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.     

基于多色分级网络的舰炮保障组织柔性重构

针对舰炮保障组织在复杂多变的条件下难以实施动态、高效、精确保障的问题,引入了增强保障组织柔性的思想。通过分析舰炮保障组织的特征、组织柔性的定义及其描述需求,提出了构建舰炮保障组织模型的多色分级网络方法,对组织的网络结构、节点属性及节点间的关联进行了详细描述。在舰炮保障流程中加入了保障组织柔性重构步骤,并给出了具体的柔性重构算法、组织柔性多维度量参数与方法。最后通过仿真实例对比分析了柔性重构与随机重构的柔性度量参数变化,表明了方法的有效性与可行性,及其对舰炮保障组织柔性设计与优化的指导性。     

Constancy and change: Flexible organization structures

Management organization structure is the most sensitive characteristic displayed by a business organization in the process of its adaptation to the changing environment. It is well-known, however, that excessive changeability of the structure makes the management system unstable and leads to less effective organizational behavior. The author believes that the reason lies in the fact that the structural changes almost always involve the management system's composition too. This shortcoming is rarely found in matrix management of goal-oriented programs. However, application of this type of management structure is limited as complexity of management increases disproportionately. Systems analysis of the problem situation leads to two new conclusions: (a) the variety of management organization structures required by business organizations to adapt to the changing environment can be extended if the organizational relations are regarded as part of organizational/economic symbiosis and their interrelated change; and (b) enhancement of the program component in the matrix structure makes it possible to design stable manage-management structures with a dynamic composition. Implementation of this concept in large-scale business systems brought about essentially new forms of production units' self-organization that became known as state production associations. It makes the large-scale business organizations' structures far less complex and increase their flexibility without disturbing the management systems' resilience. The newly developed principles of organizational design are universal.     

基于元网络的项目组织学习能力对任务完成影响评价仿真方法

组织能力是影响项目任务完成的决定性因素,而学习能力是组织能力形成的关键基础.基于元网络理论和动态仿真方法,将组织(人)、知识和任务视为多智能体复杂交互系统,提出知识扩散度和任务完成水平两项关键指标,研究项目组织学习能力对任务完成水平影响的内在机理.以通用品牌别克汽车4S店建设项目群管理为例,验证评价指标的合理性,并进一步通过仿真实验,识别项目组织的关键知识、关键组织以及关键学习阶段,进行组织学习能力提升和任务分配的优化.为项目组织设计、任务分配及组织学习的研究探索了一种有效的方法.     

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.     

系统生成论体系与方法论初探

试图从生成论的自然观出发,从整体上理解和把握从系统论到混沌学,直至复杂网络研究的这一系统科学之学科群,重新梳理、认识各学科之间的互相联系,以及它们之间的内在逻辑,建构生成论的系统科学体系。文章以超循环理论为基础,讨论了复杂系统生成的基本机制,并由此推出生成性系统的重要特征。试图突破西方传统的还原论,提出系统生成论的方法论原则——“复元论”或“探源论”,为系统科学的生成论研究方向寻找统一的方法论基础。     

复杂适应系统观的组织变革——提升企业环境适应力的途径

通过组织变革提升环境适应力是企业生存和发展的关键.本文从复杂性管理范式出发,基于复杂适应系统的视角,分析了复杂适应组织的适应机制:适应性主体的学习能力和适应性行为能够涌现为组织学习和系统演化,提升整体的适应能力.因此,复杂适应组织在应对不确定的环境复杂变动时具有高度的适应力,是组织变革的方向.而网络型组织则是在多智能体组织的思路指导下实现构建复杂适应组织的途径.     

Complexity and Change: Two "Semantic Tricks" in the Triumphant Oscillating Organization

This article is about the effects of the semantics "complexity and change" used for intraorganizational communication about the relation between organization and environment. Our hypothesis is that communications along this semantic will have profound effects on the organization as to steering as it undermines the idea of organizational unity and establishes the future or utopia as the frame of reference for communication around steering. Our empirical findings from the development in the Danish central administration points in that direction. This is not necessarily implying organizational breakdown, however it might provide the basis for "oscillocracy" that is steering through acceleration of communicative flexibility and ambiguity. As theoretical frame we have chosen the German sociologist Niklas Luhmann and his communicative systems theory, which is introduced at the beginning of the article. In the central part, we present our empirical findings and at the end of the article we reflect upon oscillation.     

