Leadership and Learning: A Critical Reexamination of Senge’s Learning Organization

From its inception the concept of the learning organization has been identified with a particular type of organization or new forms of organizational learning. But it is often forgotten that Senge’s ‘system thinking’ formulation of the learning organization was inseparable from an attempt to reformulate a new way of thinking about change agency and leadership in organizations. Here it is argued that Senge’s learning organization can be re-conceptualised as a partial fusion of ‘systems thinking’ and learning theories that leads to a concept of organizational learning as a form of ‘distributed leadership’. However, the concept is critically flawed because it cannot theorise the organizing practices by which learning to lead and leading to learn are shared or distributed in organizations. It is concluded that Senge’s under-theorized focus on distributed leadership consistently neglects issues of practice and issues of power. As such his work does not provide an exploration of the possibilities for increasing the dispersal of human agency, power, knowledge and autonomy within the workplace.     

Making learning critical: Identity, emotion, and power in processes of management development

In recent years, a substantial volume of broadly critical knowledge of management and organization has been established, but comparatively little attention has been given to the question of how the insights of such knowledge might be communicated or applied pedagogically. The temptation or danger, arguably, is for critical knowledge to be substituted for the content of “traditional management education,” with minimal regard for its contribution to processes of personal, social, and organizational development. The chief purpose of this paper is to put some flesh on the claim that critical theory can make an important contribution to the principles and practice of management education. After summarizing some key differences between “traditional management education” and action learning (concerning learning and personal experience), these differences are illustrated by reference to a case study, which in turn, provides a basis for highlighting the relevance of critical thinking for addressing problems and issues thrown up through action learning for managers.     

Refocusing Systems Analysis of Organizations Through a Semiotic Lens: Interpretive Framework and Method

Recent advances in systems theory have significantly raised its utility for supporting problem-structuring activity in organizations. However, this approach has been inadequately developed for representing and evaluating the nature and outcomes of organizational functioning. Toward that end this paper introduces a new method, called interpretive systems analysis, which incorporates ideas from semiotic theory. Using this method, the complex web of agents, actions, means, and circumstances in organizational functioning may be analytically discriminated into multiple courses of action that are emphasized on dimensions of legitimacy, motivation, and power. An integrative appraisal of key elements and factors shaping organizational performance may then be achieved through the formulation of “systems of significance,” formed of oppositional and associative relations. Organizations can thus be illuminated in terms of principle inconsistencies and tensions shaping their operations. The application and utility of this method is illustrated through a case study of customer service operations.     

Organizations as soap bubbles: An evolutionary perspective on organization design

In this paper we approach the problem of organizational order (that is, how patterns in organizational actions and design features emerge) from an evolutionary perspective. It is argued that constructivist rationalism, the doctrine that organizational order is the product of human design, is inadequate, for it conflates human action with human design. We argue that organizational order is neither the outcome of anthropomorphic design nor the product of sheer chance but the nonconscious outcome of evolutionary processes. Organizations are likened to soap bubbles: they consist of individuals acting in a quasi-random manner who are plastically controlled-that is, their actions are selected by-higher-level regulative processes concerned with survival. Quasi-random trial-and-error actions are the raw material that is subsequently transformed into a meaningful whole through reflection. The latter acts as a selection process and gives rise to an enacted organizational order that is retained and conditions further sensemaking.An early draft of this paper was presented at the conference Culture, Knowledge, Communications in Systems, July 1–4, 1992, University of the Aegean, Samos, Greece.     

ROLE OF α-PSEUDO-UNIVEX FUNCTIONS IN VECTOR VARIATIONAL-LIKE INEQUALITY PROBLEMS

In this paper, we introduce a new class of generalized convex function, namely, a-pseudounivex function, by combining the concepts of pseudo-univex and α-invex functions. Further, we establish some relationships between vector variational-like inequality problems and vector optimization problems under the assumptions of α-pseudo-univex functions. Results obtained in this paper present a refinement and improvement of previously known results.     

