source:

Shape of things to come: From the ‘laws of form’ to management in the post-growth economy | ephemera

Shape of things to come: From the ‘laws of form’ to management in the post-growth economy

Organizing for the post-growth economyarticle

André Reichel

17-1reichel.pdf

abstract

Departing from George Spencer-Brown’s Laws of form and the works of German sociologist Dirk Baecker, a formal model of the firm in the post-growth economy is developed. In following a post-classical approach – and some reference to system theory by Niklas Luhmann as well as the works on autonomous systems by Francisco Varela – we, first, show the explanatory power of Spencer-Brown’s indicational notation for conceptualizing organizational and managerial problem situations, thus contributing a novel approach to the theory of the firm. Secondly, model insights about the nature of the firm, its management, and its relation to a changing environment with limits to economic expansion and increased societal demands are contrasted with existing strands of more classical managerial research and their findings. Thus, it is possible to theoretically substantiate new perspectives on the future ‘hard core’ of management practice around the notions of ethics, values, and collaboration, while also describing the scope and direction of changes in the firm’s societal, economic, and ecological environments.

continues in source:

Shape of things to come: From the ‘laws of form’ to management in the post-growth economy | ephemera

via David Ing via Gordon Rowland

Dyer G., Jones J., Rowland G. & Zweifel S. (2015) The Banathy Conversation Methodology. Constructivist Foundations 11(1): 42–50

Volume 11 · Number 1 · Pages 42–50< Previous Paper · Next Paper >The Banathy Conversation Methodology

Gordon Dyer, Jed Jones, Gordon Rowland & Silvia Zweifel

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ABSTRACT

Context: Thirty years ago, members of the systems science community discovered that at their conferences, more was being accomplished in the breaks than in the sessions. Led by Bela H. Banathy, they cancelled the sessions and created a conversation methodology that has proven far more effective. Dozens of conversations have now been held around the world. Problem: At a recent conversation in Linz, Austria, a team devoted its inquiry to the Banathy Conversation Methodology (BCM) itself, asking, in particular, how to develop and spread the methodology further, beyond the systems science community. Method: The team captured key features and benefits of BCM and developed new tools. Results: Described herein are the development of the methodology, its theoretical underpinnings, the methodology itself, heuristics for successful conversations, and an example of how the methodology is spreading. Implications: Ultimately, the hope is to develop the methodology in such ways that communities could apply it to meet significant challenges and co-create their futures.

Key words: Conversation, dialogue, guided evolution, social systems design

CITATION

Dyer G., Jones J., Rowland G. & Zweifel S. (2015) The banathy conversation methodology. Constructivist Foundations 11(1): 42–50. http://constructivist.info/11/1/042

source:

Dyer G., Jones J., Rowland G. & Zweifel S. (2015) The Banathy Conversation Methodology. Constructivist Foundations 11(1): 42–50

source:

Business and Economic Understanding at Large Scale | Free ‘Introduction to Complexity’ Article

source:

Business and Economic Understanding at Large Scale | Free ‘Introduction to Complexity’ Article

source:

Living with the Global Problematique w/ Peter Jones – YouTube

Living with the Global Problematique w/ Peter Jones

Living with the Global Problematique w/ Peter Jones – YouTube

Berkana Institue resource – Berkana’s Explorations: How does change happen in living systems? The Life-cycle of Emergence: Using emergence to take social innovation to scale – Margaret Wheatley & Deborah Frieze

source (h/t systems innovation):

Pioneering a New Paradigm – Berkana Institute

• Resources >

Pioneering a New Paradigm

Books / Booklets / Downloadable PDFs

Berkana’s Explorations: How does change happen in living systems?

