The viable system perspective of actors in eco-systems

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 783-799 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Polese ◽  
Luca Carrubbo ◽  
Roberto Bruni ◽  
Gennaro Maione
Keyword(s):  
Systems Approach ◽  
Interactive Systems ◽  
System Perspective ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Viable Systems ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Common Purpose ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Viable System

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to show the relevance of the interest in sharing the common purpose and in searching for a common survival of emerging eco-system (ES) as an entity that “is not” but emerges by the viable actors interaction. Design/methodology/approach This conceptual paper contributes to the research by defining the ES building on the contributions of SD logic and viable systems approach (VSA), with a particular focus on the VSA perspective. Findings An ES emerges as a viable “system of systems” by an observer’s interpretation of the simultaneous interactions between different viable actors/systems that are sharing a common purpose (the survival of the ES), exchanging resources following a viable value co-creation model. Each actor/system could represent a level of quality of belonging to the ES looking for the opportunity to be resonant with the ES. Research limitations/implications The ES features and the role of each actor inside could be deepened through different theoretical perspectives and the same VSA to the ES could be reached with empirical explorations. Practical implications Understanding the nature of the ES, the practitioners are able to explain better their position in relation to partners and competitors. It is possible to be a part of several emerging ESs looking for the will to contribute to the ES’ survival and to the sharing of the purpose of the interactive systems/actors. In a medium and long run, the measure of the resonance is useful to understand the quality in interaction. Originality/value The work provides a definition of the ES and the actors inside focusing on the perspective of VSA, by integrating the concept of viable value co-creation and solidarity-based logic; in particular, the concept of Centro Commerciale Naturale is used to show the emergence of the ES in a relational context generated by the interaction between city, service and retailers in a city center.

scholarly journals A discussion of problems in implementing organisational cultural change

2015 ◽  
Vol 64 (6/7) ◽  
pp. 480-488 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saowapha Limwichitr ◽  
Judith Broady-Preston ◽  
David Ellis
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Change ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Learning Organisation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Doctoral Research ◽  
Critical Elements ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Business And Management

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on organisational cultural change and problems in its implementation, focussing on the case of building a learning organisation (LO) within university library context. Design/methodology/approach – Key literature published within Library and Information Science, Business and Management and other related fields were reviewed to identify themes regarding organisational cultural change in relation to development of an LO emerging in the recent years. Findings – Reviewed literature in this paper highlights key challenges in examining organisational cultural change for the purpose of building an LO. These include a lack of an agreed definition of the LO concept, practical approaches and measure for assessing achievement of the cultural change. A need for in-depth studies which focus on current practices and related problems in this regard is also revealed, and the systems approach is proposed as a suitable approach for holistic investigation of all critical elements that possibly affect establishment of an LO. Originality/value – The paper raises awareness of the importance of examining organisational cultural change as a critical supportive influence of developing an LO. Problems to be considered in its implementation are synthesised and served as a basis for further investigation in the author’s doctoral research project.

Teamwork from accounting graduates: what do employers really expect?

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 348-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Paguio ◽  
Beverley Jackling
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Sector ◽  
University Graduates ◽  
Unique Contribution ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Accounting Curriculum ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
Teamwork Skills ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Accounting Graduates

Purpose The ability to work effectively in a team is highly regarded by employers of accounting graduates, yet they have expressed concern that many university graduates lack teamwork skills. Furthermore, in the context of the accounting curriculum, a “conceptual vagueness” surrounds a workplace-relevant definition of teamwork. Drawing on the theoretical perspectives of the healthcare sector where teamwork skills are required to be taught and assessed as part of accreditation processes, this study investigates what teamwork means from the perspective of accounting employers. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of employers to acquire descriptions of teamwork observed from graduate recruits. Using an analyst triangulation process, resulting teamwork items were analysed and emerging themes were identified. Findings Teamwork in accounting work contexts were identified, confirmed and explained. Mapped against the healthcare teamwork theories, many teamwork items from the interview analysis clustered around the mutual support competency and the dimensions of traits and motives. Research Limitations/implications The study was restricted to employers collaborating in one university’s placement program. Further research could investigate more diverse employer groups, determine importance ranking of identified teamwork themes and seek explanations for differences among different employer groups. Practical implications An enhanced description of teamwork is significant in supporting student awareness and informing teaching innovations/assessments of this generic skill in the accounting curriculum. Originality/value The paper provides a unique contribution of evidence-based descriptions of teamwork expected of accounting graduates, thus addressing conceptual and practical ambiguity of the meaning of teamwork skills in the accounting profession.