信息技术与组织变革:理论、模型及其在银行的应用研究

信息技术对组织变革的影响、以及如何利用信息、技术变革组织是目前企业所面临的一个至关重要的问题．首先归纳了信息技术对组织变革影响的基本理论,并提出一种新的观点作为对这些理论的扩展．然后,分析了组织管理模型、战略联合模型及企业再造的优缺点,提出了组织变革均衡模型及利用该模型变革组织的两种方法——企业战略驱动和信息技术战略驱动．最后,利用该模型对银行组织变革进行了研究     

一种新的基于神经网络的非线性组合预测方法

一种新的基于神经网络的非线性组合预测方法文新辉牛明洁（西安电子科技大学，７１００７１）（新疆石油学院，乌鲁木齐８３００００）ＡＮｅｗＮｏｎｌｉｎｅａｒＣｏｍｂｉｎｅｄＦｏｒｅｃａｓｔｉｎｇＭｅｔｈｏｄｏｎｔｈｅＢａｓｉｓｏｆＮｅｕｒａｌＮｅｔｗｏｒｋ...     

The Continuous Improvement Grid: An Empirical Investigation into the Effectiveness of a Systems,and Action Research,Based Continuous Improvement Intervention,for ‘New’ Organisation Development

This paper is a rare example of a large scale (n = 1310), positivist, evaluation of an action research program. It documents how the Royal Navy used the principles of scholarly consulting and pragmatic science to develop, apply and review a systems based tool, and associated ‘new organisation development’ intervention, to help staff explore and share perceptions of working practices, in order to expand their awareness of their current work situation and so uncover opportunities for improvement. Survey results suggest that the majority of individuals found the interventions valuable and participants in the events enjoyed significantly higher levels of understanding of the organisation, and greater collective, and individual, benefit from it. Findings also provide empirical evidence of the importance of involvement to making successful change, especially when dealing with the change averse. Overall the experience, of which the action research based study and associated positivist survey were part, reinforce the importance of what is described as ‘normative realigning pedagogy’—helping people change by facilitating their generation of new forms of understanding.     

The Interaction Programming Problem

1　 IntroductionMany economic systems involve two or multiple planners with differentdecision variablesand different objective functions.In some of these problems,any planners′choice of hisdecision variables may affect the other′s choice of their decision variables.Each planner,in an attempt to optimize his objective function,chooses values for the variables that hecontrols when the other planners′decision variables were given.There are no hierarchyamong all the planners.The values of any …     

On Insiders (Emic) and Outsiders (Etic): Views of Self,and Othering

“Insiders” and “outsiders” to social issues is a concept that is an integral part of Participatory Action Research, which emphasizes the partnering and working together with people who are closest to the problem by dint of personal experience and identity, in order to address complex social problems. The writer believes that working with “insiders” in regard to social issues is a powerful concept but not as simple as it might at first seem to be. This paper explores the problems associated with accepting the concept wholeheartedly by using a real-life example of a community issue to explore it.     

Peirce and Beer

This paper considers the philosophical background of Stafford Beer's Viable Systems Diagnosis (VSD) as profoundly influenced by Charles Peirce. In a general sense, our work discusses the VSD theory base in the development of a model for actionable theory in organizations. This paper examines VSD theory in the Beer trilogy ‘Brain of the Firm,’ ‘The Heart of the Enterprise’ and ‘Diagnosing the System’ and we propose that a sound set of VSD action principles can be derived from this trilogy. We contend that the philosophical background underpinning these principles is important. Using Beer’s ‘Decision and Control,’ we consider that philosophical background and link Operational Research and the interdisciplinary learning within Cybernetics to modern general systems theory. We explore Beer’s viewpoint on the Peirce depiction of four main methods of fixing belief; tenacity, authority, a priori and finally the scientific to assist in that expansion. We consider how knowledge of Beer’s perspective on making sense of the world is important in the linkage of VSD theory to the managerial problem arena. We relate the Peirce methods to previously reported problem solving exercises involving the VSD ideology, which we will develop individually at a later date. This paper reflects our desire to express the interpretation of VSD theory in a language that the well-informed manager may readily translate into the third step of testing theory in practice.     

