Systems Thinking, Organisational Cybernetics and the Viable System Model

Ríos, José Pérez

doi:10.1007/978-3-642-22318-1_1

Cited by 8 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Current technical literature agrees that the connection interfaces between recursion levels is extremely important [ 38 ] (p. 59). The goal is to determine basic links that can be transferred to any VSM in any company.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The goal is to determine basic links that can be transferred to any VSM in any company. The intensity of this connection between the levels varies according to the company [ 38 ] (p. 59). An exchange of information within the company and between levels of recursion is necessary to control the corporate environment, which generally has more information than can be processed in the company [ 14 ] (p. 287).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Design and Simulation of Production and Maintenance Management Applying the Viable System Model: The Case of an OEM Plant

García

2018

Materials

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Designing, changing and adapting organizations to secure viability is challenging for manufacturing companies. Researchers often fail to holistically design or transform production systems. Reasons are often the conflict of interests between production and maintenance, the temporal divergence of their activities and their organizational structure. Thus, the aim of this study is to propose a holistic approach of how production and maintenance can be designed, changed or managed. Hereby, the Viable System Model was applied. This structure can be applied to any kind of structured organization and for its management with goals to be achieved in modern society; however, focus of the research is the coordination of production and maintenance management. The goal of the developed model is to be able to react to some potential production environments by taking coordinated decisions correctly and in the right moment based on the needed information. To ensure this, standardized communication channels were defined. In conclusion, this proposed approach enables production systems to have internal mechanisms to secure viability depending on all potential environment scenarios.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design and Simulation of Production and Maintenance Management Applying the Viable System Model: The Case of an OEM Plant

García

2018

Materials

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“…The VSM, as a model, can be viewed as a device to support the handling of reality (Harwood, 2019). The VSM understands that an organization can be considered viable if, and only if, it presents a set of five systems that make it capable of surviving in a particular environment (Ríos, 2012; Hoverstadt, 2010a). These five systems are: System 1 is the set of activities that the organization does which provide value to its external environment, the primary operations (Hoverstadt, 2010a).…”

Section: System Thinking: the Viable System Model Applicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of sectoral brands with emphasis on structure and processes

Lourenção

Miyamaru

Giraldi

et al. 2019

BPMJ

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Purpose Sectoral brand management processes have presented planning, development and implementation challenges. With the aim of reducing these managerial problems, the purpose of this paper is to revise the structure and the processes of the sectoral brands management. Design/methodology/approach This is a qualitative exploratory study, with its unit of analysis being the process of managing the brand of the Brazilian fashion sector. Primary data collection was obtained through in-depth interviews with the seven industry associations and with the company responsible for the brand consulting. The secondary data used were reports about the branding process of the brand provided by respondents. Data analysis was provided by using the VSM to modeling sector structure and BPMN to processes modeling. Findings The results present a new sectoral brand structure and process to reduce existing barriers. Three sections were carried out: analysis and modeling of the current structure and processes of sectoral brand management; presentation of the current structure and processes problems; analysis and modeling of future structure and processes of sectoral brand management. Research limitations/implications A theoretical contribution is provided in the literature of systems, processes and sectoral brands, since there are no previous studies that elaborated a system structure and process for sectoral brands. In addition, other theoretical contribution is the presentation of a future process model that relates brand management process with its system structure, that is, it relates BPM analysis with VSM. Practical implications It is also possible to indicate that VSM and BPM can contribute to the management of sectoral brands, through the structural and process problems identification and also by making possible to suggest future management improvements to reduce the barriers that were identified. Originality/value The present study originality is the approach of the first analysis of sector brand management with emphasis on its structure and processes that were experienced by the Brazilian fashion sector.

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“…Beer (1984) postulated that “malfunction in one of the five subsystems, where in turn one of the cybernetic features […] will be found not to be functioning” (p. 17) constitutes a pathology. An elaboration on this research by Ríos (2012) provides a broad categorization of organizational pathologies including structural, functional, and informational. The concept of pathology from the cybernetic sense has also been extended to “system of systems” and defined as “circumstance, condition, factor, or pattern that acts to limit system performance, or lessen system viability, such that the likelihood of a system achieving performance expectation is reduced” (Keating and Katina, 2012, p. 253).…”

Section: Prevalence Of Pathologiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metasystem pathologies (M-Path) method: phases and procedures

Katina

2016

JMD

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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a systematic method for practitioners (owners, operators, designers, and performers) to identify pathologies (aberrations from healthy system function) in complex systems. Design/methodology/approach A range of published works, which aim to provide practical and theoretical underpinnings on pathologies, were critiqued with respect to method development. A systematic method with five phases was then developed to help identify and assess existence of pathologies as conditions that negatively impact system performance. Findings There is a range of pathological conditions and factors that affect organizational (system) performance. However, there is a lack of supporting methods that can guide practitioners in identification of pathologies that exist in systems under their purview. Research limitations/implications The developed method is based on functional aspects of system viability as established in management cybernetics. Management cybernetics articulates functions that must be performed for continued viability of complex organizations. Therefore, the developed method supports practitioners in their responsibilities to effectively identify pathologies and develop corresponding remedies. Practical implications The proposed approach articulates a repeatable approach by which an analyst can interact with a system of interest in order to identify, assess existence of, and prioritize pathologies. This research introduces an opportunity to develop sets of feasible and purposeful responses to pathologies. Originality/value This paper fulfills an identified need to provide practitioners with an advanced systems thinking-based approach to identify deep systemic issues (pathologies) as an essential step in improving performance of an organization (system).

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Systems Thinking, Organisational Cybernetics and the Viable System Model

Cited by 8 publications

References 5 publications

Design and Simulation of Production and Maintenance Management Applying the Viable System Model: The Case of an OEM Plant

Design and Simulation of Production and Maintenance Management Applying the Viable System Model: The Case of an OEM Plant

Development of sectoral brands with emphasis on structure and processes

Metasystem pathologies (M-Path) method: phases and procedures

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