*****CROSSPOSTED FOR LO Listserve and ODNET******************
Hello All,
I have compiled the information that fellow listserve members sent me
regarding Living Systems and....it is GREATLY APPRECIATED!!
I have sent your comments and suggestions to my colleague and hopefully
this information will be helpful in providing some base line of
information that will lead to a beneficial dialogue for all those
concerned...
Thanks again for all the help....
Fletcher Brehler
p.s. The DODN General Meeting will be March 18th, 1999 6-9 p.m. at the BPS
Conference Center in Beverly Hills, Greenfield/13mile... Please drop me a
line if you are interested in attending... fbrehler@aseonline.org
---------------------- Forwarded by Fletcher Brehler/ASE on 03/02/99 03:45
PM ---------------------------
"rshrbrgr" <rshrbrgr@mail.lvnworth.com> on 02/26/99 12:06:36 PM
To: Fletcher Brehler/ASE
Subject: Re: [odnet] Request for Living Systems General info
Try "Living Systems" by Dr. James Miller...he used to be at University of
Louisville. I don't know if he still is.
Richard Scherberger
Thomas Leal <tomleal@synergygroup.com> on 02/26/99 02:40:56 PM
To: Fletcher Brehler/ASE
Subject: Re: [odnet] Request for Living Systems General info
A few years ago, I did a far amount of digging into living systems theory.
Before I share what I dug up, I want to be sure we're talking the same
thing.
Living systems theory, as I am using it, came from biology, and it refers
to the way in which an organism receives and understands "inputs" from the
external environment, interprets the inputs, changes within to adjust for
those inputs, and then maintains vitality. Another heading is
"autopoeisis." I have tons of references for this understanding of living
systems theory. Is this what you're talking about?
Thomas Leal
The Synergy Group
48 Mathews Place, Suite 8, Alamo CA 94507-2600
Phone: 925 / 938-7748 FAX: 925 / 943-7034
1-888-SYNERGY
mailto:tomleal@synergygroup.com
ICQ #32072346
"We change the ways people work together."
DonWCole@aol.com on 02/26/99 03:10:06 PM
To: Fletcher Brehler/ASE
Subject: Re: [odnet] Request for Living Systems General info
Dear Fletcher,
Are you and the readers of your newsletter aware of :
<A HREF="mursu.mikkeliamk.fi/OD">Global O.D. Forum</A>
You might find this interesting along with
<A HREF="http://members.aol.com/ODInst">The O.D. Institute Homepage</A>
Don
Thomas Leal <tomleal@synergygroup.com> on 02/26/99 03:54:05 PM
To: Fletcher Brehler/ASE
Subject: Re: Living Systems stuff (the technical term)
OK, looks like we're talking the same thing.
Here are some websites I've bookmarked, though I haven't visited them in
about a year or so. Some may be extinct.
http://143.184.35.101/ASC/AUTOPOIESIS.html
http://www.informatik.umu.se/~rwhit/AT.html#Tutorial
http://Kevin.www.media.mit.edu/people/Kevin/Resource_Guide.html
http://www.acm.org/sigois/auto/Main.html
Also, do a search on "autopoiesis" because this is the foundation of the
theory.
Added bonus--perhaps. Here is my section on the literature review from when
I was starting on my dissertation (the school folded, so I got screwed out
of the degree). For what it's worth, it gives some explanation of
autopoiesis and living systems theory. BTW, have you done a keyword search
on "living systems theory" ?? Look also under "Humberto Maturana" and
"Francisco Varela," the Chilean botanists that got the whole thing started.
====
At present, this component of the proposal reflects early explorations
into key areas suggested by the problem and subproblems stated in Part I.
These areas are: the role of culture (sociological science and management
study), living systems theory (behavioral science), autopoiesis
(biological science), and systems and cybernetics theories (management
study).
The Role of Culture
I want to understand the role culture plays in how people receive and
process information, behave, and make choices. Hofstede's examinations on
culture (1980a) and the influence of culture on behaviors led to his
four-dimensional matrix of national cultures of sixty-seven countries, a
mixture of developed, developing, and newly emerging economies. He defined
the origin of culture as a nation's response to components of its external
environment, such as the weather, topology, and seasonality. People
adjusted their behaviors to ensure their viability and the future wellbeing
of the group. This led them to create explanations for how they came to be
in their particular place, thus forming their shared set of beliefs, which
they expressed in their mythology. As motivations, they created shared
values of what was important to have and attain in their lives. Finally,
the group determined the behaviors they deemed appropriate to their values
and acceptable to their beliefs about themselves. This is culture, and it
is passed on, generation to generation, with modifications for changes in
the external environment and learnings accumulated from experiences.
Hofstede explored (1980b) how well American business styles applied to
doing business outside the U.S. This work occurred at the start of what has
since grown to become a prevalent view that international business is done
in emulation of American methods of management, marketing, and
restructuring. Again, there was a pattern of adjusting behaviors in
response to the realities of the external environments. Here, though, the
environment expands to include the marketplace, government actions and
regulations, and competition, both domestic and foreign. In country after
country, American styles were modified according to the particular external
environment, which was further modified by the country's position on the
four dimensional matrix. This observation showed that the inputs from the
external environment were only part of the picture. Internal feedback,
grounded in cultural identity, prompted adjustments.
Autopoiesis
The theoretical work on autopoiesis is a significant component of this
proposal's foundation. The Greek meaning is "self-production," and
autopoiesis has been inducted into the lexicon of systems theory to mean
the process by which a system produces itself and then self-maintains.
Whitaker (1995) presented a comprehensive overview of the development of
autopoietic theory. The theory began as the work of Humberto Maturana and
Francisco Varela, two Chilean neurobiologists, whose work with plants led
them to believe that traditional biology lacked explanations for what they
were observing. They looked for a new theory about life.
Whitaker traced the steps Maturana and Varela took in presenting a
theory
of biological (living) systems, that is, systems that are continually
self-reproducing and are autonomous from their environments. By autonomous,
Maturana and Varela meant that a living system refers only to itself,
rather than needing input from the outside. They saw the system as
organizationally closed, though not isolated from its environment. What
input the system did receive from the outside was processed internally, and
the system adjusted itself based on that input. Thus, while the external
environment could be a cause of changes in a system, it could never
determine those changes, for that would be the work of the system itself.
Maturana and Varela working both collaboratively and separately, saw
their
theory as providing a characterization of life, well within the domain of
biology. They resisted attempts to apply their theory to the social
sciences, but the theory had some usefulness in public administration and
policy making. Its crossover to more general business application seemed to
occur at this time, and this proposed study will be a unique application of
it in the realm of international business.
Living Systems Theory
The behavioral science version of autopoiesis is living systems theory
(LST). James Grier Miller (1992, 1978, 1965) has been especially noteworthy
for applying the theory of autopoiesis to behavioral science. As the editor
of Behavioral Science, Miller had an excellent means for disseminating his
work among behavioralists. Living systems theory appears to be the way
Miller and others distinguish the behaviorist approach from the biological
one of Maturana and Varela.
Of great significance is Miller's presentation (1992) of eight causes
of
pathologies in living systems. Condensed and simply stated, these causes
are the lack or excess of matter, energy, or information inputs; inputs of
"maladaptive genetic information;" and abnormalities in the internal
processes involving matter, energy, or information. If these are the causes
of pathology, then their obverse must be factors in success. As they are
biological and independent of culture, they are also culturally neutral.
Systems and Cybernetics Theories
Autopoiesis and LST appear to be variations on a theme of how an
organization can process information and make better decisions. A third
variation is found in the growing body of work on systems theory,
popularized in the business arena by Peter Senge's seminal work (1990,
1994). Further, Senge derives his theories from the work being done on
cybernetics theory. First formulated by mathematicians in the 1940s,
cybernetics is a science of communication and control in animals and
machines. The current use of the word is to describe how we construct
models of systems with which we interact.
