Guidelines for a constructivist approach: Steps toward the adaptation of ideas from family therapy for use in organizations

Constructivist family therapy offers a model for the application of Maturana's theories to practice. This paper describes key concepts of a constructivist approach and draws on family therapy to provide guidelines for applying them in an organizational setting. It offers a view of the organization as a network of conversations in which change occurs through the coconstruction of new conversations which widen or change the rational domain in which a problem occurs.     

“Fifth Discipline”: Review and Discussion

The book Fifth Discipline is Peter Senge's account of the learning organization. For Senge, five disciplines are necessary to bring about a learning organization—personal mastery, mental models, shared vision, team learning, and systems thinking (called systemic thinking from here on). Systemic thinking is the discipline that integrates all five disciplines. Each discipline is briefly explored in this paper, with emphasis placed on systemic thinking. Senge's concern with localness and openness is also touched upon. The paper concludes with an outline critique of Senge's work.     

世界是由自然律支配的自然类的层级系统——简评新本质主义的世界观

自从1968年奎因用自然类的概念破解了著名的亨普尔归纳悖论和古德曼的“新归纳之谜”后，关于自然类和自然律的哲学研究有了迅猛的发展，1994年埃利斯和其他人提出新本质主义的世界观后，哲学界有大批研究科学本体论的论著的出现，论证自然界是由客观存在的自然律支配的自然类等级系统，使科学实在论发展到一个的新阶段，这个趋势值得认真研究。     

The Oblivion of Churchman's Plea for a Systems Approach to World Problems. III. The Fall of the Modern Constellation

This is the third article in a trilogy devoted to inquiring about the historical rise and fall of the ideal involved in a systems approach to world problems, so clearly stated by Churchman at the end of the sixties. In the first part of this third article, the historical conditions for the extinction of the modern constellation are discussed. In the second part, a rough outline of what is left by that process of extinction is drawn. In that way, on the one hand, an explanation of the oblivion of Churchman's plea for a systems approach to world problems is completed and, on the other, Rorty's proposition to perform economic triage is comprehended and, thus, refuted.     

Human inquiry: Steps towards emancipatory practice

In this paper we explore the contribution of work in Human Inquiry to the debate about what might constitute authentic emancipatory practice and about how such an ideal might be approached. We beghin by considering some key values, issues, and commitments which characterise this work and distinguish it from other established research traditions. A number of distinct approaches to the practice of human inquiry have been articulated. These are referred to but it is not our purpose to review particular approaches in detail here. Rather our aim is to move from this overview of human inquiry to consider some important implications for practice. In particular, we look at Bateson's theory of levels of learning and explore ways in which both the intellectual and the more personal frameworks of participants can contribute to, and at times impede, the kinds of mutual learning with which human inquiries are concerned. We illustrate this discussion by drawing on examples from our own work in human inquiry. Here we aim to highlight particular implications and issues that might arise within human inquiries. One source of illustrations is Peter's work with general and complementary practitioners in a primary health care centre, the other is Anne's work with UWE student groups acting as consultants for local community organisations. In each case we consider some origins, forms, and expressions of power differences and show how empowerment can occur as participants learn within and across Bateson's levels as inquiries progress. We conclude by summarising the evidence of and opportunities for empowerment in each case and by showing how a deeper appreciation of Bateson's levels of learning can further understanding of the nature of emancipatory practice. Finally, we make more general suggestions about the role of approaches to Human Inquiry in future emancipatory practice.     

All together now: The circular organization in a university Hospital. Part II. Implementation

The first part of this two-part series described the initial impetus driving a university hospital's planned change project, the planning process itself, and the interventions that were identified to meet our goals. This article describes and discusses the interventions—the implementation of our version of Ackoff's circular organization and issues related to barriers, selected outcomes, the change process, evaluation, and the project's significance to nursing.     

The Future of Systems Thinking

Due to the diminishing popularity of systems thinking, an attempt is done to predict its future in the university world. Two starting points are used: one in the traditional scientific community, being its habitat; and the other in the surrounding society, being its area of application. The investigation shows that systems thinking is highly needed, although its nearest future seems bleak. The systemic challenge to the traditional academic world has unfortunately been taken as a threat against its existence. The scientific and educational impact of systems thinking is therefore opposed as an alternative to the old scientific paradigm. Furthermore, the resistance to new theories moving across disciplinary boundaries seems stronger than resistance to theories within the disciplines.     

