at each organizational level was conducted in conjunction with quantitative monitoring of field operations.
Results
Implementation policies were enhanced by results associated with each phase. A quasi‐experiment for testing the reform process showed that scale‐up of community‐based primary health care was accelerated, leading to improvements in childhood survival and reduced fertility.
Conclusion
Challenges to system learning were overcome despite severe resource constraints. The integration of knowledge generation with ongoing management processes institutionalized learning for achieving evidence‐driven program action.
... Weiner points out that readiness is both a multi-level and a multi-faceted construct. Since an organization may be regarded as a dynamic, open system that is (co-)created and recreated on an ongoing basis by the interactions of the people who are its members (Emery, 2000;Bednar, 2009), readiness for change may be regarded as an emergent quality arising from those interactions. The foundations of readiness lie in both the contextual understandings of engaged professional actors (managers/leaders, employees, customers/clients and possibly partner organizations) regarding potential for change, and their perceptions of the adequacy of current capabilities, resources and leadership in context. ...
This paper considers organizations as dynamic open systems, seeking to maintain viable relationships with their environments. It recognizes the endemic nature of change and how modern organizations must respond by innovating in order to remain sustainable and progress, and must promote a culture of readiness. The possible tension between continuous improvement for efficiency in processes and a holistic perspective for innovation is noted, taking into account a need to capture contextual knowledge from all levels in the business. The authors suggest that the Viable Systems Model (Beer, 1985) may be a useful tool for reflection on design of effective management in a balanced and flexible organization. This model attempts to balance variety between organizations and their environments, and between operational units and management, through recursive levels of autonomy.
... Their unique analytical lenses have been refined by inductive and deductive reasoning as part of a wide range of biological and sociological studies that have been carried out in multiple cultural and political contexts, over decades of research. They include critical systems thinking (Jackson, 2006), critical systems theory (Churchman, 1972;Kogetsidis, 2012), open systems theory (Emery, 2000), the applied theory of systems dynamics (Wolstenholme, 1999), and the governance theory of the viable systems model (Barile et al., 2014;Espinosa and Walker, 2011). Arguably, the most important of these theories in relation to the POI, which incorporates the evolutionary principles which define the notion of sustainability, is complex adaptive systems. ...
The emergence of complex global problems and related concerns about ‘sustainability’ are central pre-occupations of discourses concerning innovation and its pursuit. The pressing need to gain fresh insights into the nature of new ideas and collaborative endeavour that can be used to drive societal transitions, is increasingly acknowledged. The objective of this paper is to contribute to these insights by examining and enriching the conceptual foundations of sustainability focused innovation policy. It’s comparative metatheoretical approach enables exploration of the epistemological and political dimensions of the geography of transitions and systems literatures and the implications for the way in which they inform transformational change. The potential for deeper engagement with systems theory to create more holistic representations of complex problems, and the issues which must be addressed to resolve them, is explored. Findings regarding theory development and its implications for sustainability focused policy making provide a vital contribution to the fields of economic geography and the geography of transitions as well as to transition literature more generally. As such it augments the foundations of ongoing empirical study and discourses which address the diminishing returns associated with current growth trajectories.
... Finally, systems ought to be opensuch systems affect, and are influenced by, the environments (Emery, 2000(Emery, , 2004(Emery, , 2010Standing, Mavi, Suseno, & Jackson, 2018;von Bertalanffy, 1950). It is indeed Ludwig von Bertalanffy (1968) that suggested that systems research integrates holism and reductionism approaches, meaning an analysis through the study of the interactions between sub-systems/components and the study of a subject as a whole, which we attempt in this study. ...
A systems perspective of an emergent field such as Industry 4.0 requires combining and analysing the entire multidisciplinary scholarship under one map. Recent developments in scientometric analysis allow researchers to carry out complex co-citation bibliometric analyses coupled with an unstructured ontological discovery made available through thematic and ensuing semantic analyses to gain a holistic outlook on the ecosystem of Industry 4.0. The state-of-the-art review of the entire scholarship of Industry 4.0 demonstrates three broad clusters-the implications of automation on industry, the integration of technologies, and technological advancements driving the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The scholarship output is, for the first time, compared to the leading industrial and policy-making institutional reports to highlight similarities and discrepancies. This allows to propose a previously unavailable definition of Industry 4.0 which is much needed to progress the research further. The three highly discrepant areas between academic literature and industry insights are-lack of research into return on investment, lack of research involving policy-making, and the implications of technological development on the workforce, firms, and countries. It is imperative to drive research into the existent, as well as the highlighted, themes in advancing the knowledge and aligning the academic scholarship with the interests of practitioners.
... The guiding values of these endeavours were a desire to improve job design and create safer, more humane systems, as well as promoting democracy in both workplaces and society more generally. They considered that a work system should be seen as a set of activities coming together to form an integrated whole, as opposed to a collection of separate tasks, i.e. an open system, interacting with an environment that influences its behaviour (Emery 2000). Through Action Research projects in industry, and working with Systems Thinking (Ackoff and Emery 1972), a set of principles for socio-technical design were developed (Cherns 1976). ...
