An Organizational Cybernetics Framework for Designing a Viable Higher Education System

Systemic Practice and Action Research - The Viable System Model (VSM) is an Organizational Cybernetics framework mainly used to handle systems complexity. The fundamental role of the VSM is to...     

薪酬管理系统演化的熵变模型构建

将热力学系统中的熵、耗散结构理论引入薪酬管理系统的演化研究,依据薪酬管理系统的耗散特性,在薪酬管理系统结构模型的基础上,建立了薪酬管理系统演化的熵变模型,对薪酬管理系统熵进行量化计算,通过可观测的状态参量考察薪酬管理系统在特定时点上的进化状态和条件,为企业薪酬管理系统变革提供参考建议。     

The Viable System Model and Its Application to Complex Organizations

Stafford Beer’s Viable System Model is the best known of the many cybernetic models he constructed over a career spanning more than 50 years. He explored the necessary conditions for viability in any complex system whether an organism, an organization or a country. Although the model was first applied in his work in the steel industry, many further applications were made during his later work as a consultant. The best known of these was when he was invited by President Salvadore Allende of Chile in 1970 to model the social economy of that country. That experiment was brutally cut short in 1973 by the CIA assisted coup during which Allende was killed and Pinochet’s dictatorship installed. The model itself draws on mathematics, psychology, biology, neurophysiology, communication theory, anthropology and philosophy. It was first expressed in mathematical terms in ‘The Cybernetic Factory’; next it was described in neurophysiological terms in Brain of the firm; and finally according to logic and graphic presentation in Heart of Enterprise and Diagnosing the System for Organizations. This last version is the one that is most accessible. It enables people to address organizational issues in a way that skirts the usual categories and organization charts and gets down to the actual necessary functions, no matter who is performing them. With this model people can get a boost as they diagnose or design an organizations. One aspect is to discover what the organization’s critical variables are and to find or install the homeostats that will show that they are maintaining equilibrium. Within that context, the model will help you ascertain that the principle functions and communications channels are in place and can function effectively. A crucial aspect of the VSM is that it is recursive; that is that the same relationships can be traced from the shop floor to the corporation or from the village to the country. Two examples will be discussed: a small business and the Chilean work from the 1970s. It is hoped that this will encourage people to imagine a world that works much better than it does now and where management is not defeated by complexity. A version of this paper was delivered as the first Stafford Beer Memorial Lecture on July 8, 2007 at the World Multiconference on Systems, Cybernetics and Informatics in Orlando Florida.     

Application of Viable System Model in Diagnosis of Organizational Structure

Systemic Practice and Action Research - A well-designed organizational structure is a cornerstone of achieving an organization’s goals while suiting the environmental challenges. Structural...     

质量生存决策的重演化分析和策略探讨

基于仿真实例对质量生存决策进行了重演化分析.通过分析发现,由于期望的加入,系统的生存演化和策略都发生了变化,质量生存决策重演化比生存决策重演化更加稳定、策略更加丰富、更加符合实际的决策情况.重演化分析的结构表明:人们在主观上希望经济稳步发展可能是客观上造成经济非正常波动的原因.     

Fuzzy控制预报模型及其应用

论述了 Fuzzy控制预报模型的建模方法 ,并探讨了该模型在麦长管蚜发生期预报中的应用 :我们将麦长管蚜发生期的预报过程拟成一个 Fuzzy控制系统 ,预报因子作为系统的输入 ,预报对象作为系统的输出 ,根据历年系统观测资料 ,建立了 Fuzzy控制预报模型 .对历史资料进行回代验证 ,其历史拟合率达 1 0 0 %.将 1 995年观测数据作为独立样本进行试报 ,预测结果与实际一致 .     

农业系统控制理论与控制方法的研究

在总结农业总体设计实施与推广的基础上,对农业系统控制理论一控制方法进行了研究,并在实践中进行了应用。     

Design Rules for Intranets According to the Viable System Model

The Viable System Model, VSM, by Stafford Beer is a model used for diagnosing and designing organizational structure and communication to facilitate necessary and sufficient conditions for viability. The model has been used for diagnosing different kinds of organizations at different levels where its use highlights existing or missing communication patterns and information flows in different communication channels and relates findings to a viable system. In a previous article, VSM and Intranet have been discussed and examples of advantages of combining the two concepts when designing organizations, has been given. In this article, VSM is combined with Intranet and possible functions in an intranet that support information exchange between different systems are identified and described. The suggested functions identified in this article are finally related to Intranet use modes, and the concepts of Empowerment vs. control.     