分形理论视野下的部分与整体研究

两千多年前，古希腊哲学家亚里士多德就提出“整体大于部分之和”的著名论断，现代的系统论、机体论、全息理论等各种学说从多个方面和角度进一步地推进了对“整体与部分”的研究。诞生于20世纪70年代的分形理论是现代研究复杂性的重要科学理论之一，沃尔夫奖的评语认为分形理论“改变了我们的世界观”，它对人们的自然观、方法论及思维方法等都产生了深刻的影响。主要探讨在分形理论视野下局部和整体的相互关系。     

复杂性理论的形而上学问题与建构策略研究

当今时代,各种复杂性理论变体对于经典形而上学思维带来了挑战,并引起了人们对于复杂性理论是否是科学的怀疑。为了理解什么是复杂性以及怎么应对它所带来的形而上学新问题。首先,给出一个关于复杂性的相对定义,并介绍复杂性理论的三个发展阶段成果;其次,比较研究经典思维和复杂性思维的形而上学预设的冲突;最后,建构适应于复杂性理论的形而上学的构成承诺和构成原则。     

A Set of Conventions,a Model: An Application of Stafford Beer’s Viable Systems Model to the Strategic Planning Process

In contemplating better ways to manage, Stafford Beer says the big problem is that you are not determining absolute facts: you are establishing a set of conventions. Hence his view, that a model is neither true nor false: it is more or less useful. And while this paper suggests Beer’s Viable Systems Model (VSM) is overwhelmingly more, rather than less useful, that the VSM and its founding theories are virtually unknown at the level of everyday management begs the question, why? Over time we have learned about the usefulness of the VSM compared to other management theories, when used in the contest of the organisational strategic planning process. Thus through a sequence of diagrams based on Beer’s original drawings, we show how the VSM came to underpin a process for strategic planning in one organisation. The paper has three aims; to attach an everyday ‘common speak’ understanding to some of Beer’s work, to demonstrate how we have learned to appreciate the usefulness of the VSM and its associated diagrams and conventions and to suggest a link between the Action Research change methodology and Beer’s work.     

Towards a methodology for organisational intervention in Colombian enterprises

The lack of autonomy of people in the working place is the basic problem addressed by the methodology for organisational intervention that has been developed by the group TESO at the University of Los Andes in Bogota. This lack of autonomy accounts for their lack of creativity, motivation, and political consciousness. We take Freire's conception of consciousness as related to social formations, and how autonomy is achieved by working with his methodology. We also use Heidegger's concepts of calculative and meditative thinking and relate them to the development of consciousness. Finally we show how through a methodology that facilitates contact of persons with the self, the workspace, and others, they develop autonomy and an ability to define conflicts and work out ways to stransform their world.     

All together now: The circular organization in a University Hospital. Part I. Planning and design

During a period of significant change in health care, hospitals are being transformed. This article—part I—reports on one university hospital's experience with a project funded by a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Pew Charitable Trusts initiative. The article presents the history and conditions that led to a planning year during which participants defined external and internal conditions contributing to the needs for change. Along with the driving pressures, the article addresses the planning process and the basic design for organization change, Ackoff's idealized design and circular organization. This model had been used in industry, but not in a hospital. Key themes related to the design and start-up are offered. Part II addresses the implementation of the model, the process of change, supports and barriers, and progress to date.     

Earthdream: A critical interpretation

“The Earth is on the verge of destruction” has become a common cry nowadays. This cry embodies “the Earth and its ailments” as a symbol which synthesizes many concerns revolving around modern decadence and the current predicament of human-kind. But what contexts provide full meaning to this symbol? What conditions have made possible the emergence not only of extremely waste-oriented and environmentally dangerous societies but also of a spiritually impoverished world? In the spirit of interpretive systemology, a critical interpretation of the “Earth's ailments” is undertaken in this paper. The interpretive task is cast in the form of a hermeneutical exercise, namely, the exegesis ofEarthdream, a book written by Robert Hamilton. This particular piece of work, upon which the present paper is fully based, is chosen as a vehicle for the critical interpretive inquiry, not only because it summarizes the current debate on the world crisis (thus providing a standard reference for beginning the interpretive inquiry), but also because the argument it develops can be molded within a format which facilitates the critical interpretation to be conducted. Accordingly, two interpretive contexts will be uncovered, and internal and external critiques outlined; to give full meaning to the symbol “Earth's ailments.” Two major interests propel the interpretive task. One relates to the participation of systems practitioners in the current crisis and the need to encourage responsible systems practice. The other interest arises simply from the fact that we are all on the same raft called Earth, and the raft seems to be sinking!     

Generating Mechanism Study for a Bipartite Weighted Complex Network Based on Three Worlds: Take the Case of a Bank's Service Channels

we classify a bank's 15595 clients into 9 groups by their ages and bank balances, and then each group is classified further into two parts, namely active and inactive clients. The 1939 service channels, which are used in the transaction are divided into three transaction worlds for each group of clients: local world, the weak nonlocal world, and the strong nonlocal world. The service channels in regular use are defined as its local world, the weak nonlocal world, and the strong nonlocal world are the channels, which are used occasionally, but the use probability of the former is higher than the latter. For the bipartite weighted network, which consists of 15595 clients and 1939 service channels, we propose an evolving model, which has the mechanism of different active degrees of clients, preferential attachment in the local world, random attachment in the weak nonlocal world by higher probability and in the strong nonlocal world by lesser probability, to discuss the network generating mechanism. Finally, by the method of numerical simulation, we validate the generating mechanism. The work is significant for the generating mechanism study of the bipartite weighted network related to the geographical location and the management of bank service channels.     

