Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

Seeing a case study through a cybernetic epistemological lens

Seeing a case study through a cybernetic epistemological lens Purpose – This paper aims to contribute to the understanding of the knowledge that Beer's viable system model helps when applied to the study of change processes in organisations. Design/methodology/approach – This paper develops a case study constructed on interviews and shared reflections by the author and a key player in the company. Aspects of the case study are then seen with an epistemological lens. Findings – While it is apparent that ideas, purposes, values or policies depend on resources to happen, this paper argues that it is necessary their embodying in effective relations to succeed creating and producing desirable meanings. Research limitations/implications – Some forms of embodiment are more effective than others. The viable system model offers embodiment criteria to increase the chances of a successful production of ideas, purposes, values and policies, and the case study shows that for this purpose a limitation is transforming long‐established relationships. Originality/value – This paper uses a particular and unique situation to illustrate through the viable system model some of the general difficulties that organisations face in achieving desirable transformations. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Kybernetes Emerald Publishing

Seeing a case study through a cybernetic epistemological lens

Raul Espejo
Kybernetes , Volume 40 (9/10): 24 – Oct 18, 2011
Download PDF
24 pages

Loading next page...
 
/lp/emerald-publishing/seeing-a-case-study-through-a-cybernetic-epistemological-lens-TtzK72z0lW

References (12)

Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © 2011 Emerald Group Publishing Limited. All rights reserved.
ISSN
0368-492X
DOI
10.1108/03684921111169387
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Purpose – This paper aims to contribute to the understanding of the knowledge that Beer's viable system model helps when applied to the study of change processes in organisations. Design/methodology/approach – This paper develops a case study constructed on interviews and shared reflections by the author and a key player in the company. Aspects of the case study are then seen with an epistemological lens. Findings – While it is apparent that ideas, purposes, values or policies depend on resources to happen, this paper argues that it is necessary their embodying in effective relations to succeed creating and producing desirable meanings. Research limitations/implications – Some forms of embodiment are more effective than others. The viable system model offers embodiment criteria to increase the chances of a successful production of ideas, purposes, values and policies, and the case study shows that for this purpose a limitation is transforming long‐established relationships. Originality/value – This paper uses a particular and unique situation to illustrate through the viable system model some of the general difficulties that organisations face in achieving desirable transformations.

Journal

Kybernetes – Emerald Publishing

Published: Oct 18, 2011

Keywords: Viable system model; Epistemology; Embodiment; Organisational systems; Communications

There are no references for this article.