The Organizational View of Public Participation: A Narrative Analysis

The following research paper presents results of an ethnographic investigation focused on the participatory process of a public project for urban environmental rehabilitation. This public intervention, called Iguaçu Project, is being carried out in the Baixada Fluminense, in the Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Region (RJMR). Drawing upon the literature on social learning from both organizational and environmental management studies, the research investigates when and why social learning occurs within a participatory arena. The paper presents an analysis of stories told by nine key informants, selected as representatives of the main social categories involved in the project. The different meanings the narrators attributed to participation, environment, knowledge and learning in their stories, are analysed through abductive reasoning, i.e. through a continuous reference to the literature and confrontation with former narrative analysis in business organizations. The findings show an interpretative framework based on development of multiple-loop learning theory, defined as contextual loops. Furthermore, it identifies five explanatory propositions to answer the research questions. The occurrence of social learning in participatory arenas seems to depend upon five organizationally related factors: a systematized organizational structure; the participants’ commitments and the pluralism of the participatory arena; the process proponents’ reliability, the supporting role of a facilitator.     

自主运行分布式卫星组织分析与设计方法

分布式卫星自主运行是航天领域一个崭新的发展方向。将自主运行的分布式卫星视为复杂适应系统，并将组织理论用于系统的分析和设计，给出组织结构、组织、角色等概念的形式化描述，简要介绍自主运行分布式卫星的组织结构，并提出一种面向结构的组织分析与设计方法。结合编队构形变换任务的具体实例，介绍了该方法的主要思想和基本步骤。研究表明，该方法可在保证系统柔性的同时有效控制系统复杂性，为自主运行分布式卫星的分析与设计提供有益的指导。     

分形视角下的非常规突发事件应急协同组织

随着跨地域、跨部门、跨功能等协同处置需求增强,动态协同成为应急组织研究的热点.本文从系统理论的角度,借鉴分形的思想,将分形方法论引入非常规突发事件的组织系统理论研究中,以应急单元间的供需关系(demand-supply(DS))和授权-执行(delegation-to do(DT))关系为主线,生成了协同的应急组织分形元.分形元中的每个应急单元具有双重角色,既可以作为父分形元中应急任务的能力单元,也可以作为子分形元中应急任务的指挥单元,应急组织分形元间关系繁衍构建了分形应急组织模型.组织模型构建中,我们应用计算数学组织理论,以应急任务、应急能力单元和应急指挥单元为关键要素,构建了分形应急组织的优化模型.最后,我们以8.12天津港重大安全生产事故为例,说明了分形应急组织应对环境变化的灵活性和高效性.     

A PATH ANALYTICAL ANALYSIS OF ORGANIZATIONAL INTEGRATION PRACTICES＇ EFFECTS ON MANUFACTURING FLEXIBILITY AND COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGF

To cope with an increasingly turbulent environment, manufacturing firms increasingly implement integration practices to enhance flexibility in the production process. This research develops a framework to explore the relationships among organizational integration practices, manufacturing flexibility, and competitive advantage. The study develops valid and reliable instruments to measure these constructs, and it applies structural equation modeling to test relationships among these variables using a large sample. The results indicate strong, positive, and direct relationships between organizational integration practices and manufacturing flexibility, and between manufacturing flexibility and competitive advantage. The results also indicate that organizational integration practices enhance competitive advantage directly as well as indirectly by facilitating manufacturing flexibility.     

A Systemic Model for Managing and Evaluating Conflicts in Organizational Change

Change or innovation diffusion is a key issue for most business organizations but is yet difficult to implement as the change management process is often complex as it relies on an organized methodology to complement an organization’s commitment and participation. An ambiguous environment surrounding change mechanism tends to develop unintended attitudes, resulting in resistance and conflict. The study proposes a model for the management of such conflicts among change participants (involved and affected) in the context of organizational change. The authors consider organizational change process as an innovation project that treats change and conflicts holistically with the Ulrich’s notion of boundary considerations (boundary critique). A social network setting of multiple stakeholders is considered to effectively help in resolving problematic situations that hinder organizational learning and change. The proposed model provides a theoretical foundation based on concepts governing Critical Systems Heuristics (CSH), change theory, stakeholder theory and conflict management.     