From Cybernetics and VSD to Management and Action

This paper uses Stafford Beer's Viable Systems Diagnosis (VSD) to suggest that the development of a model for actionable theory in organizations would take the form of a three-step process. The first step involves the definition and explanation of an appropriate theory base, the second theory interpretation into a coherent set of action principles and the third contextual action in organizations. We contend that even for a well-informed and widely read manager gleaning the theoretical basis for this process from the recognized Beer trilogy “Brain of the Firm,” “The Heart of the Enterprise” and “Diagnosing the System” is difficult to justify in terms of time, understanding, and action. We maintain that a sound set of action principles emanating from Beer's primary work must be considered before tackling the noted trilogy. We use Beer's initial text “Cybernetics and Management” to trace some fundamental operational research and the interdisciplinary tripartite science of cybernetics. We commence our action model process with some introductory thoughts into operational research, cybernetics, VSD, and contextual action. Our first step toward action involves some primary definitions and principles of cybernetic theory and the prospect of controlling overwhelming variety. Our second step provides our set of coherent potential action principles fundamental to cybernetic theory. The paper is written in a journalistic rather than academic style reflecting the need to couch the interpretation of the theory in a language that the well-informed manager may readily translate into third step contextual practice.     

系统动力学模型的进化

系统动力学模型用结构展现系统行为，因此，系统动力学的重点是发现结构。但是，以一种固定不变的结构表现复杂的社会系统，是很粗糙的。本文讨论系统动力学模型的进化问题，即建立模型的染色体，模型的有性繁殖，以及通过选择获得适应力强的个体，最终达到适应变化着的环境的目的。     

Diagnosing Business Incubation for Social Purpose: A Viable System Model Approach

Systemic Practice and Action Research - Business incubation is one of the means that promotes the overall business and economic growth of a particular location. However, to date, the role of...     

基于控制论的计算机生成兵力实体对象行为模型

实体行为建模是计算机生成兵力(CGF)研究的重要内容。基于控制论的基本思想，提出适应虚拟战场需求的虚拟实体对象行为模型ESCP。ESCP行为模型由感受器、效应器和控制器三部分组成，感受器感知虚拟战场环境信息和内部反馈事件，效应器反映CGF实体对象对虚拟战场环境的作用，控制器对感知的虚拟战场环境信息进行处理，并对实体的行为进行控制。ESCP支持复合行为、协同行为以及行为并发，行为可重用。     

风险投资系统演化描述方法与模型研究

根据系统科学有关系统演化的理论描述,分析并构建了描述风险投资系统演化的方法和模型,为应用系统科学研究风险投资宏观发展问题奠定基础。具体根据系统发展经历不同性质的演化阶段的理论观点,分析描述风险投资系统演化过程的方法;通过对演化方程局限性分析,提出系统阶段演化影响函数模型的概念,以描述某阶段系统变量对系统演化的作用关系。     

知识管理系统与企业管理模式创新

知识管理系统是一个复杂系统 ,涉及管理机制、人、信息技术平台和知识资源组织等方面的要素。知识管理的许多创造性观点都归功于复杂性理论 (CAS理论 )。知识管理对传统管理模式提出了挑战 ,带来了企业管理模式的创新和革命。     

The Viable Systems Model Applied to a National System of Innovation to Inform Policy Development

This paper outlines how the viable systems model (VSM) can provide insights into a National System of Innovation by focussing on the necessary variety needed to match the system's changing external environment. Because an innovation system is more diffuse than a firm, the VSM needs to be described within an ‘ecological’ metaphor. This approach gives insights into the system's learning processes, showing that there can be a trade-off between variety and control for the system to maintain a fixed level of viability. Furthermore, for many innovation systemsthe coordination is ‘soft’; taking place through markets, through Government directions, and through relationships embodied in clusters, unions or industry groups, etc.Governments generally can only manage the system indirectly by facilitating the generation of the necessary variety, influencing strategic directions, filling gaps in the system and encouraging coordination. Societal or cultural innovations, such as new forms of citizen participation in decision-making, may well improve the viability of an innovation system. However, if these innovations are pursued for societal rather than economic purposes, they fall outside the usual definition of innovation within an NSI.     

Embodiments of organizational fitness: The Viable System Model (VSM) as a guide

Managers are facing new problems in their quest for organizational fitness. With environments of growing complexity, foresight, adaptability, and learning become critical features for a social system to survive and develop. Established models of organizational control are insufficient to cope with this proliferating complexity. The science of cybernetics provides powerful models to master this key challenge to management. The present article offers a synthesis of Beer's Viable System Model (VSM) and a multilevel concept of organizational fitness, based on recent progress made in the field of planning theory.     

Cybernetics and systems at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Society of Management Science and Applied Cybernetics (SOMAC)

CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) is the largest civil research organization in India, and SOMAC (the Society of Management Science and Applied Cybernetics) is the first cybernetics society in India. How cybernetics and systems (C and S) have been applied by these two organizations for the last 25 years forms the theme of this paper.