The ubiquitous digitization of information and the pervasive connectivity of work systems have inevitably facilitated cyber-enabled industrial espionage. Security failures explain most of cyber industrial espionage incidents, and insider threats represent a significant pattern in many case examples. Insiders can inadvertently or purposefully pose serious threats to organisations by facilitating access to or misuse of proprietary sensitive data. This paper argues that technical security solutions have rather limited scope to tackle this problem, and that a socio-technical approach has potential to provide a better means to address the challenge of preventing and responding to insider threats. Such an approach could bridge the gap between the design and implementation of security solutions and creation of an organisational culture that is security-aware.
... An organization may be regarded as a dynamic, open system that is (co-)created and recreated on an ongoing basis by the interactions of the people who are its members (Emery, 2000;Bednar, 2009). These may include managers/leaders, employees and possibly customers/clients. ...
Organizations and their Information Systems (IS) co-evolve. It follows that a need for organizational sustainability (in every sense) must be reflected in IS design, management and use. Much public attention focuses on environmental sustainability, i.e. accounting for the impact that organizations have on the natural world and on communities, as a result of their business practices. However, many external impacts remain invisible, e.g. a stressed workforce makes greater calls upon the resources of healthcare systems. It is important, therefore, that designers and managers pay as much attention to human and social sustainability as to environmental factors. Furthermore, economic sustainability-future prosperity of the business-must be secured in order for operations to continue at all. The authors suggest that a socio-technical perspective has potential to address these concerns, by encouraging all stakeholder groups to contribute their contextual knowledge, supported by appropriate tools and techniques. By way of illustration, the paper reports some results from inquiries into sustainability practices in a number of SMEs. These findings suggest that multiple dimensions of sustainability are not always integrated into work systems and practices effectively. Further work will be needed to explore the potential of socio-technical approaches to improve this.
... Open Systems Theory (the most recent version of STS), as defined by Emery [9], proposes that the structures of an organization (or team) can be designed according to one of three design principles: (1) DP1: a hierarchical design in which higher levels design and control the work of lower levels; (2) DP2: a selfmanaging design in which work is largely designed and controlled by those doing it; or (3) Laissez-faire: a structure in which responsibility and accountability are unclear or incoherent. Organizations that are designed according to DP2 have fewer negative effects and higher worker intrinsic motivation than their DP1 or Laissez-faire counterparts [11]. ...
... By embedding research into programme planning, implementation, and leadership processes, the Ghana approach has ensured that research results are utilized for management, obviating the need for deliberations on how best to put results to use. Moreover, embedded participatory research has ensured that mechanisms of social organization, traditional governance, and social networks could be marshaled for sustaining organizational improvement over time (Emery 2000;Katz & Kahn, 1978). The Ghana institutional grounding for research represents a successful, sustainable, and scalable strategy for achieving people-centered programming that applies principles of participatory management of research that have shown elsewhere to foster research utilization (Ghaffar, et al., 2017), sustain innovation (Gruen, et al., 2008;Palen et al., 2012), foster capacity building (Goldberg & Bryant, 2012a) and catalyze research utilization and scale-up (Beaglehole, et al., 2008). ...
: Successful experiments for developing community-based health services often end without contributing to reform of large-scale programme implementation. In Ghana, however, the national implementation of community-based primary health care services, policy formation and action has been grounded in a continuous process of evidence-based planning. Originally launched as a three-village pilot project located in a single rural district, community-based health care in Ghana currently reaches over 3,000 communities dispersed in all 212 districts. This successful expansion of evidence-based health care has been the outcome of embedding science into the management systems. Beginning with diagnostic systems research and followed by phases for experimentation, replication, and scaling-up, the implementation of community-based primary health care has been guided by science that aims to improve the pace of programme expansion, the quality and intensity of community-based care, and reform of national operations when problems arose. In this process, embedding implementation science into routine national programming has sustained research utilization, clarified milestones, and accelerated the pace of scaling up progress. By providing insights into practical actions that can improve functioning, results from embedded research function as a component of programme management rather than something that researchers are challenged to hand over to policy makers and managers.
Key words: Ghana; scaling up; community-based; primary health care; embedded science; implementation research; research utilization.
... By embedding research into programme planning, implementation, and leadership processes, the Ghana approach has ensured that research results are utilized for management, obviating the need for deliberations on how best to put results to use. Moreover, embedded participatory research has ensured that mechanisms of social organization, traditional governance, and social networks could be marshaled for sustaining organizational improvement over time (Emery 2000;Katz & Kahn, 1978). The Ghana institutional grounding for research represents a successful, sustainable, and scalable strategy for achieving people-centered programming that applies principles of participatory management of research that have shown elsewhere to foster research utilization (Ghaffar, et al., 2017), sustain innovation (Gruen, et al., 2008;Palen et al., 2012), foster capacity building (Goldberg & Bryant, 2012a) and catalyze research utilization and scale-up (Beaglehole, et al., 2008). ...
... By embedding research into programme planning, implementation, and leadership processes, the Ghana approach has ensured that research results are utilized for management, obviating the need for deliberations on how best to put results to use. Moreover, embedded participatory research has ensured that mechanisms of social organization, traditional governance, and social networks could be marshaled for sustaining organizational improvement over time (Emery 2000;Katz & Kahn, 1978). The Ghana institutional grounding for research represents a successful, sustainable, and scalable strategy for achieving people-centered programming that applies principles of participatory management of research that have shown elsewhere to foster research utilization (Ghaffar, et al., 2017), sustain innovation (Gruen, et al., 2008;Palen et al., 2012), foster capacity building (Goldberg & Bryant, 2012a) and catalyze research utilization and scale-up (Beaglehole, et al., 2008). ...
... The emergence concept within a broad supportive context is a relevant perspective to enable innovations to emerge in a variety of ways that may not be anticipated. In addition, the 'open system' concept (Bertalanffy, 1950;Emery, 2000Emery, , 2004Emery, , 2010 is relevant to innovation because there needs to be continuous exchange of information and knowledge out of and into a system, or in this case, a country. Openness is considered to be a prerequisite of innovation because of its access to knowledge (Laursen and Salter, 2006). ...
In this paper, we argue for a systems perspective as the theoretical and analytical basis of national innovation ecosystems. Drawing on the system concepts of holism, emergence and open systems features, we analyse the national innovation ecosystems of Australia and Singapore. The analysis of national innovation ecosystems is based on five dimensions of policies: human capital investment and the availability of professional labour, infrastructure, private-public sector collaboration, support for funding and commerciali-zation and innovation corporate culture. We find both countries' national innovation ecosystems to have aspects of holism, emergence and being open systems; however, the extent of these features varies between the two countries in terms of the five dimensions of national innovation policies that we focus on. The paper provides implications for theory and practice particularly for policymakers to consider systems perspective in order to properly design and also gain benefits from national innovation ecosystems. Copyright
... For this purpose, an organization should be considered as a dynamic, open system (Emery, 2000), which is constituted and re-constituted continually by the interactions of the living individuals who make it up. All organizations have their own unique qualities and cultures. ...
This paper explores contemporary approaches to introducing Lean, through immersive games. Experiential learning is recognised as a powerful way of introducing complex ideas to individuals and teams. The paper presents Immersive games and activities, typically used in business implementation programmes and more specifically Lean Programmes. We critically assess the benefits of these immersive games according to VAK learning styles and Blooms taxonomy (1956) to understand how Lean is embedded. A framework for Immersive Lean Games is presented and tested through application in educational and professional environments. The outputs of a practitioner survey provide a firm foundation for the framework.
... Contemporary sociotechnical approaches focus upon organizational ecosystems, using multidisciplinary and participative inquiry to explore how people and groups interact, both internally and through transaction with their wider environments (Mohr and van Amelsvoort, 2016). Through a sociotechnical lens, it is possible to examine value creating processes within a context of structures, policies, culture and mutual relationships among people, while maintaining a view of organizational systems as dynamic and open (Emery, 2000;Bednar and Welch, 2011). ...
This paper adopts the position that innovations in Information & Communication Technologies do not diffuse like smoke, but via creative processes where real people develop meaningful uses for them in relation to contextual dependencies in their working lives. A need to deepen understandings of potential for use of ICTs is highlighted, in order to overcome phenomenon of 'emptiness' in proliferation of innovation that is not experienced as useful in practice, and thus not sustainable. Innovation in use of ICTs impacts directly on lived experience and on culture. There is therefore a need for research into social innovation in ICT use. A focus on modern sociotechnical perspectives is suggested, supporting collaborative development of innovative technologies in relation to human creative endeavor.
... Early work in STS research focused on finding ways to improve the experience of workers, allowing them more autonomy and focusing on work design. A set of ST principles were developed from multidisciplinary sources by members of the Tavistock Institute (Cherns, 1987;Emery, 2000). These included design of work tasks to be meaningful to those who performed them, and formation of working groups with responsible autonomy over their actions. ...
Research has shown that sustainability is a critical issue for organizations. There are many dimensions to this concept, notably economic, social and environmental sustainability. When considering development of Information Systems, it is necessary to take these factors into account. However, although developers wish to deliver a package of sustainable benefits, the values that these benefits represent to different stakeholder groups will vary. Approaches will be needed that can provide support to resolve divergent and conflicting requirements within a transformation process, and help to surface contextual understandings of sustainable performance. Poorly-designed systems lead to work activity that is less than optimal, and thus fails to achieve a level of excellence in performance that is a significant prerequisite for competitiveness and economic sustainability. This paper introduces an investigation into understanding of a socio-technical systems framework that could function as a trigger for sustainability development where a suitable agenda already exists within an organization. Preliminary results, and their limitations, are discussed and a tentative agenda for further research is presented.
... Enterprises are studied by researchers from multiple disciplines, such as management sciences, industrial and systems engineering, social sciences, psychology, sociology, organisational sciences and information systems ( Bernard 2005;Giachetti 2010). Different metaphors are used in literature to define and understand the enterprise as a phenomenon, including machines, organisms, organised complexities, multi-minded open systems, cultures, political systems, psychic prisons, transformations and instruments of domination ( Emery 2000;Gharajedaghi 2011;Morgan 2006;Weinberg 2001). While capable of creating valuable insights, a single metaphor is incomplete, biased and potentially misleading, whereas multiple perspectives or metaphors provide complementary insights to shape or design the enterprise ( Morgan 2006). ...