Modeling Analysis of Complex Products Resource Integration Behavior Under Distributed Collaborative Technology Innovation Mode

According to new features of distributed technology innovation collaboration of complex products of China's aviation,in the multi-agent collaborative RD process,between main manufacturer and suppliers,this paper summarizes the organizational structure and characteristics of collaborative mode of distributed technology innovation of complex products,basing on the technological innovation and resource integration of complex products,and treating resource contribution rate as a key parameter. It establishes multi-agent resource integration collaborative symbiosis model under distributed collaborative technology innovation mode based on symbiosis theory. And finds that some factors such as the basic attributes of the enterprise,the mutual influence of resources among enterprises and the behavior decision of the main manufacturer have some effects on the resource integration using stability analysis and simulation analysis,which provides a theoretical basis for the main manufacturer to optimize the behavior of suppliers' resource integration.     

基于强化学习的指挥控制Agent适应性仿真研究

应用人工智能中的学习技术来赋予战争模拟系统中的智能Agent适应能力，是基于CAS理论的战争复杂性研究的基础内容之一。面对战争系统中复杂动态的环境，传统的监督学习方法不能很好满足智能Agent实时学习的要求。而强化学习却可以很好的适应这种动态未知的环境。文章引入强化学习技术对战争系统中指挥控制Agent的适应性进行建模仿真研究。实验结果表明强化学习技术能很好的满足指挥控制Agent无师在线实时学习的要求，从而为战争模拟系统中的智能Agent的适应性机制提供良好的建模手段。     

基于Agent的计算金融学建模方法研究

金融市场是一个复杂适应系统.以复杂适应系统理论为立论基础与研究方法,以金融市场的建模与为立题背景,提出了基于Agent的计算金融学建模方法普适理论框架,将金融市场复杂适应系统看作是由系统中Agent机制不断地与环境中的资源机制、及其它Agent机制相互作用、相互聚集、层层构建而涌现出来的动态机制.并将这个普适理论框架应用到股票市场的建模与仿真中,以期使基于Agent的计算金融学建模方法普适理论框架成为一套完善的建模方法论,并能够为指导具体金融市场复杂适应系统的建模研究提供一定帮助.     

用联系数描述和处理网络计划中的不确定性

通过把集对分析（ＳＰＡ）中的联系数引入到网络计划技术之中，为工程中因各种情况变化引起的工期不确定性提供了一种新的表达和处理方法．研究表明，这种基于联系数的网络计划与调控方法，比传统的网络计划方法提供了更多有价值的信息，如关键路线、次关键路线和再次关键路线及其转化关系等，具有更灵活的表达和处理能力且符合工程实际．新方法思路清晰、操作方便，是一种值得推广的新型网络计划方法     

面向新型成像卫星自主任务规划系统设计

随着成像卫星硬件水平的提高,其应用目标也有了更高的要求。因为复杂的约束、难以预测的状态信息以及繁杂的需求种类,卫星任务规划问题一直是系统工程领域的难点问题之一。为更好地适应新的应用环境并满足不同用户的需求,设计了自主卫星任务规划系统。其包括星上与地面两个子系统,各子系统中均包含若干模块,分别实现不同的功能并协同完成某些复杂任务。基于对需求分析,整理出了卫星的应用场景、主要模块和关键技术。通过对两套系统的仿真结果比较,论证了该系统框架的可行性与优化效率,并为未来卫星任务规划系统的设计提供了思路。     

和谐管理的耦合机制及其复杂性的涌现

在遵循和谐管理理论的研究框架下,通过借鉴Wright的适应度景观概念和Kauffman关于生物系统进化的NK模型,在界定了和谐景观后,利用系统分析和模块化设计的思想,将和谐管理中的和谐主题,和,谐以及环境等四个核心要素作为组织系统的四个模块或维度,并针对这些模块间的相互关联性以及互动程度的变化对组织系统绩效的影响,进行了仿真,仿真结果表明:和谐管理的耦合机制具有在局部最优和全局最优之间"适应性游走"的特征,并涌现出值得关注的复杂性.     

基于复杂网络的作战模拟组织建模研究

针对作战模拟对模型逼真度的要求,建立真实反映战场行为的组织模型是非常重要的。从复杂网络的观点出发,并结合效用和多Agent理论,分析和描述了真实作战组织的网络特性,综合考虑了实体完成类似任务经历、完成任务的能力素质和当前的心理/生理状态三者对效用的影响权重,提出了适用于作战模拟的动态网络组织形成算法。算法的仿真结果表明,该算法很好地反映了作战模拟中的组织行为特点,且在复杂度方面优于同类算法。