Perspectives on executive information systems

Executives who consider the acquisition of Executive Information Systems (EIS) may encounter several major problems already in their selection and introduction stages. Key issues are the following: Can the EIS's really match our managerial needs and support decision making in our organizational contingencies? How widely in the leadership levels can they be introduced? Are they easy-to-learn, easy-to-use and easily customizable? Do they utilize the newest information technology, e.g. graphics and modern interface technology? Can they work in our computer network? In order to facilitate elegant solutions of the selection problems, we construct an evaluation framework which guides the selection of an EIS product to match the managerial needs according to the organizational contingencies. This framework is useful immediately after the specification of the decision making support requirements of the executive. The effectiveness of the framework is shown by applying it and analyzing 13 EIS products. We also offer introduction and use experiences from four English and four Finnish large companies covering the opinions of 132 EIS users. In this paper we give general answers to the questions above and discuss other relevant issues.     

Competency-Based Model Through It: An Action Research Project

Competency-based management is a strategic approach for Human Resources Management and organizational change. Additionally, in business environment, information technologies competencies are a significant factor to organizational success (Bharadwaj, MIS Q 24(1):169–196, 2006). However the implementation of a model of competency-based management in business environment is difficult and complex (Lawler, J Organ Behav 15(1):3–15, 1993). In this context, Information systems are a suitable tool to manage individual and organizational knowledge (Alavi and Leidner, MIS Q 25(1):107–136, 2001; Bowman, Inf Syst Manag 19(3):32–40, 2002). This paper introduces a dynamic approach to a competency-based model through IT. We validate such approach through an action research project in RTVE, the largest company and reference public corporation of radio and television in Spain. The action research process in this organization is presented, and the findings highlight the potential benefits of the proposed model, and may be used in facilitating organizational change.     

Feminist Systems Theory: Learning by Praxis

Feminist Systems Theory (FST) is an emerging theory grounded in cultural ecofeminism and critical systems theory. FST’s contribution is in a set of principles that contain implications for community development and social research. FST brings to the fore the importance of valuing and considering the voices of people at the margins of social research and community development projects and is an effort towards a new ontology and language of person and nature to adequately address environmental marginalization. The ‘systems’ theory contribution to FST enriches our repertoires of methods and tools with an emphasis on systems thinking characterised by the use of boundary analysis. FST is ideally situated to enhance systemic intervention practice, an application of action research and participatory research practices. This paper will examine ‘process philosophy’ necessary to understand the nature of boundary analysis and the implications for FST and praxis with relevant examples drawn from case studies of current applications of FST in action research settings; (1) economic analysis and transition pathways; (2) policy analysis of the Close the Gap strategy for Indigenous equality and equity in Australia; (3) a community food distribution system; and, (4) a community health and diabetes prevention program.     

数字化转型下航空发动机仿真技术发展机遇及应用展望

新时代我国社会经济的发展和国防能力的提升，对航空发动机的发展提出了更高的要求，亟需推进航空发动机数字化转型，以实现航空发动机协同、敏捷、高效研制。结合我国航空发动机研发现状，阐明了新兴前沿技术发展赋予航空发动机仿真技术“快速高效、精准映射、全面覆盖、动态预测”的新内涵，以及具备的“时空泛在、数据驱动、动态演进、规范可控、智能高效”等新技术特征，分析提出了“应用全域覆盖、数据高效传递、模型全面贯通”的航空发动机仿真技术框架，论述了数字化转型给航空发动机仿真技术带来的权威数据源构建、全系统模型贯通、数值快速计算、仿真可信度评估和仿真全过程动态演进等发展机遇，并对其在航空发动机的需求论证、协同研制、运行维护等研制阶段深度应用进行了展望。     