Enterprise engineering (EE) is emerging as a new discipline that is multi-disciplinary in nature. As highlighted by researchers within the EE discipline, the current status of EE endeavours as taken by several universities is unclear, which led to several initiatives and publications to develop a research agenda within the enterprise engineering research community. This article builds upon existing work aimed at establishing EE as a discipline, also accepting the epistemological stance of idealism, pragmatism and existential phenomenology as argued by Hoogervorst as an appropriate stance for EE research, prior to suggesting action design research (ADR) as an appropriate research method for EE research. More so, the article presents an Action Design Research within Enterprise Engineering (ADR-in-EE) approach as the main contribution to guide prospective EE researchers towards research within the EE discipline. The ADR-in-EE approach is based on ADR, but provides additional guidance by incorporating the use of an Enterprise Evolution Contextualisation Model, as well as creativity facilitation in the form of Univation’s brainstorming method. As a second contribution, we experiment with the ADR-in-EE approach and use a survey to extract feedback on the usefulness of the approach. The research findings are mostly positive, with qualitative feedback on further improving ADR-in-EE approach.
... As mentioned previously, an open system is a system-in-context, that is, a system in its environment. The system and environment are co-implicative (Emery, 2000). An open system is not independent of its environment; as the system changes the environment is influ-enced to change and vice versa. ...
Enterprise Architecture (EA) is a consulting practice and discipline intended to improve the management and functioning of complex organizations. The various approaches to EA can be classified by how they define what is to be architected and what, as a result, is the relevant environment. Traditionally, management has been understood as "Planning, Organizing, Command, Coordinating, and Controlling" (POCCC), that is, the role is bounded within the organization. The corresponding EA approach suggests architecting IT systems to support management, with the implicit environment being members of the organization as well as partner organizations. As the objective of EA practice expands to include organizational members, technical systems, and a wider set of stakeholders, so too does the complexity it must address. This results in an enlarged domain of issues and concerns. Finally, if the objective of EA is a sustainable enterprise, then physical, societal, and ecological environments radically increase the complexity of actualizing this goal. Corresponding to this increase in scope is a parallel shift in the scope of management concerns. With the goal of pushing EA towards concerns regarding enterprise sustainability, an open socio-technical system design perspective of EA, which we have named Enterprisein- Environment Adaptation (EiEA), is discussed. EiEA offers a comprehensive approach to respond to the demands for complexity management that arise when working towards enterprise sustainability; yet, it requires that organisations also embrace deep culture changes, such as participative design, worker empowerment, as well as shared accountability and responsibility, to name a few.
... A significant number of theories and models are available that relate to designing systems and decision-making in the context of complexity and uncertainty. Some of the related, but by no means the only or the most important, theories are complex adaptive systems (CAS) [40], Cynefin [41], high reliable organizations (HROs), systems thinking [42] and open systems theory (OST) [43]. ...
Today, and for the foreseeable future, organizations will face ever-increasing levels of complexity and uncertainty. Many believe that enterprise architecture (EA) will help organizations address such difficult terrain by guiding the design of adaptive and resilient enterprises and their information systems. This paper presents the “Grand Challenges” that we believe will challenge organizations in the future and need to be addressed by enterprise architecture. As a first step in using enterprise architecture as a solution for overcoming identified challenges, the Zachman Enterprise Architecture Framework is used to guide and structure the discussion. The paper presents the “Grand Challenges” and discusses promising theories and models for addressing them. In addition, current advances in the field of enterprise architecture that have begun to address the challenges will be presented. In conclusion, final thoughts on the future of enterprise architecture as a research field and a profession are offered.
... Systems invariably are a product of the environment and the people in them (Boulding, 1956;Katz & Kahn, 1966;Parsons, 1951;Senge, 1990). Systems, especially if they are to be considered effective, must establish feedback mechanisms and cycles, provide opportunities to set goals, and monitor progress towards those goals (Emery, 2000;Senge, 1990). Senge describes different types of feedback cycles, reinforcing or balancing, which either (1) reinforce or amplify a process within a system or (2) balance and stabilize a process in a system. ...
The landscape for educator preparation has shifted to accountability models emphasizing performance assessment of teaching, employer feedback reports, newly approved accreditation standards showing impact on K-12 student learning, and expectations of public access to all of this information. This article provides a perspective on the extent to which this change offers promise for improving educator preparation programs and consequently excellence in teaching in K-12 schools. Two accountability reports are used as the empirical evidence for review; one is a pilot institutional feedback report from the Teacher Quality Research Center (Boyd, Lankford, & Wyckoff, 2009) and the second is a new Teacher Preparation Program report prepared by New York City’s department of education (NYCDOE, 2013). Ultimately, a systems perspective is recommended, in which candidates, IHEs, and K-12 schools are involved in the process of how educator preparation is evaluated and how that connects to other aspects of the education profession.