Systems, networks, and ecosystems in service research

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 652-674 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergio Barile ◽  
Robert Lusch ◽  
Javier Reynoso ◽  
Marialuisa Saviano ◽  
James Spohrer
Keyword(s):  
Systems Approach ◽  
The Body ◽  
Service Systems ◽  
Service Research ◽  
Interaction Patterns ◽  
Service Networks ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Viable Systems ◽  
Conceptual Paper ◽  
Level Of Analysis

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to create awareness on the need for lifting up the level of analysis in service research by focusing on systems, networks, and ecosystems to contribute to the research expansion of the traditionally narrow view of service. Design/methodology/approach – This conceptual paper is built upon three blocks. First, the viable systems approach is revised to highlight the survival, viability, and complexity of service systems. Second, the dynamics of service networks is discussed using an ecological view of service with a nested, networked configuration. Third, these two previous perspectives are integrated using the fundamentals of ecosystems thinking. Findings – This paper outlines a novel, tri-level approach reorienting and reframing our thinking around systems, networks, and ecosystems. Some research challenges and directions that could expand the body of knowledge in service research are also discussed. Research limitations/implications – The tri-level approach proposed in this conceptual paper could be enriched with other theoretical perspectives and empirical explorations. Practical implications – Lifting the level of analysis by focussing on service systems, service networks, and service ecosystems would allow practitioners to expand their business perspective to better face the challenges of complex business settings, enabling them to co-create value for all their stakeholders. Originality/value – The paper contributes to set the foundation for the next stage of service research by going beyond dyadic interactions to address dynamic systems, networks, and ecosystems across different interaction patterns in complex business configurations.

The complexity continuum, part 2: modelling harmony

Kybernetes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (8) ◽  
pp. 1626-1652 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maurice Yolles
Keyword(s):  
Complex Systems ◽  
Agency Theory ◽  
Complex Adaptive Systems ◽  
Adaptive Systems ◽  
Critical Realism ◽  
Philosophical Perspective ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Viable Systems ◽  
Complex Adaptive ◽  
Viable System

PurposeComplex systems adapt to survive, but little comparative literature exists on various approaches. Adaptive complex systems are generic, this referring to propositions concerning their bounded instability, adaptability and viability. Two classes of adaptive complex system theories exist: hard and soft. Hard complexity theories include Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) and Viability Theory, and softer theories, which we refer to as Viable Systems Theories (VSTs), that includes Management Cybernetics at one extreme and Humanism at the other. This paper has a dual purpose distributed across two parts. In part 1 the purpose was to identify the conditions for the complementarity of the two classes of theory. In part 2 the two the purpose is to explore (in part using Agency Theory) the two classes of theory and their proposed complexity continuum.Design/methodology/approachExplanation is provided for the anticipation of behaviour cross-disciplinary fields of theory dealing with adaptive complex systems. A comparative exploration of the theories is undertaken to elicit concepts relevant to a complexity continuum. These explain how agency behaviour can be anticipated under uncertainty. Also included is a philosophical exploration of the complexity continuum, expressing it in terms of a graduated set of philosophical positions that are differentiated in terms of objects and subjects. These are then related to hard and softer theories in the continuum. Agency theory is then introduced as a framework able to comparatively connect the theories on this continuum, from theories of complexity to viable system theories, and how harmony theories can develop.FindingsAnticipation is explained in terms of an agency’s meso-space occupied by a regulatory framework, and it is shown that hard and softer theory are equivalent in this. From a philosophical perspective, the hard-soft continuum is definable in terms of objectivity and subjectivity, but there are equivalences to the external and internal worlds of an agency. A fifth philosophical position of critical realism is shown to be representative of harmony theory in which internal and external worlds can be related. Agency theory is also shown to be able to operate as a harmony paradigm, as it can explore external behaviour of an agent using a hard theory perspective together with an agent’s internal cultural and cognitive-affect causes.Originality/valueThere are very few comparative explorations of the relationship between hard and soft approaches in the field of complexity and even fewer that draw in the notion of harmony. There is also little pragmatic illustration of a harmony paradigm in action within the context of complexity.

A systems approach to assessing organisational viability in project based organisations

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 268-283
Author(s):  
Bankole Awuzie ◽  
Peter McDermott
Keyword(s):  
Systems Approach ◽  
Communication Channels ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategic Objectives ◽  
Viable Systems ◽  
Systems Model ◽  
Infrastructure Project ◽  
And Control