Application of the Search Conference methodology to planning in higher education

An adaptation of a First-World planning method was successfully used to help solve the problematic situation confronted by a Third-World higher education institution. The Search Conference is a method which enables the necessary conditions for a set of individuals to engage into a comprehensive process of reflection and design over a specific social system or domain. While preserving its essential characteristics, the Search Conference has been adapted to respond to a Third-World organizational environment. The realization of a “massive” conference in a Mexican public university triggered a participative strategic planning process of long-lasting consequences. The university community designed a desired future for the institution which became the guiding force to mobilize it in the agreed-upon direction. They also learned how to plan and carry on projects participatively. Some tangible results are the identification of students' regional demand, with the consequent creation of four new bachelors degrees and two masters degrees; the creation of a program to support those faculty members who would be willing to undertake masters and doctoral studies in outside prestigious universities; the increase in enrollment as a result of combined actions; and the opening of two extension centers off campus to improve the external community's involvement. In conclusion, a change of attitude emerged from the conference, which has been instrumental for the continuing involvement of the internal community in the creation of a new university agreeable to all.     

贝叶斯决策的影响图分析方法

对一般的贝叶斯决策问题, 常用的求解手段是决策树分析方法。本文则用影响图分析方法对贝叶斯决策问题进行表征和求解, 并将两个方法作了比较。另外, 本文给出了关于影响图变换运算的两个新结果。     

A new <Emphasis Type="Italic">ɛ</Emphasis>-generalized projection method of strongly sub-feasible directions for inequality constrained optimization

In this paper, the nonlinear optimization problems with inequality constraints are discussed. Combining the ideas of the strongly sub-feasible directions method and the ɛ-generalized projection technique, a new algorithm starting with an arbitrary initial iteration point for the discussed problems is presented. At each iteration, the search direction is generated by a new ɛ-generalized projection explicit formula, and the step length is yielded by a new Armijo line search. Under some necessary assumptions, not only the algorithm possesses global and strong convergence, but also the iterative points always get into the feasible set after finite iterations. Finally, some preliminary numerical results are reported.     

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.     

The Self-Organization of Social Movements

The New Social Movement Approach and the Resource Mobilization Approach are the dominant approaches in social movement research. They focus either on macro-aspects and externalism or on micro-aspects and internalism. This paper suggests that the notion of self-organization is one way of taking into account both internal and external, structural- and action-based aspects of social movements and that it allows a dynamic concept of protest. The emergence of social movements is not determined, but a complex result of crisis, resource mobilization, cognitive mobilization, self-production—searching for singular laws of the emergence of movements is an expression of one-dimensional, linear, and deterministic thinking. Protest and social problems are non-linearly related. Social movements are part of the civil society system, by producing alternative topics and demands, they guarantee the dynamic of the political system. Existing system-theoretic approaches on social movements (Luhmann, Japp, Ahlemeyer, Hellmann) are rather uncritical and ignore the productive relationship between human actors and social structures in processes of social self-organization. Social movements are dynamic communication systems that permanently react to political and societal events with self-organized protest practices and protest communications that result in the emergence and differentiation (production and reproduction) of protest structures (events, oppositional topics, alternative values, regularized patterns of interaction and organization). The dynamic of social movements is based on the permanent emergence and mutual production of protest practices and protest structures. The self-organization of a social movement is a vivid process, it is based on the permanent movement and differentiation of actors and structures that communicate public protest, a social movement is only a movement, as long as it communicates protest and moves itself. In critical phases of protest new social systems of protest emerge whose form, content and effects are not determined, but dependent upon old structures, i.e., old structures enable and constrain new structures. The emergence of new protest issues, methods, identities, structures, and organizational forms starts as singular innovation, if it is widely imitated then it spreads within the protest system and transforms the system as a whole. In terms of Hegelian dialectics this means that novel qualities sublate the old structure of the total system, i.e., the system is transformed, reaches a higher level, incorporates old qualities, and creates new qualities. In critical phases protest can spontaneously and quickly spread and intensify itself. This reflects the idea of complexity thinking that small causes can spontaneously have large effects. The notion of self-organization as the idea of the networked, co-operative, synergetic production of emergent qualities and systems should be employed in order to arrive at a dynamic concept of protest. In order to reflect the increasing complexity of society and the emergence of a stratified knowledge society, a multidimensional model of class that is structurally coupled to the concept of social movements is suggested.