This paper delves into the multifaceted landscape of South Africa’s 2004 e-education White Paper, addressing critical issues related to digital equity, educational disparities, and leadership, particularly in the context of the post-COVID-19 era. The study employs a qualitative approach, conducting in-depth content analysis of policy reports, academic studies, and institutional assessments connected to the White Paper. This paper discusses the effective implementation of policy interventions in a rapidly evolving digital landscape, posing unique hurdles to achieving educational equity. The theoretical framework underpinning this research is the Socio-technical Systems Theory, which provides a lens for understanding the complex interplay between technology, policy, and human factors in education. Findings from the study underscore the significance of adaptable leadership strategies, emphasising the need for innovation and inclusivity in addressing digital disparities and ensuring equitable access to education. This research offers critical insights into the e-education White Paper’s impact. It emphasises the enduring importance of unwavering commitment to digital equity and inclusive education leadership in South Africa’s ever-evolving educational landscape. It highlights the need for continued efforts to bridge educational disparities and foster a more equitable and resilient educational system in the post-COVID-19 era.
Reflecting on learning from the practical experience in the employment of systems thinking and facilitation to tackle complex, multi‐stakeholder problems in work settings, three interconnected challenges were commonly encountered: an inclusivity challenge, a capability challenge and a change challenge. A series of typical cases are outlined to help illustrate these challenges, where combinations of participative systems methods, models and facilitation practices were employed within complex, multi‐stakeholder policing problem situations.
The new educational imperative is to empower students to manage their own learning in a variety of contexts throughout their lifetimes. This is particularly true for fields that rely on fast-changing technology, like engineering. As such, lifelong learning is gaining increased recognition. This paper describes a holistic framework for addressing lifelong learning in undergraduate engineering programs. The authors draw on existing literature to support this novel framework which consists of: 1) course design that intentionally aligns lifelong learning outcomes, teaching strategies, and assessment methods, 2) experiential learning opportunities that scaffold students’ development of lifelong learning in authentic and relevant ways, 3) instructor commitment to their own lifelong learning, and 4) conceptualization of lifelong learning as an overarching graduate attribute that can be incorporated alongside the others.
There is a growing body of literature on the applications of Systems Thinking (ST); yet, a consensus on what constitutes ST remains elusive. Various studies have demonstrated the necessity to revise the definition of ST, especially for the purpose of ST assessment. Classification of the available definitions in the literature is an essential step to reach a common language among the scholars in the field. By using Social Network Analysis (SNA), this paper identifies the main authorship networks around ST. The analysis of 1462 papers with ST in their title leads to the emergence of three large components. Looking at the main concepts, definitions and applications in each component reveals systems thinking functions differently for each network of researchers. In the first component, ST is used as the backbone of other frameworks such as Critical Systems Thinking (CST) or Open System Thinking; while, in the second component, the applicability of ST concepts and the gap from knowledge to action are highlighted. Finally, the third component points to the potential application of ST to transform different sectors.
This article aims to investigate the organisational implications of adopting Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies, giving specific attention to operations. The paper addresses these implications in two directions: organisational prerequisites for, and consequences of, I4.0 technologies.
The research is based on a multiple case study of Italian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in manufacturing. Ten case studies have been developed through interviews, company visits and secondary data collection.
The multiple case study results show that: i) a lean organisational structure supports effective adoption of I4.0 technologies; ii) introducing such technologies is linked to developing a new kind of job profile (i.e., the “Autonomous Operative Job Profile”); and iii) higher levels of technology adoption create a higher need for non-technical competences.
A limitation of this research relates to the highly heterogeneous maturity levels of the sampled companies, due to the relative newness of the I4.0 paradigm. Future research could, therefore, longitudinally analyse the technology integration process within organisations.
This research provides preliminary evidence about how organisations and technologies co-evolve, thus suggesting that managers should co-design these areas. It also demonstrates the extreme importance of designing a structured process and a clear set of human resource management tools to favour SME organisational development.
The study is built upon a conceptual framework, derived from the sociotechnical perspective, that analyses the interconnections between technology implementation and organisational change. From the results, three research propositions are derived to be tested on a larger scale.
A review of Complexity Theory and the Social Sciences, An Introduction, by David Byrne, 1998. New York: Routledge, 206 pp. ISBN 0415162963. $44.95 USD.
This article considers systemic thinking in relation to the Systems Theory Framework (STF) and to career theory. An overview of systems theory and its applications is followed by a discussion of career theory to provide a context for the subsequent description of STF. The contributions of STF to career theory and to theory integration are presented. Finally, the key constructs of work, learning, and career identity are considered through the lenses of STF and systemic thinking.
In this paper we report upon some results of an empirical study involving employees from 32 SMEs in the UK on how they approach socio-technical principles in the design of their work systems. We are particularly interested in what extent employees are engaged with decision making, change in work practices and job satisfaction. Our findings reveal that employees would prefer more responsibilities, more involvement in the decision making and in change of work practices. Additionally, it seems that recognition and appreciation by management are the most valuable job satisfaction criteria. Therefore, our findings further support the conclusion that socio-technical principles are not outdated. From a socio-technical lens, the debate on the productivity issues should not only consider buying more technology as a crucial part of the design of a work process but additional effort is required to connect it with employees’ capabilities.
