HoangTu93
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Join date : 2014-04-24
 |  Subject: SYSTEMS THEORY, COMPLEXITY SCIENCE, AND THE NATURE OF SYNERGY  Thu Apr 24, 2014 9:42 pm | |
| MIT professor Norbert Wiener (1967) coined the term cybernetics to describe the field of artificial intelligence and then went on to pioneer the study of informa- tion processing, feedback, and control in communication systems. Karl Weick (1979, 1989, 2001) applied information and general systems theory to organiza- tional contexts, declaring that organizations only survive in hostile environments by managing to reduce equivocality or uncertainty through retrospective sense- making. He urged leaders to continually discredit much of what they think they know—to doubt, argue, contradict, disbelieve, challenge, question, and actively listen—in other words, to be synergistic. Complexity science represents a quan- tum leap forward, advancing information and general systems theory beyond their linear dimensions and causal constraints (Pascale et al., 2000). So, to facili- tate understanding the nature of synergy, it is necessary to discuss several pivotal principles of systems theory and complexity science:
• The principle of interdependence suggests that systems consist of a network of relationships among interacting parts. Consequently, the function- ing of one component relies on the other component. Synergistic group members understand the need to work together if they are to take advantage of available opportunities and achieve mutually desired objectives.
• The principle of permeability implies that information and materials freely flow in and out. This principle connotes a seamless quality to organiza- tions that permits a higher order of sharing and distribution of human assets, important data, and capital. Trust is the fuel that makes permeability work. Synergistic groups need timely access to all available information and resources to solve the problem.
• The principle of requisite variety states that a system’s survival depends on its ability to cultivate variety in its internal structure in order to cope successfully with variations introduced from external sources. Openness
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permits diversity, and an organization must be as diverse as the environment in which it exists. Variety brings richness, depth, and artistry to any endeavor.
• The principle of feedback proposes that corrective or negative feedback serves to keep the system on course, and growth or positive feedback serves to transform or change a system. Synergistic leaders and managers understand that communication and feedback are at the heart of “the great game of busi- ness” (Kouzes & Posner, 1993, p. 171).
• The principle of balance or equilibrium asserts that systems tend to resist deviation and maintain a steady course. This can be hazardous because the environment in which organizations are embedded is always in flux, and pro- longed equilibrium can dull an organization’s senses and sap its ability to rouse itself in the face of change. Danny Miller (1990) notes that the higher the reliance on past practices, especially successful ones, the greater the organiza- tional risk because it fails to anticipate the future. He labels this phenomenon the “Icarus Paradox,” where organizations extend and amplify the strategies to which they credit their success until tunnel vision rules and flexibility is lost. In order for organizations to remain competitive, they must learn to master these “perils of excellence” and “unlearn the past by questioning world views, opening up cultures, and disassembling structures” (Miller, 1990, p. 204). Organizations have to unfreeze before they can renew themselves.
• The principle of adaptation gives emphasis to the view that systems must change to survive in a dynamic environment. Complex systems become more vulnerable as they become more homogeneous, thereby revealing the importance of adapting to the greater cultural diversity.
• The principle of connection contends that systems must connect to one another and are always part of other systems. Global businesses need to increase the effectiveness and number of connections to which they can share and solicit information. Charles Handy (1998) refers to the core periphery model as one way to define these connections. There are people working in the core, while others work outside the core. In this way, power is distributed and membership communities are formed at various locations, resulting in dis- tributed intelligence and better solutions.
• The principle of negative entropy suggests that openness permits systems to sustain themselves and grow rather than run down and deteriorate. John Kao (1998) uses the term “jamming” to describe the needed spontaneity and open- ness of synergistic organizations. He is referring to the improvisation of jazz where success depends on the need for everybody to perform as individuals and as a group. |
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