The Impact of Cybernetics on Organizational Learning: Now & Then

Author(s)

Hiba Hishi ,

Download Full PDF Pages: 69-82 | Views: 603 | Downloads: 194 | DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5036506

Volume 9 - December 2020 (12)

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of literature on organizational learning and cybernetics trying to answer how cybernetics impact organizational learning. The research method used relied heavily on revision, analysis, comparison beside related literature on organizational learning and cybernetics along with providing insights from COVID 19 crisis. Through a theoretical approach of reviewing organizational learning and cybernetics literature supported by most recent practical examples, this study shows how cybernetics offer organizational learning a framework of insights and measures to achieve its goals. Selection of theorists and related concepts were analysed in this paper; however a further study is needed, after the outbreak to assure the results.

Keywords

single loop learning, double loop learning, Deutero learning, first order cybernetics, second order cybernetics, COVID-19

References

                    i.            "A living system, due to its circular organization, is an inductive system and functions always in a predictive manner; what occurred once will occur again. Its organization (both genetic and otherwise) is conservative and repeats only that which works." (Maturana 1980, p. 39)

                  ii.            Accenture.com. 2020. Continuity In Crisis: How To Run Effective Business Services During COVID-19. [online] Available at: <https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insights/operations/coronavirus-effective-business-operations> [Accessed 17 April 2020].

                iii.            Alvani M (2008). Public Management (32ndedn), Ney publications, Tehran: Iran.

                 iv.            Amir-Kabiri A (2006). The approaches to organisation and management and organisational behaviour, (1st ed). Tehran Negah-e danesh publications

                   v.            Angela Espinosa (2004). Organizational Cybernetics as a Tool Box to Assist in the Development of Evolutionary Learning Networks, World Futures: The Journal of New Paradigm Research, 60:1-2, 137-145

                 vi.            Argote, Linda. Organizational Learning: Creating, Retaining, and Transferring Knowledge. Boston: Kluwer Academic, 1999. 28.

               vii.            Argyris,C. and Schön, D. Organizational Learning: Theory, method and practice.(New York: Addison-Wesley, 1995)

             viii.            Argyris C (1977) Double loop learning in organisations. Harvard Business Review. September October: 115-125

                 ix.            ARLINGTON, Va, (2020). Gartner Business Continuity Survey Shows Just 12 Percent Of Organizations Are Highly Prepared For Coronavirus. [online] Available at: <https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2020-03-10-gartner-business-continuity-survey-shows-just-twelve-percernt-of-organizations-are-highly-prepared-for-coronavirsu> [Accessed 17 April 2020].

                   x.            Armstrong, M., 2010. Single- And Double-Loop Learning. [image] Available at: <http://vcm.qums.ac.ir/Portal/file/?182900/%D9%83%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%A8-human-resource-management-practice.pdf> [Accessed 18 April 2020].

                 xi.            Ashby, W. Ross (1956). An Introduction to Cybernetics, London: Chapman & Hall.

               xii.            Ashby, W. R. Desigz for a Brain. New York: John Wiley, 1952.

             xiii.            Argyris, C., & Schön, D. (1978). Organizational learning: A theory of action perspective, Reading, Mass: Addison Wesley

             xiv.            Bale, L.S. (1995). Gregory Bateson, Cybernetics and the social/behavioral sciences. Cybernetics and Human Knowing, 3, 27–45.

               xv.            Cariani, P., (2016). Beware False Dichotomies. [ebook] Available at: <https://constructivist.info/articles/11/3/455.umpleby.pdf> [Accessed 12 April 2020].

             xvi.            Casey, A. (2005). Enhancing individual and organizational learning. Management Learning, 36(2), 131-147.

           xvii.            Crossan,M.M, Lane, H.W. and White, R.E.(1999)., An organizational learning framework: From learning to institution. Academy of Management Review, 24: 522-537

         xviii.            CYBCON discussion group 20. September 2007 18:15.

             xix.            Cyert R, March JG (1992). A Behavioral theory of the firm (2nd edtn), Wiley-Blackwell, USA.

               xx.            D'Auria, G. and De Smet, A., (2020). 5 Ways To Manage A Crisis, According To Mckinsey. [online] World Economic Forum. Available at: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/outbreaks-like-coronavirus-start-in-and-spread-from-the-edges-of-cities/> [Accessed 17 April 2020].

             xxi.            Day GS (1994) The capabilities of market-driven organisations. Journal of Marketing 58: 37-52.

           xxii.            Eagar, R., Teixeira, T., Taga, D. and Caldani, S., (2020). Leading Businesses Through The COVID-19 Crisis. [online] Arthur D Little. Available at: <https://www.adlittle.com/en/COVID19_CEOFirstLearnings> [Accessed 17 April 2020].