Using Open Systems Theory’s comprehensive, internally consistent conceptual framework, this paper analyses the world’s inadequate response to increasing anthropogenic global warming. The full diagnosis involves a motivation deficit born of a cultural malaise that has its roots in the industrial revolution and later, in the failure of the wave of social change in the 1960–1970s, that wave which precipitated a backlash from elites. The third major element is a pernicious economic system based on dysfunctional values where the planet has no intrinsic value. At the heart of the diagnosis lies the first genotypical, organizational design principle which produces hierarchies of dominance, of one person over another, and of people over the planet. The paper describes a plan to cure the motivation disease in Australia which can be adjusted for any country’s circumstances. It shows the logistics and design of the two-stage model, Search Conference plus Participative Design workshop, applied across the country such that the people of every region would participate in “The Future of Australia,” taking climate change into account. The design would revitalize communities, organizations and individuals. The paper also outlines how the United Nations would successfully deal with climate change if it functioned as an organization built on the second design principle, a non-dominant hierarchy based on collective work and negotiations between peers. Finally, it provides some data on why the designs would work. The scope of the paper limits consideration of the economic changes required.
Purpose – During discussions at the ASC 2013 Conference, the authors were stimulated to consider
acting, learning and understanding in the context of organizational change, and in particular the
relationship between organizational actors and external analysts. The purpose of this paper is to
review from a cybernetic perspective how a socio-technical toolbox can help to facilitate organizational
change, and to examine issues involved in use of such a toolbox by organizational actors supported by
expert analysts.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper is conceptual and adopts a critical stance, i.e. to
provide support for emancipation of individuals through ownership and control of their own analyses.
Findings – Drawing on work by e.g. Bateson, the authors consider organizations as dynamic and
complex human activity systems, and how actors can be helped to develop a productive learning
“spiral” of acting and reflecting by means of a proposed socio-technical toolbox. Acting and reflecting
upon action can be seen to form a “double helix” of learning, leading to richer understandings of
contextual dependencies. Engaged actors need support to surface their contextually dependent
understandings, individual and collectively and engage in a “dance of change”.
Practical implications – Change is endemic in organizational life. When engaging with change
activity that attempts to address complexity (as opposed to complicatedness), contextual experts need
to be the key decision takers. This means a redistribution not only of responsibility and action but also
decision-taking power.
Originality/value – The paper suggests augmentation of traditional socio-technical methods to
address dynamic complexity.
We revisit the original meaning of turbulence in the socioecological tradition of organization studies and outline a perspective on strategy making grounded in that tradition. This entails a contrast of the socioecological perspective with the more well-known neoclassical perspective on strategy, based on their core decision premises and their different understandings of environmental turbulence. We argue that while some mainstream strategy approaches have taken important strides toward addressing advanced turbulence, many others remain tethered to the neoclassical origins of the strategy discipline and are insufficiently responsive to the new landscape of strategy that now characterizes many industries. This new landscape is construed as the ‘hyper environment’, in which positive feedback processes and emergent field effects produce high volatility. We use two case illustrations from the US healthcare sector to examine how neoclassical and socioecological perspectives contribute to strategizing in hyper environments. Implications for strategic management theory and practice flow from this analysis.
50 articles dealing with stages of group development over time are separated by group setting: therapy-group studies, T-group studies, and natural- and laboratory-group studies. The stages identified in these articles are separated into those descriptive of social or interpersonal group activities and those descriptive of group-task activities. 4 general stages of development are proposed, and the review consists of fitting the stages identified in the literature to those proposed. In the social realm, these stages in the developmental sequence are testing-dependence, conflict, cohesion, and functional roles. In the task realm, they are orientation, emotionality, relevant opinion exchange, and the emergence of solutions. There is a good fit between observed stages and the proposed model. (62 ref.)
The current state of the art in open systems goes by the name of the 2 Stage Model. This paper describes it and traces its origins back through history as far as the group climate experiments conducted by the team led by Kurt Lewin in the late 1930s. There appears to be a general lack of knowledge and/or much misunderstanding about this history today. Other current methods often share these origins although many also include assumptions and components of the Human Relations movement. An example is the Future Search with which the Search Conference is often confused. Open systems and human relations are two major traditions in today’s organizational field and in their modern forms, they both draw from the work of Lewin, albeit different parts of it.
Diffusion is re-examined within an open systems model which takes into account the causal texture of the extended social field as well as the more traditional theoretical concerns. It focuses on methods developed to help people learn to participate in, and exercise more control over, their workplaces and communities. Diffusion is increased as the design and management of these learning events become congruent with their purposes and environmental trends. Structures and processes which encourage learning through working participatively are a precondition for the appearance of the motivation to diffuse. Behind these factors lies the affect system, and it is argued that the key to effective diffusion is the generation of the positive affects of excitement and joy. "The joy of learning" which produces diffusion contrasts with group assumptions and a "hatred of learning" which is often the result of traditional teaching.