Purpose – Extant literature highlights the increasing inability of project-based organisations (PBOs) to meet infrastructure client’s expectations, particularly as it concerns the delivery of socio-economic outcomes during the delivery process. Unclear communication channels and poor processing of information especially as it pertains to client’s strategic objectives results in a misalignment of objectives among participating parties. As its central proposition, the purpose of this paper is to hold that unclear communication channels between parties within infrastructure project PBOs affects their degree of internal cohesion hence posing strong challenges to their overall viability. Design/methodology/approach – Applying the Viable Infrastructure Delivery Systems Model (VIDM); a model premised on the tenets of the Viable Systems Model, this qualitative study proceeds to assess a particular PBO within a developing country to understand its communication and control channels and to identify where gaps likely to affect the internal cohesiveness of the PBO, if any, existed. Whereas semi-structured interviews and project/policy documents were used as data collection tools, data were analysed using pre-set themes. Findings – According the study’s findings, an absence of a prevalent common identity was observed among the various parties to the PBO. Contractors’ capabilities to deliver on time and to budget based on their expertise remained pivotal within the PBO thus abandoning the attainment of the client’s pre-defined socio-economic objectives. Cases of faulty and ineffective organisational architecture, functional and communication issues were observed. Research limitations/implications – Based upon these findings, it is recommended that the VIDM be adopted at the commencement of the PBO lifecycle and used at various intervals by project managers and other stakeholders for assessing the levels of organisational viability. Originality/value – The methodology and findings resulting from this study represent information from fieldwork conducted by the author and as such have not been used elsewhere.

scholarly journals Releasing the grip of managerial domination

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 287-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Clark ◽  
Michelle Cornes ◽  
Jill Manthorpe ◽  
Catherine Hennessy ◽  
Sarah Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Systems Of Care ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
System Transformation ◽  
Traditional Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Collaborative Working ◽  
Management Techniques ◽  
Integrated Or

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss “system transformation” in the context of different workforces and organisations seeking to support people experiencing multiple exclusion homelessness (MEH). From a relational and integrated care perspective it aims to identify barriers to achieving more effective ways of working in the prevailing context of “managerial domination”. Communities of practice (COPs) are evaluated to identify their potential to overcome some of these barriers. Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents a theoretical and conceptual discussion of a project in which a number of COPs were established and evaluated to ascertain their value in developing more relational ways of working in the context of MEH. Case studies of COPs operating in the context of MEH are explored and discussed. Findings – It is concluded that COPs have the potential to deliver small-scale changes (“little miracles”) which are characteristically more subversive than transformative. Nevertheless, the authors still see these small gains as significant when compared to the inertia that is often found in local systems of care where more traditional management techniques (such as “payment by results”) prevail. The authors also draw attention to the scope for much improved service quality which flows from moving beyond the “tick box” and into the realms of what it really takes to tackle homelessness and multiple exclusion. In other words, although often requiring considerable amounts of “craft and graft” to deliver seemingly very small amounts of change, these “little miracles” may actually be more conducive in the long run to delivering the kind of tangible “real” change that is often aspired to by both workers and service users and their carers. Research limitations/implications – The COPs project was limited in terms of time and scale and, hence, further research would be needed to, for example, ascertain their longer-term potential. Practical implications – There is merit in the theoretical perspectives discussed and, from these, of understanding how best to establish and operate COPs as a vehicle for achieving better outcomes through integrated or collaborative working. Social implications – There is much scope for better integrated or more collaborative working in the context of MEH and this paper draws attention to how COPs could be one means of achieving better outcomes for people experiencing MEH. Originality/value – This is the first paper to set out the theoretical analysis of COPs as a means of achieving better integrated or collaborative working.

The viable system model and its applications in higher education: an overview

Kybernetes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 438-450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sahar Saeed Rezk ◽  
Shahinaz Gamal
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
System Model ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Viable System Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Viable Systems ◽  
Surrounding Environment ◽  
Viable System ◽  
And Control

Purpose Viable system model (VSM) is a powerful tool mainly used to describe, solve and control systems’ complex problems autonomously. It enables systems to be flexible so that they can survive by rapidly responding and adapting their behaviors to any expected or even unexpected changes in the surrounding environment. This study aims to provide a literature review of the VSM as a conceptual framework for designing viable systems, and its applications in the field of higher education (HE). Design/methodology/approach The review is based on explaining “What is organizational cybernetics?”, clarifying the principles of the VSM as a rational model for designing viable organizations, discussing its drawbacks and the extended VSM, and then presenting a literature review of VSM applications in HE based on papers mainly published from 1993 to 2017. Findings Although there are many contributions provided by applying the VSM in HE, the previous developed models used Beer’s framework with its drawbacks without referring to some important factors neglected within it which are discussed in this review. Originality/value The study presents a summary of previous research on this topic and clarifies the essential issues needed to be addressed to design viable systems. Based on the gaps identified in the literature, some issues have been emphasized to be addressed in future research.

