The Cybernetic Metaphor in Organisation Theory: Epistemological Implications

Abstract

Cybernetics is the metaphorical term that describes and characterises the field of study which is concerned with the control and communication in animal and machine. Broadly speaking, developments have occurred in two directions, one of which builds upon early cybernetic insights which sought to build machines upon the principles which characterise organisms, and another which follows the epistemological implications deriving from the cybernetic perspective. The former line of development has given rise to a number of theories and techniques, which facilitate the achievement of regulation and control in social affairs. The latter has given rise to a cybernetic world view which has very fundamental implications for our understanding of the manner in which ecological systems evolve. This paper seeks to argue that whereas cybernetics as a technique for enhancing regulation and control within organisations has already had an important impact upon theorising, its epistemological implications have not been so clearly appreciated. Systematically developed, these implications have fundamental consequences for the way organisations and their mode of operation are viewed.