Complex societies in fast-changing environments give rise to sets or systems of problems (meta-problems) rather than discrete problems. These are beyond the capacity of single organizations to meet. Inter-organizational collaboration is required by groups of organizations at what is called the “domain” level. The required capability at this level is mediated by “referent organizations. ” Key aspects of domain formation are discussed in relation to the functions and types of referent organization, of which there are several varieties. Four processes of domain development are identified which compose a sequence.
L'A. analyse les defis methodologiques, conceptuels, theoriques auxquels les sciences sociales auront a faire face. Il examine les methodes de prediction et de planification. Il envisage les bases conceptuelles et methodologiques des modeles predictifs. Il souligne que les sciences sociales devront etre capable, d'une part, d'apprehender les champs sociaux globaux, les mecanismes d'adaptation aux environnements turbulents et, d'autre part, de mettre en lumiere les possibilites reelles de transformation de l'environnement social
Charles Peirce's 'retroduction' is a form of hypothesis generation that takes its place alongside deduction and induction as forms of enquiry and logical inference. It is the only one of the three that can generate innovation and advance knowledge. It is fundamentally tied to open systems theory and the world hypothesis of contextualism. In particular, retroduction is founded in ecological learning, our ability to directly extract meaningful knowledge about our world. Ecological learning and retroduction define the logic of discovery. This ability arises from adaptation through a process of coevolution rather than natural selection. The implication of this adaptation is that no firm barriers can be drawn between common sense and scholarly knowledge, nor between researcher and researched when the researched are human systems. There are three choices of relationship between action researchers and their researched human systems, only one of which - collaboration - respects the intrinsic nature of the people involved.
This book presents a broad theoretical frame of reference for a science of personality. The author takes his stand against the traditional atomistic approach. Life is described as a self-transcending process; the organism, as a dynamic organization directed toward an increase of autonomy. The task of psychology most pertinent to the study of personality is "to investigate not only the intrapsychic organization but to recognize the universal symbolic character of mental functions, and to relate them to the holistic personality background, out of which they are elaborated." Neither exclusively organismic nor exclusively environmental determinants of personality exist; both must be defined in dynamic terms, and the relative importance of them differs greatly in the various manifestations of life. The concept of biospheric dynamics is presented according to which such concepts as tensions, drives, and valences appear when these are seen from the specific standpoints: of subject-object relationships, of the subject, and of the object respectively. A second trend is that toward homonomy, or the tendency for persons to fit into superindividual units. Specific dynamic trends, the problem of integration, and disturbances of integration are discussed, and the course of life is seen as a Gestalt. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
A discussion of the revolutionary nature of concepts advanced in Tolman's book
Purposive Behavior. The author points out the distinction between mechanistic and contextualistic concepts, identifying Tolman's with the latter, which are based on the assumption that parts are meaningless except as parts of a whole. Tolman's theories of immanent determinants and of initiating causes, behavior adjustments and capacities are shown to be contextualistic in nature. His avoidance of the secondary qualities and introspective approach are his inheritance from behaviorism, but are not essential aspects of his system. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Reviews the book,
The Freudian Wish and its Place in Ethics by E. B. Holt (see record
2006-03546-000). For psychology the value of this book lies chiefly in the endeavor it makes to advance the principles of purposive motivation in its purely behavioristic sense. To accomplish his end the author calls to his aid the purpose or "wish" of the Freudian psychology, clothes it in some new regimentals, and presses it into service under the emblem of the behaviorists. The author finds it to be the "first key which psychology has ever had which fitted" and, in his belief, "it is the only one that psychology will ever need." The very first few pages give us the concept of the "wish" as "any purpose or project for a course of action, whether it is being merely entertained by the mind or is being actually executed"; it is "dependent on a motor attitude of the physical body, which goes over into overt action and conduct when the wish is carried into execution." In developing this aspect of purposive initiation of conduct, the book affiliates itself to that group of publications which have recently attempted to reinstate the excommunicated "soul" into the good graces of the discipline. "The living body through a long process of organization has come at length to 'embody' purpose. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Reflecting on three phases of action research involving a large Canadian natural resource organization in its relevant environments, this article argues that, to be sustainable, cultural change in an organization must be directively correlated with change in the organization's environments. A brief case description and open systems analysis highlight how a local management lacking some conceptual rigor can collude with a shift in macroeconomic policy to produce confusion between laissez-faire and democratization. The analysis provides implications for future practice.
This paper describes a breakthrough method for obtaining a quantitative picture of an organization in its environments from qualitative Search Conference data. As such it validates the concept of a system in transaction with its environments, the relevant uncertainty of the current extended social environment with its mixture of ideal seeking and maladaption, and many other OST(E) constructs. The organization is a region of the USDA–Forest Service which used a series of 13 Searches to plan the future of the region. The overall picture produced demonstrates how the method extends the joint purposes of social science to generate further hypotheses about changing systems in today's global social field. It also shows that three beliefs in the social science literature can be dispelled; (1) it is difficult to measure complex phenomena, (2) qualitative and quantitative data are incommensurate, and (3) only a small number of variables can be handled simultaneously.
