System and portfolio approaches toolkitThis is an evolving repository of practical portfolio-design toolkits that emerged from our own experience working with governments and other partners in over 45 countries. We hope that these might help as you get started on your journey of discovering new approaches and perspectives. We’re always keen to connect and learn how these resources may be landing in other organisations and context, so do get in touch to let us know about your experience.
[Really interesting on relationship between decision-making, ‘managerial discretion’, law, symbolic/mythology responses, public, professional, and trade union perspectives, and how these evolve together]
In this episode, we explore two articles from Lauren Edelman, “Legal Ambiguity and Symbolic Structures: Organizational Mediation of Civil Rights Law” from 1992 and “The Endogeneity of Legal Regulation: Grievance Procedures as Rational Myth” from 1999. These studies showed a wide variety of organizational responses to the enactment of civil rights legislation, but that certain responses were legitimated due to their success in symbolically showing effort in addressing discrimination and thus institutionalized across other organizations.
One of many ways I annoy people is saying that *arguing* about dynamical vs computational cognition, or mechanism vs function, or internalism vs 4e stuff… is *a stupid waste of time*
One of many ways I annoy people is saying that *arguing* about dynamical vs computational cognition, or mechanism vs function, or internalism vs 4e stuff… is *a stupid waste of time*
Demystifying the Principle of Subsidiarity: Balancing Autonomy with Cohesion in OrganizationsMark LambertzUnderstand. Enable. Create Value.3 articles FollowingFebruary 2, 2024
The field of cybernetics originated in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s in a series of meetings sponsored by the Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation. Norbert Wiener named the field after the Greek word, cybernetes, for governor. In 1948 he defined cybernetics as control and communication in animal and machine. Social systems were soon added. Although originally based on the study of biological and social systems, information technology has progressed so rapidly, the prefix “cyber” now means either computers or the internet to most people. There are currently no academic programs in the U.S. that cover the broad field of cybernetics. The authors of articles in cybernetics journals used to be predominantly from the U.S. Now most articles are by authors from European countries or China. This paper reviews the history of cybernetics in the U.S. and other countries and points out some nontechnical aspects of cybernetics with security implications.
Cybernetics: A General Theory that Includes Command and ControlStuart Umpleby527 Views18 Pages1 File ▾History of ScienceThe field of cybernetics originated in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s in a series of meetings sponsored by the Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation. Norbert Wiener named the field after the Greek word, cybernetes, for governor. In 1948 he defined cybernetics as control and communication in animal and machine. Social systems were soon added. Although originally based on the study of biological and social systems, information technology has progressed so rapidly, the prefix “cyber” now means either computers or the internet to most people. There are currently no academic programs in the U.S. that cover the broad field of cybernetics. The authors of articles in cybernetics journals used to be predominantly from the U.S. Now most articles are by authors from European countries or China. This paper reviews the history of cybernetics in the U.S. and other countries and points out some nontechnical aspects of cybernetics with security implications.
An overly simplistic history of Cybernetics by S. A. Umpleby. W. R. Ashby was already doing "biological cybernetics" in the '50s ("Design for a Brain" was published in 1952). Also, having three "versions" of a "general systems" theory may defy its purpose.https://t.co/jYIqcEPJs0pic.twitter.com/mPyvjeTOYj
— ᛕᎥᕼᗷᗴᖇᑎᗴ丅Ꭵᑕᔕ (@Kihbernetics@qoto.org) (@Kihbernetics) February 6, 2024
An overly simplistic history of Cybernetics by S. A. Umpleby. W. R. Ashby was already doing “biological cybernetics” in the ’50s (“Design for a Brain” was published in 1952). Also, having three “versions” of a “general systems” theory may defy its purpose.
“Being Whole Stephen Nachmanovitch “I begin by thinking of my friend and mentor Gregory Bateson, but the questions here are broad and relate to the experience of many people, and many kinds of people. Gregory was known as a great polymath. But that is not quite right. In truth, he was a holomath, if we can coin that word. A polymath is a person who turns to, and sometimes excels in, multiple fields of endeavor. A holomath is a person who sees multiple fields as being really the same enterprise, circling a central pattern from different angles and points of view.”
This thesis by publication examines the application of systems thinking to health promotion in Healthy Together Victoria (HTV). HTV was a large-scale, multi-site initiative that adopted a complex systems approach to reduce obesity in Victoria, Australia from 2012 to 2016. Data were collected through 31 semi-structured in-depth interviews with HTV participants. The findings are described with respect to implications for systems practice, theories, tools and capacity for health promotion professionals. This thesis includes four peer reviewed journal articles and two practice reports.
Publication year
2022
The application of systems thinking to health promotion: complexity-informed community-based prevention in Healthy Together VictoriaAuthorBensberg, MonicaAvailable versionsMonica Bensberg ThesisAbstractThis thesis by publication examines the application of systems thinking to health promotion in Healthy Together Victoria (HTV). HTV was a large-scale, multi-site initiative that adopted a complex systems approach to reduce obesity in Victoria, Australia from 2012 to 2016. Data were collected through 31 semi-structured in-depth interviews with HTV participants. The findings are described with respect to implications for systems practice, theories, tools and capacity for health promotion professionals. This thesis includes four peer reviewed journal articles and two practice reports.Publication year2022
The VSM Canvas allows a quick start with diagnosing the structures, the decision making and the information systems of an organization. For a workshop, you may want to download the template and print it in a large format, e.g. A0.
The VSM CanvasThe VSM Canvas allows a quick start with diagnosing the structures, the decision making and the information systems of an organization. For a workshop, you may want to download the template and print it in a large format, e.g. A0
Systems Community of Inquiry 
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