         xxiii.            Friedlander, F. (1983). Patterns of individual and organizational learning. In Srivastava, Suresh & Associates (Eds.), The executive mind, New insights on managerial thought and action (pp. 192-220). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

          xxiv.            Fromemuseum.org. (2018). The Roots Of Cybernetic Theory Philosophy Essay. [online] Available at: <https://fromemuseum.org/the-roots-of-cybernetic-theory-philosophy-essay/> [Accessed 12 April 2020].

            xxv.            D. Garvin, “Building a learning organization,” Harvard Business Review, vol. 71, no. 4, pp. 78–91, 1993.

          xxvi.            Hedberg, B. (1981). How organizations learn and unlearn? In P.C. Nystrom & W.H. Starbuck (ds). Handbook of organizational design (pp. 8-27). London: Oxford UniversityPress.

        xxvii.            Heinz von Foerster (1981), 'Observing Systems", Intersystems Publications, Seaside, CA

      xxviii.            Huber GP (1991) Organisational learning: the contributing processes and the literatures. Organization Science 2: 88-115.

          xxix.            Hougaard, R., Carter, J. and Mohan, M., (2020). Build Your Resilience in the Face of a Crisis. Harvard Business Review, [online] Available at: <https://hbr.org/2020/03/build-your-resiliency-in-the-face-of-a-crisis> [Accessed 18 April 2020].

            xxx.            Hume, D. An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding (1742). New York: Washington Square Press, 1963

          xxxi.            Ilková, V. ; Ilka, A. (2016). "Legal Cybernetics: An Educational Perspective". Preprints of the 11th IFAC Symposium on Advances in Control Education, Bratislava, Slovak Republic, June 1-3, 2016 pp. 326-331.

        xxxii.            Kenneth D. Bailey (1994)., Sociology and the New Systems Theory: Toward a Theoretical Synthesis, p.163.

      xxxiii.            Littlejohn, S. Theories of Human Communication.  Wadsworth, 2001.

      xxxiv.            Louis Couffignal, Essai d’une définition générale de la cybernétique, The First International Congress on Cybernetics (Paris: Gauthier-Villars, 1958), 46-54.

        xxxv.            Lundberg, C. C. (1995). Learning in and by organizations: three conceptual issues. The International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 3(1), 10-23

      xxxvi.            Mason,  R.M.  (1993).  Strategic  information  systems:  Use  of  information technology  in  a  learning  organization.  Proceedings  of  the  Twenty-Sixth Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences '93, CA: IEEE Press, 840-849

    xxxvii.            Mayo A (1994). The power of learning: A guide to gaining competitive advantage, IPD House, London.

  xxxviii.            M. N. Ozer (Ed.), A cybernetic approach to the assessment of children: Toward a more humane use of human beings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 67–113, 1979

      xxxix.            Morgan, G., (1997). Images Of Organization. SAGE Publications

                 xl.            Nonaka, I. (1991). The knowledge-creating company, Harvard Business Review, November-December, 96-104.

               xli.            Odor HO (2018) A Literature Review on Organizational Learning and Learning Organizations. Int J Econ Manag Sci 7: 494. doi: 10.4172/2162- 6359.1000494

             xlii.            Reagans R, Argote L, Brooks D (2005). Individual experience and experience working together: Predicting learning rates from knowing who knows what and knowing how to work together.

           xliii.            Scott BB (2011) Organisational learning: A literature review. IRC Research Program, discussion paper no. 2011-02.

           xliv.            Schwaninger, M., 2004. What Can Cybernetics Contribute To The Conscious Evolution Of Organizations And Society?. University of St Gallen, St Gallen, Switzerland.

             xlv.            Senge,  P.  M.  (1990).  The  fifth  discipline:  Five  practices  of  the  learning organization. New York: Doubleday Simon H. Sciences of the artificial. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1969

           xlvi.            Stata, R. (1989). Organizational learning: the key to management innovation, Sloan Management Review, 30(Spring), 63-74.Simon, H. (1991). Bounded rationality and organizational learning. Organization Science, 1(2), 125-134.

         xlvii.            Systemic Steering and Governance. (2018). Organizational Cybernetics – Viability. [online] Available at: <https://systemic2016.wordpress.com/2018/08/13/organizational-cybernetics-viability-2/> [Accessed 11 April 2020].

       xlviii.            Tam, G., (2020). Reimagining Workplace Learning During COVID-19. [online] Chief Learning Officer - CLO Media. Available at: <https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2020/03/30/reimagining-workplace-learning-during-covid-19/> [Accessed 17 April 2020].

           xlix.            Targowski, A., 2011. Cognitive Informatics And Wisdom Development. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference.

                    l.            Timberg, C., Harwell, D., Reiley, L. and Bhattarai, A., (2020). The new coronavirus economy: A gigantic experiment reshaping how we work and live. Washington Post, [online] Available at: <https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/21/economy-change-lifestyle-coronavirus/> [Accessed 17 April 2020].

                  li.            Wiener N. (1948). Cybernetics or Control and Communication in the Animal and the Machine. MIT Press: Cambridge, MA

Cite this Article: