Sustainable Self-Governance in Businesses and Society: The Viable System Model in Action

Cover
Endorsements
Half Title
Series Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Contents
Figures
Tables
Preface
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
Contributors
Introduction
1. Towards Self-Governed Businesses and Societies
	Systems, Complexity, and Cybernetics Sciences
		Organisational Cybernetics
		Complex Systems Sciences
		Complexification in the 21st Century
	Understanding Complexity (and Variety)
		What is Complexity and Variety?
		Organisational Elements (O, M, E)
		Ashby's Law of Requisite Variety
	Viability vs Complexity Management
		Managing Variety and Learning
		Organisational Learning and Development
		Managing Complexity in Organisations
	Why We Need to Evolve Towards Sustainable Self-Governed Organisations
	Summary
	Notes
	References
2. Organisational Viability (and Sustainability)
	The Need for more Resilient Organisations and Societies
	What is a Viable and Sustainable (v&s) Organisation?
	The Physiological Inspiration
	The Viable System Model
	System 1 (S1)
	System 2 (S2)
	System 3 (S3)
		S3: Generating Synergies
		Aligning Meta-Systemic and Operational Management
		Complementarity of S3 and S2 Roles
		The Control Dilemma
	System 3* (S3*)
	System 4 (S4)
	System 5 (S5)
	The Recursive Viable System Theorem
	Managing Complexity: Organisational Principles
		Responsible Autonomy
		Self-Regulation
			Agile Management
			Measuring Performance: The Triple Index
			Managing Algedonics
		Adaptation
		Self-Governance
		Sustainable Self-Governance
	Leaving Behind Earlier Critics of the VSM
	Notes
	References
3. A Methodology to Support Self-Transformation Towards Viability and Sustainability
	On VSM Methodologies
	Developing the Self-Transformation Methodology (STM)
		The Ontology of the Observer
		The STM: A Systemic Methodology to Facilitate Organisation Learning
		On VSM Epistemology
	The Self-Transformation Methodology in a Nutshell
		Designing and Starting a v&s Project
	Agreements on Organisational Identity
		Rich Pictures - The Organisational Landscape
		Statement of Organisational Identity
	Recursive Analysis
	VSM Preliminary Diagnosis
		Mapping the Viable System of the System in Focus
		Doing a VSM Preliminary Diagnosis
	Complete VSM Diagnosis
		Mapping v&s Roles and Mechanisms
		Identifying and Mapping Diagnostic Issues
		Assessing System 1's Interactions
		The Inside and Now (Systems 1, 2, and 3)
		The Outside and Then (Systems 3, 4, and 5)
	Aligning Strategy, Structure, and Information Systems
		Aligning Strategy and Structure
		Strategic Information Management
	Self-Transformation Projects and Plan
	Monitoring and Assessing Performance
	Team Syntegrity
	Summary
	Notes
	References
4. Towards More Resilient and Healthier Organisations and Societies
	Organisational Health, Resilience, and Self-Governance
		Early Alarms from the COVID-19 Pandemic
	Towards More Resilient Individuals
		Representing an Individual as a Viable (and Sustainable) System
		Towards More Viable and Sustainable Individuals
	Early Alarms to Businesses v&s
		Towards More Resilient Businesses
		Case Study - M*Clean (with A.C. Martinez)
	Towards More Resilient Health Providers
		Preliminary VSM Analysis of the NHS in England
		VSM Diagnosis of a Surgery Unit in a Local English Health Trust (with Jon Walker and Kartikae Grover)
			Understanding the Organisational Identity
			Recursive Analysis - The System in Focus
			Preliminary VSM Diagnosis of the LEHT
			Full Diagnosis for SPU1 and SPU2
				System 1
				System 2
				System 3
				System 4
				System 5
			Monitoring and Assessment
			Self-Transformation Projects
				System 1
				System 2
				System 3
				System 4
				System 5
	Conclusions
	Notes
	References
5. 'Fits Like a Glove': The VSM for Supporting More Systemic Educational Organisations
	From Non-Systemic to Systemic Education and Educational Institutions
		What Is a Non-Systemic Approach to Education?
		Towards More Systemic Educational Institutions
	Self-Transformation of ELF - The Whole Story (with Jon Walker and Vladimir Pop)
		Clarifying the School's Identity
		Recursive Analysis
		VSM Diagnosis
			Preliminary Diagnosis
			Full Diagnosis at the Schools
			Full Diagnosis at the Kindergartens
			The Self-Regulatory Homeostat (S1/S2/S3)
			The Adaptation Mechanism (S3/S4/S5)
		Aligning Strategy, Structure, and Information Systems
		Self-Transformation Projects and Plan
		Monitoring and Assessing Performance
		Reviewing ELF's Self-Transformation
	Designing TINTA, a Systemic Education Online Provider (with G. Ramirez)
		TINTA's Approach to Systemic Education
		Agreeing on TINTA's Identity
		Recursive Analysis - TINTA's Primary Services
		Designing TINTA's Organisation with VSM Criteria
		TINTA Coming to Life: First Self-Assessment
	Systemic Education in Higher Education Institutions
		Systemic Management in Universities around the World
		Magdalena University (v&s) Case Study
		Self-Transformation of Educational Institutions - Post-COVID-19
	Notes
	References
6. v&s in Organisational Networks
	Complex Organisational Systems as Social Networks
		The Rise of Social Networks (21st Century)
		What Is a v&s Network?
		Background Research on VSM and Social Networks
		Example: A v&s Industrial Network
	Designing a State-Owned Enterprise on a Complex Environment (with Alfadhal Al Hinai and Jon Walker)
		Complexity Challenges to Design a National Broadband Network
		VSM Design of the OBC
			Agreements on Organisational Identity
			Recursive Analysis
		VSM Design
		Social Network Analysis
		Five Years Later
	Redesigning a Latin-American 2nd Generation Broadband Network (with Martha Giraldo and Jon Walker)
		N2BN Identity
		Recursive Analysis
		VSM Diagnosis
		Aligning Strategy and Structure
			Martha Ines Giraldo (ex-Director N2BN)
			Camilo Jaimes (ex-Communications Director N2BN)
	Designing Strategies for Supply Chain Integration at the UK Offshore Wind Industry(with Julija Danilova)
		Analysing SCI with the STM
		VSM findings
		Suggested Reorganisation Strategies
		Learning from the Research
	Dilemmas of Self-Governance in Organisational Networks
	Notes
	References
7. Sustainable Self-Governance
	Contemporary Approaches to Governance
		Traditional Approaches to Governance
		Collaborative Approaches to Governance
	Sustainable Self-Governance (v&s)
		Towards Sustainable Self-Governance
		A Framework to Assess Sustainable Self-Governance
			Co-Evolution with Its Niche
			Autonomy and Cohesion
			Recursive Governance
		Example: Sustainable Self Governance in a Socio-Ecological System
	Assessing Self-Governance in an Indigenous Community in the Amazon (with C Duque)
		Background on Their Governance Structures
		VSM Analysis of Their Governance Structures
			Boundary Critique
			Rich Picture - Agreeing on Identity
			Recursive Analysis
			VSM Diagnosis
			Self-Transformation Projects
		Learning from the v&s Project (by C. Duque)
	Sustainable Self-Governance in an Afro-Caribbean Community (with C. Duran)
		Past and Present of the Orika Community Council (OCC)
		Assessing Sustainable Self-Governance at Orika
			Orika's Identity
			Recursive Analysis
			VSM Diagnosis
			Self-Transformation Projects
		Learning from the Case Study (by C. Duran)
			CD's testimony
	Conclusions
	Notes
	References
8. Facilitating Systemic Change with the VSM
	Systemic Change: What It Is and How It Can Be Done
	The Cybersyn Project
	Strategic Information Management at the Colombian President's Office (1990-1992)
	Re-Engineering the National Auditing Office (NAO) in Colombia
		Redesigning the NAO
		The Model of the State
		Implementing the 'Systemic Auditing Process'
		Learning from the Project
	Monitoring the Impact of National Programs to Reduce Poverty in Colombia
	Redesigning the National School System (NSS) in Colombia
	Developing the National Environmental System (NES) in Colombia
	The Relevance of 'Beer's Legacy to Facilitate Systemic Change
	The Need for Massive Systemic Changes to Improve Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
	Notes
	References
9. An Idea Whose Time Has Come
	Lessons on Using the VSM for Sustainable Self-Governance
	Developing VSM-Related Methodologies and Tools
		VSM and Multimethodology
		VSM and Team Syntegrity
	Addressing Traditional Criticisms to the VSM
	VSM Research Landscape
	Conclusions
	Notes
	References
Index