The strategic priorities in the materiality matrix of the banking enterprise

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 589-607 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincenzo Formisano ◽  
Maria Fedele ◽  
Mario Calabrese
Keyword(s):  
Banking Sector ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Socially Responsible ◽  
Financial Reports ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Viable Systems ◽  
Creating Shared Value ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Selection Of

Purpose Nowadays, in this highly dynamic and complex context, companies have to act in a socially responsible and sustainable way to survive, creating shared value. The purpose of this paper is to analyse, through descriptive statistics, the elements that Italian banks identify as strategic to increasing their relational and reputational capital and to being in consonance with stakeholder’s expectations. Design/methodology/approach This paper investigates the width (number of intermediaries that included the materiality matrix in their non-financial reports) and the depth (number of indicators in the matrix) of the phenomenon to detect the bank’s attention on critical topics for their stakeholders. Findings The focus is on materiality matrices in order to detect a correspondence among the significant indicators selected by the banks and those value generators for stakeholders. In the perspective used in this work, property is also a stakeholder; indeed, wanting to use the terminology of the viable systems approach, property represents a relevant supra-system as it is critical and influential for the decision makers. Research limitations/implications The main limits are the low number of non-financial reports published by Italian banks, and the little information on the type of stakeholder involved in the building of the materiality matrix. Originality/value The originality of this work is multifaceted. Primarily, there are no similar studies in the banking sector. The present work intends to go beyond the studies already in the literature on mapping and stakeholder prioritisation as well as on the identification and selection of material themes. Moreover, having found, during the analysis of the banks’ reports, the heterogeneity of indicators identified as material, for both banks and stakeholders, the same have been traced back to the related stages identified by Carroll in the pyramid of social responsibility.

Empowering value co-creation in the digital age

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergio Barile ◽  
Clara Bassano ◽  
Paolo Piciocchi ◽  
Marialuisa Saviano ◽  
James Clinton Spohrer
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Digital Age ◽  
Service Systems ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Viable Systems ◽  
Complex Decision Making ◽  
Interpretative Approach

Purpose Technology is revolutionizing the management logic of service systems. The increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI), in particular, is challenging interaction between humans and machines changing the service systems’ value co-creation configurations and logic. To envision possible future scenarios, this paper aims to reflect upon how the humans’ use of AI technology can impact value co-creation. Design/methodology/approach The study is developed, at a conceptual level, using selected elements from managerial and marketing theoretical frameworks interested in value co-creation – Service-Dominant Logic, Service Science and Viable Systems Approach (VSA) – used as interpretative tools to reframe value co-creation in the digital age. Findings The interpretative approach adopted and, in particular, the new VSA notion of Intelligence Augmentation (IA), in the perspective of the information variety model, shed new light on value co-creation in the digital age framing a possible “IA effect” that can empower value co-creation in complex decision-making contexts. Practical implications The study provides insights useful in the design and management of service systems suggesting a rethinking of the view of AI as a means for mainly increasing the smartness of service systems and a new focus on the enhancement of the human resources contribution to make the service systems wiser. Originality/value The paper provides a refocused interpretative view of the interaction between humans and AI that looks at a possible positive impact of the use of AI on humans in terms of augmented decision-making capabilities in conditions of complexity.

The contribution of VSA and SDL perspectives to strategic thinking in emerging economies

2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 565-591 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaqueline Pels ◽  
Sergio Barile ◽  
Marialuisa Saviano ◽  
Francesco Polese ◽  
Luca Carrubbo
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Economies ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Viable Systems ◽  
Dynamic View ◽  
New Business ◽  
Inclusive Business ◽  
Managerial Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to reflect upon strategic marketing in emerging economies (EEs). It tries to answer the research question: what new business models are enabled by the Viable Systems Approach (VSA) and Service-Dominant Logic (SDL) perspectives? Design/methodology/approach – The paper is developed by integrating two well-established perspectives – VSA and SDL – and applying them to inclusive businesses. Findings – The integration of these perspectives allows the authors to recognize a convergence toward business models that seem to be consistent with the principles of inclusive capitalism. The authors claim that by shifting between a reductionist/static and a holistic/dynamic view, these perspectives can be integrated, thus revealing an interesting contribution to the understanding of inclusive business. Specifically, they contribute by highlighting how the economic and social dimensions are intertwined and by highlighting that the management-thinking perspective, which has dominated in recent decades, should shift toward a more inclusive vision. Research limitations/implications – The paper represents an attempt to address an inclusive capitalism perspective in the context of marketing. Nevertheless, the conceptual reasoning developed in the paper should be further supported by empirical research carried out in the context of EEs. Practical implications – The paper has relevant managerial implications that suggest a rethinking of the business model to market with EEs. Originality/value – The paper contributes to the research on inclusive capitalism by linking it to well-grounded conceptual approaches to business that recapture a harmonious relationship between the economy and society.

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