Observations on the development of cybernetic ideas in Colombia

Bula, Germán

doi:10.1108/03684920410523625

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…It is not easy to provide empirical proof of the effectiveness of the recursive organisations; nevertheless a number of authors cite the application of the theory to management practice (Schwaninger, 2001;Bula, 2004;Schuhman, 2004). In addition, the overview of management approaches popular in recent decades -some calling for stronger organisational cultures; others proposing participation or empowerment -indicates that even though different authors use different theoretical platforms (if any), the emergence of these approaches that call for greater cohesion, autonomy and empowerment is a reflection of successful learnt strategies, which indirectly support the postulates of organisational cybernetics.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Power, empowerment and organisational communication

Oksiutycz

2022

JCSA

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Power is an integral part of organisational life. Main schools of thought on the subject of powerin an organisational setting consider power to be either a resource held by individuals anddepartments, or an inherent feature of organisational structure and society. While it is relativelyeasy to identify surface manifestations of power, the deep structures of power are much moredifficult to analyse. Public relations literature focuses on power “held” by public relations practitionersand the power of public relations departments in their relations with other departments in anorganisation, as well as the imbalances of power between the organisations and their respectivepublics. In the context of the increasing complexity of the organisational environment, this articlesuggests the application of organisational cybernetics to public relations theory, and it considersthe role that organisational communication plays in releasing the productive power of employeesand in designing effective organisations through the introduction of recursive organisationalstructures.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Power, empowerment and organisational communication

Oksiutycz

2022

JCSA

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“…Chile (Beer, 1979) to companies, bee colonies and commercial broadcasting (Espejo and Harnden, 1989), educational programs (Espinosa and Jackson, 2002), socio‐economic development programs (Espinosa, 2006) and societal sustainability (Espejo and Stewart, 1998). In Colombia the VSM has been used in public companies and Controller's offices at both national and regional levels (Bula, 2004). Even if digital preservation would be a new application area, it is certainly not the first to adopt the VSM theories.…”

Section: A Viable Way Of Organizingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Organizational cooperation for cultural heritage—A viable systems approach

Runardotter¹

2011

Syst. Res.

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This paper provides a good example of organizing in order to establish cooperation and responsibility for digital preservation. This is explored in relation to the Viable System Model (VSM) with accompanying theories, and builds on empirical material from a Swedish governmental authority. The VSM is used to reach understandings of the authority's situation, with focus on the VSM theories around responsibility and cooperation. I have found that digital preservation work is facilitated e.g. when one department deals with one preservation process (collect, preserve or make accessible), personnel have a holistic perspective on the authority and communication and coordination channels are established. I additionally have found that the VSM focus on processes and functions is advantageous since this clarifies what is actually done, as well as who among personnel is doing what. In turn, this helps to clarify who should be responsible for what, and also where cooperation is essential.

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“…3 Published at the Journal of Systems Practice and Action Research (Espejo and Reyes 2001;Espejo et al 2001;Reyes 2001;Zarama 2001). A more comprehensive report was published by the Deputy Comptroller of the CGR at the time of the project, German Bula in Kybernetes Journal in 2004 (Bula 2004). This was an important application of management and organisational cybernetics aimed at improving the Colombian state.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Cybernetics of political communications and social transformation in Colombia: the case of the National Audit Office (1995–1998)

Espejo¹

2022

AI & Soc

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This contribution offers the author's personal experience with a project that took place 25 years ago in Latin America. This was about Second Order Auditing in Colombia during the second part of the 1990s. This project was carried out at the Country's National Auditing Office (CGR), and was an application of the Viable System Model (VSM) and the Viplan Methodology to a National Context. It was an innovative project at the CGR, focused on Second Order Auditing, to improve communications within the fabric of the Colombian government. Its emphasis was building responsible trust between public enterprises, ministries and political agencies. Its emphasis was building communications between ministries and public entities, with the aim of increasing their effectiveness. At its core were methodological and epistemological developments. Key questions it attempted to answer were how to model the complexity of the enterprises and how to transform the auditors' views of their relations with people in public entities, from one focused on requesting information, to one focused on communications. Structural changes were proposed for the National Audit Office and state enterprises, and hundreds of auditors were trained, through epistemological methodological workshops, in second order auditing and the reports of their auditing were debated extensively in government and beyond. This paper finishes with a short discussion of these transformations in the light of organisational cybernetics and in particular of the Viable System Model.

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Observations on the development of cybernetic ideas in Colombia

Cited by 6 publications

References 1 publication

Power, empowerment and organisational communication

Power, empowerment and organisational communication

Organizational cooperation for cultural heritage—A viable systems approach

The Cybernetics of political communications and social transformation in Colombia: the case of the National Audit Office (1995–1998)

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