The Life-cycle of Emergence: Using emergence to take social innovation to scale

Margaret Wheatley & Deborah Frieze

Download the PDF in English >

Download the PDF in Spanish >

Videos

Berkana Learning Journeys

Grace Lee Boggs in Detroit

Berkana’s Explorations: How does change happen in living systems? “How I became a localist” Deborah Frieze TedX in Jamaica Plain

Articles

1. Berkana’s Explorations: How does change happen in living systems?
   “Are You a Walk-Out?” – Margaret Wheatley & Deborah Frieze
2. Berkana’s Explorations: How does change happen in living systems?
   “Two Loops” in After Now by Bob Stilger
3. Name, Connect, Nourish, Illuminate
   “Supporting Pioneering Leaders as Communities of Practice” – Margaret Wheatley
4. Name, Connect, Nourish, Illuminate
   “New Stories’ Spiral” in After Now by Bob Stilger
5. From Hero to Host to Warrior
   “The Servant Leader: From Hero to Host” – Margaret Wheatley
6. From Hero to Host to Warrior
   “Leadership Lessons from the Real World” – Margaret Wheatley
7. From Hero to Host to Warrior
   “An Invitation to the Nobility of Leadership” – Margaret Wheatley
8. From Hero to Host to Warrior
   “My Personal Journey into Warriorship”—Margaret Wheatley”
9. From Hero to Host to Warrior
   “SOUNDS TRUE Interview ”—Margaret Wheatley”

source:

Pioneering a New Paradigm – Berkana Institute

Gödel’s incompleteness theorems

Gödel’s incompleteness theorems – Wikipedia

source:

The Cybernetics’ Difference! CybSights—The President’s Series Tickets, Wed 9 Dec 2020 at 17:00 | Eventbrite

DEC

09

The Cybernetics’ Difference! CybSights—The President’s Series

by Cybernetics Society — President’s Series

Free to members, £7.50 to others

On Sale 20 Nov 2020 at 00:00

Event Information

The President’s CybSight Series consists of talks by distinguished speakers on issues and challenges confronting modern society.

About this Event

Hosted by our President, Dr. John Beckford FCybS, the CybSights President’s Series is a new programme that will bring interesting people together to explore the relevance and contribution of cybernetics to addressing important challenges.

Each event will consist of contributions by two different speakers. Each will be followed by individual Q&A. These are then brought together by the President in a lively and engaging plenary discussion. Each will seek areas of convergence and divergence between the ideas explored.

Events will be held via Zoom on the 2nd Wednesday of each month from 1700 to 1900.

Meetings are open to members of the Cybernetics Society and also the general public. Non-members are invited to join or give a donation. Booking is required.

The Cybernetics Society has been hosting conversations and lectures since the late 1960s.

#1 : December 9: The Cybernetics Difference

Address ing the distinct “go” of cybernetics and its value for contemporary and future science and society.

Introduction and Welcome: Dr. John Beckford, FCybS, President of the Cybernetics Society

John Beckford is a partner in Beckford Consulting, Non-Executive Chair of the Board of Rise Mutual CIC, a Non-Executive Director of both Fusion21 and CoreHaus (social enterprises) and Visiting Professor in both the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering at University College London and the Centre for Information Management, School of Business and Economics, Loughborough University. John holds a PhD in cybernetics from the University of Hull, is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology and of the Royal Society for the Arts and a Member of the Institute of Management Services. He is President of the Cybernetics Society.

Angus Jenkinson, FCybS, Secretary of the Cybernetics Society

Why is cybernetics so important?

So important that it should become a major curriculum subject and essential for every senior manager, policymaker, designer, engineer, or ecologist — and many other disciplines? Angus will argue it does four things that change our understanding of the world. 4 ‘things’ that no other generally accepted science addresses so clearly. 1. Active instead of passive causality. 2. Tame instead of wicked problems. 3. Sensitive solutions to problem situations. 4. Active learning and dynamic design. These lead to the understanding that the world has two great orders of nature.

1 > When science rejected goal-driven behaviour in the 1600s it lost the ability to explain the behaviour of every living creature and every social institution. When cybernetics brought it back in the 20th century it provided the foundation for understanding and resolving the most difficult challenges of our time and times to come.

Conventional science until then — and still for many — thought the world operated on passive causality. Things happen to things and so energy and motion were transferred. Whatever happened was because of something that had already happened being transferred to it. By forces. As cause. Then cybernetics proved and demonstrated that there was active causality. All living creatures actively produce what they do. And do their best to make sure that nothing prevents it. That turns our understanding of the world inside out. And restores common sense.

2 > It turns wicked problems into tame problems. The advanced cybernetic designer knows how to filter the supposed problem to the real issues that will produce the desired outcome. It can do that with exquisite precision. There are many wicked problems. Such a technology is invaluable.