My own work with cybernetics theory began in early 1996 as part of a
client project. Since then, I have been working with the theory, adapting
it to a more easily understood and actionable methodology than Senge
proposes, and using it effectively with my clients. Clients have been able
to achieve success in areas that previous eluded them.
Summary
This review supports the hypothesis that there is a culturally neutral
means of assessing the probability of success in business, regardless of
where the business is being conducted. Maturana and Varela offered a
biological basis with autopoiesis. Miller's work in living systems theory
showed how to apply self-production to behavior. Senge helped codify the
business understanding in his work on systems theory. I am convinced that
at the basic, cellular level of the human organism, there is the foundation
for making decisions that ensure viability, sustainability, and,
ultimately, success for one's endeavors.
=====
I do have other notes buried somewhere. Let me know how you fare with this
stuff.
Tom Leal
mailto:tomleal@synergygroup.com
ICQ #32072346
Richard Charles Holloway <learnshops@thresholds.com> on 02/26/99 11:17:37
PM
To: Fletcher Brehler/ASE
Subject: living systems general information
you may be interested in visiting
http://www.thresholds.com/journal/index.html for some info on living
systems
regards,
Doc Holloway
John Dicus <jdicus@ourfuture.com> on 02/27/99 01:13:46 AM
To: Fletcher Brehler/ASE
Subject: Living Systems
Dear Fletcher,
I saw your request for info on living systems on the LO list and wanted to
suggest looking at Fritjof Capra's book "The Web of Life" if you haven't
already seen it. It contains a lot of information on living systems and
organizational ecology.
Warm regards,
John Dicus
Gill Gilhool <ggilhool@umd5.umd.edu> on 02/28/99 01:09:20 PM
To: Fletcher Brehler/ASE
Subject: Re: [odnet] Request for Living Systems General info
Hi,
A top expert on living systems and organizations is Dr. Lawrence deBivort,
ESI, 5504 Scioto Rd. Bethesda, MD 20816, debivort@umd5.umd.edu
Gill Gilhool
The HR/OD Corporate Consortium
"William O. Welsh III" <wilycat@infi.net> on 02/28/99 09:32:31 AM
To: learning-org@world.std.com
Subject: Living Systems General info LO20757
Fletcher,
As with most books these days there is a brief synopsis and reviews of
Arie De Geus's excellent work, The Living Company at Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/. I read the book when it first came out and find
myself referring to it often in my work. Hope this helps.
William O Welsh III
STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
Williamsburg Virginia. 23188
CliffRH@aol.com on 03/01/99 11:06:12 PM
To: Fletcher Brehler/ASE
Subject: Living Organizations
Hi Fletcher,
Saw your note on the LO list regarding living systems. There are several
books on living systems that I think would be useful to your group. I'd
rate them well above the "Living Company" which I think misses the mark by
quite a bit. The book I'd recommend the most is "Corporate DNA" by Ken
Baskin and next "The Complexity Advantage" by Kelly and Allison. You will
also find that the book coming out next month called "The New Pioneers" by
Tom Petzinger is on the mark as well. You can find an online article of
mine in the "Journal" at
www.thresholds.com,
titled "How to Grow and Cultivate a Living Organization." I'd be happy to
send you a 3 page synopsis of the Living Organization "blueprint" if you
gave me a fax number or snail mail address. It's copyrighted by me but I
will permit publication of the synopsis with appropriate reference. You
are on the right track organizationally to be exploring living systems.
Human organizations today are developing the characteristics and
operational strategies of living organisms to prosper in an ecosystem-like
environment made up of continuously co-evolving economic, technological,
social, political and regulatory elements. Understanding this can help
businesses and other organizations shortcut what will otherwise be an
expensive and often painful evolutionary process. Organizations will
inevitably assume these living characteristics if they survive the next
several decades. Many are already well underway in the transition
process.
Best wishes in your efforts.
Cliff Hamilton
Progressive Visions
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