Systemic Practice and Action Research最新文献

Origin

The research analysed the messages communicated during the uprisings in a city in Colombia during 2021. The objective of the study was to determine the organisational idea of the country prefigured by the protestors during the marches.

Method

The research uses participatory observation in an ethnographic method for data collection; for data analysis and reduction, it uses grounded theory; and for data analysis, it uses cybernetic communication modelling and the Viable Systems Model. During the six marches the researchers attended to, the study registered and analysed the messages contained in speeches, alternative media outlets, chants, signs, graffiti, and theatrical plays.

Findings

It identifies the people´s demand for autonomy in the country, the emergence of new political identities, the use of telecommunications as a means for changing the state´s institutions, the use of art and culture in the country’s demonstrations, and the demand for the respect of human rights. The study analysed the findings using the socio-political cybernetics framework proposed by Stafford Beer.

Originality

The article presents a novel approach to the study of the Colombian uprisings of 2021. The paper applies the socio-political cybernetic approach, which is uncommon in studies in cybernetics. It also proposes an extension to the cybernetic theory of communications.

In this article, we introduce the reader to a social systems-theoretical concept of science, with particular emphasis on the role of theorising within a functionally differentiated society. Six cases are presented that demonstrate how social systems theory serves as both theory and method, thereby offering an insightful super-theoretical framework relevant to both conceptual and empirical studies. We conclude that social systems theory facilitates the pursuit of science for science’s sake by effectively challenging persistent self-confusions of society with politics or any other subsystem of society. As a result, the artificial distinction between science for the sake of science and science for the sake of society is overcome, and science for sake of society simply represents a return of science to its own function.

This conceptual paper explores the persistent gap between research, practice, and theory in management, hindering the practical applicability and relevance of academic research. It investigates the Socio-Economic Approach to Management (SEAM) as a participatory and collaborative model aimed at effectively bridging this gap. The paper examines the evolution of management theories and the emergence of SEAM as an innovative solution to align theory and practice, highlighting its potential to integrate theory, research, and practice in organizational management. The paper conducts a comprehensive literature review to demonstrate how action research, as incorporated in SEAM, facilitates transformative organizational development and fosters collaborative problem-solving. SEAM’s methodology offers a win-win collaboration for both managers and scholars, resulting in actionable knowledge with practical applications. Additionally, it includes a case study involving DBA executive education to illustrate SEAM’s practical application. Despite its strengths, SEAM faces criticisms and challenges, including concerns about subjectivity, rigor, contrasting approaches, validity, and generalizability. However, the paper emphasizes SEAM’s contributions to action research, offering a fresh perspective that transcends context-specificity and provides multidimensional modeling of outcomes. It emphasizes measurement and quantitative assessment of qualitative impacts, integrating qualitative, quantitative, and financial data to better understand organizational complexity. In conclusion, the paper underscores SEAM’s significance in promoting research relevance, enhancing management practices, and fostering better understanding between researchers and practitioners, particularly within the realm of DBA executive education. By advocating for SEAM as a bridge between theory and practice, the paper encourages a more collaborative and effective approach to meet the demands of a dynamic management landscape.

The ubiquity of communication technologies has influenced the way we receive and process ‘information’. It is shaping the way that human societies interact and made it to distinguish between tittle-tattle and facts. Despite its many benefits it can also lead to social disengagement where ‘data’ is treated as information and ‘news’ can be untrue. In this paper I investigate if digitization is changing the nature of society and the way we behave. Using a Soft systems method, I explore the impact that digitization is having upon society and discuss the lessons learnt. The suggestion is made that using soft ideas might help receivers to gain a better appreciation of the material they access within the context in which it is expressed.

Critical systems heuristics (CSH) has been influential in the development of critical systems thinking. However, it is a relatively underutilised method compared with soft systems approaches such as soft systems methodology (SSM) and cognitive mapping. This may be in part due to the complexity of ideas underpinning CSH. Core ideas with which users must feel confident include boundary critique, coercion, emancipation, and “is” vs “ought to be” framings. These ideas were the subject of the early discourse surrounding CSH, which considered the role of boundary critique in systems research, the extent to which CSH could meaningfully address coercion, and the claims of CSH as an emancipatory approach. The purpose of this review is to provide clarity on these key concepts by reflecting on how they have been addressed in the CSH literature to date. We find that CSH has been applied in a range of problem contexts and is most frequently applied to address coercion or power asymmetries. CSH research is frequently associated with advocacy for marginalised groups, and we believe this is a natural extension of the methodological emancipation to which CSH aspires. In providing an overview of the key ideas underpinning CSH, we hope to lower the barrier to application for systems researchers and practitioners.