The paper seeks to explicate an action research methodological framework that can provide practical guidance to those approaching action research from a socioecological perspective. It does so by revisiting the developmental foundations of the Emery and Trist socioecological paradigm, by drawing on insights left scattered throughout Emery's writings, and by drawing on the author's own experience in action research. The framework explicated seeks to provide practical guidance for (i) intervention in field settings, to coproduce open social systems–environment active adaptation, i.e., action-research guided interventions to produce sought management outcomes, and (ii) generation and formalization of theory extensions to socioecological theory concerned with intervention strategy and intervention methodologies, i.e., action-research guided generation of socioecological theory suitable for social scientific publication.
An attempt is made to analyze interactive social behavior in terms of communicative acts. The basic assumption is, "that communication among humans performs the essential function of enabling two or more individuals to maintain simultaneous orientation toward one another as communicators and toward objects of communication." A rationale for this assumption is presented and then a set of propositions derived from and consistent with it are shown to be supported by much existing empirical evidence.
The Science of Behaviour and the Image of Man, Basic Books The co-determination of cultural change over time Speech: Its Function and Development Does time really precede existence? A reflection on Prigoginism
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The Strategy of the Indirect Approach The Freudian Wish and its Place in Ethics
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- E G Holt
Hart, L. (1946). The Strategy of the Indirect Approach, Faber and Faber. London. Holt, E. G. (1915). The Freudian Wish and its Place in Ethics, Holt, New York.
Characteristics of socio-technical systems The Emergence of a New Paradigm of Work The rationalisation of conflict: A case study The next thirty years Adaptive systems for our future governance
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Emery, F. E. (1959). Characteristics of socio-technical systems. In Emery, F. (ed.), The Emergence of a New Paradigm of Work. (Centre for Continuing Education, Australian National University, Canberra, 1978, pp. 38–86.) Emery, F. E. (1966). The rationalisation of conflict: A case study. TIHR Document, No. T821, Tavi-stock, London. Emery, F. (1967). The next thirty years. Hum. Relat. 20, 199–237. (Reprinted in Hum. Relat. 50(8), 885–935, 1997.) Emery, F. (1976a). Adaptive systems for our future governance. In Emery, M. (ed.), Participative Design for Participative Democracy, Centre for Continuing Education, Australian National Uni-versity, Canberra, pp. 185–199 (1993).
A Choice of Futures Project Australia: Its Chances. P.A. Consulting Services, Mel-bourne
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Emery, F., and Emery, M. (1976). A Choice of Futures, Martinus Nijhoff, Leiden. Emery, F., and Emery, M. (1979). Project Australia: Its Chances. P.A. Consulting Services, Mel-bourne. In Trist, E., Emery, F., and Murray, H. (eds.), The Social Engagement of Social Science, Vol. III, University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, pp. 336–353 (1997).
Experiences in Groups Substance and Function in Einstein's Theory of Relativity, Open Court The Science of Behaviour and the Image of Man, Basic Books The co-determination of cultural change over time
- W R Bion
Bion, W. R. (1961). Experiences in Groups, Tavistock. London. Cassirer, E. (1923). Substance and Function in Einstein's Theory of Relativity, Open Court, Chicago. Chein, I. (1972). The Science of Behaviour and the Image of Man, Basic Books, New York. deGuerre, D. (2000). The co-determination of cultural change over time. Syst. Pract. Act. Res. 13, xx–xx.
Speech: Its Function and Development Does time really precede existence? A reflection on Prigoginism
- G A Laguna
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- D Paoli
de Laguna, G. A. (1927). Speech: Its Function and Development. (Indiana University Press, 1963.) De Paoli, D. (2000). Does time really precede existence? A reflection on Prigoginism. 21st Century Spring, 27–44.
Form and Content in Industrial Democracy The causal texture of organizational environments
- F Emery
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- Tavistock
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- F E Emery
- E L Trist
Emery, F., and Thorsrud, E. (1969). Form and Content in Industrial Democracy, Tavistock, London. Emery, F. E., and Trist, E. L. (1965). The causal texture of organizational environments. Hum. Relat. 18, 21–32.
The Philosophy of the Present, Open Court A brief introduction to the Emerys Search Conference
- G H Mead
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Mead, G. H. (1932). The Philosophy of the Present, Open Court, Chicago. Morley, D., and Trist, E. (1993). A brief introduction to the Emerys' " Search Conference. " In Trist, E., and Murray, H. (eds.), The Social Engagement of Social Science, Vol. II, University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, pp. 674–678.
The Science of Behaviour and the Image of Man, Basic Books
- I Chein
Speech: Its Function and Development
- G A De Laguna
Adaptive systems for our future governance Participative Design for Participative Democracy, Centre for Continuing Education
- F Emery
Does time really precede existence? A reflection on Prigoginism. 21st Century Spring
- De Paoli
Participative design: Work and community life
- F Emery
- M Emery
Introduction to the 1993 edition
- M Emery
Quality of working life and community development
- E L Trist
The Freudian Wish and its Place in Ethics
- E G Holt
A brief introduction to the Emerys' “Search Conference
- D Morley
- E Trist
Pythagoras' Trousers: God, Physics and the Gender Wars, Five Continents Music Inc., Times Books
- M Wertheim
An Introduction to Peirce's Philosophy Interpreted as a System
- J K Feibleman
The Philosophy of the Present
- G H Mead