Systems practice from the start: Some experiences in a biotechnology company

Many specialist biotechnology companies have been founded to exploit new and fundamental discoveries in biotechnology—recombinant DNA and monoclonal antibodies. Celltech Limited, founded by the author and generally accepted as the UK's leading company in this field, was based from the start on a number of key systems ideas. Four of these are described and discussed in this paper: the use of succinct statements checked by the CATWOE mnemonic from soft systems methodology; the establishment of coherent systems for managing strategic matters, operational matters, and the development of people; a project management system using a matrix approach; and an approach to external relations influenced by Ashby's Law of Requisite Variety. The paper is concluded with two ideas arising out of practice: the relation of compartmentation and systems boundaries and a methodological suggestion derived from Jürgen Habermas' characterization of the basis for excellent communications.     

An evaluation of theories of information with regard to the semantic and pragmatic aspects of information systems

It is argued here that the discipline of information systems does not have a clear and substantive conceptualization of its most fundamental category, namely, information itself. As a first stage in addressing the problem, this paper evaluates a wide range of theories or concepts of information in order to assess their suitability as a basis for information systems. Particular importance is placed on the extent to which they deal with the semantic and pragmatic dimensions of information and its relation to meaning. It is concluded that Dretske's analysis of knowledge and information provides the most suitable basis for further development.     

与认知、思维相关的脑功能复杂性

人类对脑功能的认识可分为 :科学史前认识、经典脑科学理论和当代脑科学理论三个历史阶段。介绍了脑机能定位论、神经元论和反射论等重大经典理论和现代信息加工论、联结理论、模块论和生态现实论之后 ,着重讨论了脑功能制约的结构复杂性和脑结构制约的功能复杂性。在脑的五维超立体结构中进化出五个层次的功能关系。要真正理解脑复杂性必须有多层次的辩证观 ,高层次的认知、思维功能是全脑的活动 ,但以低层次脑定位功能为基础。     

Criticizing the phenomenological critique—Autopoiesis and critical realism

There has been, and still is, an important debate between critical systems and soft (interpretive) systems concerning epistemology and ontology. Flood and Ulrich argued for a position they termed “critical idealism,” but this has been contested by Fuenmayor, who proposed that critical systems was unnecessary since phenomenology provided the necessary and sufficient form of critique. This paper, in turn, argues for critical systems, providing a critique of phenomenology which shows that at least three of its own presuppositions are invalid. It is further suggested that an adequate philosophy for critical systems has not yet emerged and that the cognitive autopoietic theories of Maturana and the critical realism of Bhaskar will be important strands in its development.     

基于成交量的股价序列分析

不管是基于交易时间进程，还是基于日历时间进程，股价的时间序列分析都是基于固定的时间进程来研究价格变化规律。本文认为基于固定时间推进的股价时间序列分析缺少考虑成交量的重要影响，提出基于成交量过程推进的股价变化模型。从交易的时间、股价和成交量的三维空间出发，提出维度转换的思想，把从时间维度转换到成交量维度，重新构造基于成交量的股价序列的研究方法。这种方法把成交量融入到价格序列中，体现了量价配合的思想。这种模型不同于以往的时间序列分析只是对原来的序列从模型上或参数上改进，而是对序列本身进行重新构建。通过对重新构造的基于成交量的股价序列和原来的收盘价和平均成交价时间序列进行误差自回归——GARCH模型的实证比较分析表明，维度转换的思想和重新构造序列的方法是可行的，也是有效的。     

Foucault's interpretive analytics of power 1,2

In this paper an interpretation of Foucault's work on power is presented. One aim is to introduce this aspect of Foucault's work to the emerging debate on Critical Systems Thinking. Another goal is to clarify how Foucauldian discourse about power can be framed within the notion of “interpretive analytics” (a term that describes Foucault's work, conceived by Dreyfus and Rabinow). This metalogical thinking proposes that archaeological and genealogical dimensions are proper methods for the study of the History of Thought. The interpretive space of experience-in which knowledge, power, and self are the axes of experience-is presented as a comprehensive model of the critical task of the History of Thought. Foucault's work is analyzed according to this model. Two conceptions of power arise from this analysis: the first conception is a peripheral view of power which raises key questions that drive the second, microphysical conception of power. We then demonstrate how the latter absorbs the former. The microphysical conception is based on a nominalistic view, which raises issues about nominalism in Foucault's critical thinking. These are addressed at the end of the article.