3 > Cybernetics runs on the experience that organisms have of the world. It knows how that works — whether it’s a butterfly or a global enterprise. It’s founded on the join between people and their world, living creatures and their world. That’s why it can help with ecological, social, and design challenges, from AI to saving butterflies and forests.

4 > Cybernetics is the science of living behaviour, achievement of success, and crucially of learning. It is the science — and discipline — that deals with a dynamic world. Old ideas do not work in new situations. Cybernetics explains how the very process of living is a process of learning and how we can turn that into the design of learning and adaptive behaviour.>> The world of the 21st-century therefore has two great orders of nature. The first is the world of passive causality, mechanical objects and technologies, things. Scientific technology has been mostly brilliant at this. (But they can do harm to the living.) The second is the world of active causality, the living, and the technologies that reflect this. Scientific technology has varied from the so-so to the awful at this. This century we need to solve the problems of the past for the sake of the future. The problems and ways to deal with them are social, technical, and eminently practical.

Angus Jenkinson is the Secretary of the Society, a former business professor, tech entrepreneur, systems and thinking tools designer, consultant and CEO/company chair He is an organisational philosopher.and is developing a new scientific theory of organisations, called propriopoiesis. He has had a solo exhibition of photographic artworks.

Followed by discussion and Q & A

TBC

Second speaker TBC.

Interesting content on cybernetics.

An interesting speaker.

Followed by discussion and Q & A

Plenary Discussion

The aim of this session, moderated by John Beckford, is to draw out the complementary and competing ideas emerging from the two sessions.

Cybernetics Society – a learned society

The Cybernetics Society promotes and offers education and research opportunities in the rich field of cybernetics. In the CybSights series, including the President’s Series, we offer isghts conversations, lectures, case studies, analysis, education, and thoughtful entertainment.,

The Cybernetics Society – http://CybSoc.org – is a specially authorised learned society regulated by the FSA and established by a 1974 Act of Parliament. To join visit our membership system or pick the Join ticket.

Cybernetics plays into and strongly influences many scientific and practice fields including design, epistemology, ecology, biology, psychology and living behaviour, technology and engineering, social policy, and business practice, amongst others. Many feature in this wonderful set of aware and successful designers and thinkers.

Cybernetics offers a distinct “go” — techniques — to address local and global challenges of the 21st century.

book at source:

The Cybernetics’ Difference! CybSights—The President’s Series Tickets, Wed 9 Dec 2020 at 17:00 | Eventbrite

source: (h/t systems innovation slack group)

The Way of the Psychonaut with Fritjof Capra on Vimeo

The Way of the Psychonaut with Fritjof Capra

This talk by Fritjof Capra was released through The Way of the Psychonaut project created by filmmaker Susan Hess Logeais exploring the life and work of Stanislav Grof, Czech-born psychiatrist and psychedelic psychotherapy pioneer.

In this video, Fritjof Capra recounts how his blending of quantum physics and Eastern philosophies was paralleled in Stan Grof’s merging of psychology and spirituality. The resulting collaboration between the two men brought scientific grounding to Transpersonal Psychology. Fritjof describes the interrelated nature of the universe, and how Stan’s work provided an experiential opportunity to explore this reality. He also notes how the new understanding of emergence validates Stan’s perspective on mental illness – as an inability to integrate experiences that can be resolved if fully explored. Fritjof ends by emphasizing the need to shift away from a mechanistic world view to one of networks that cooperate and seek novelty.

source:

The Way of the Psychonaut with Fritjof Capra on Vimeo

rgister at:

Webinar Registration – Zoom

register at:

Webinar Registration – Zoom

source:

The Damage We’re Not Attending To – Issue 87: Risk – Nautilus

The Damage We’re Not Attending To

Scientists who study complex systems offer solutions to the pandemic.

BY DAVID KRAKAUER & GEOFFREY WESTJULY 8, 2020

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World War II bomber planes returned from their missions riddled with bullet holes. The first response was, not surprisingly, to add armor to those areas most heavily damaged. However, the statistician Abraham Wald made what seemed like the counterintuitive recommendation to add armor to those parts with no damage. Wald had uniquely understood that the planes that had been shot where no bullet holes were seen were the planes that never made it back. That’s, of course, where the real problem was. Armor was added to the seemingly undamaged places, and losses decreased dramatically.

continues in source:

The Damage We’re Not Attending To – Issue 87: Risk – Nautilus