Knowledge Cybernetics Research Articles

Understanding Culture through Knowledge Cybernetics

These days, countries around the world continue with their process of globalization in the digital business and marketing. However, they find themselves straddling different national cultures, which lead to problems of cross-cultural communication management resulting in, for instance, miscommunication and misunderstanding. Consequently, an understanding of the characterisation or mapping of culture is significant, and while there are not many theories of cultural mapping, most stem from the base work of Hofstede. Basically, most people begin with a categorisation of culture through the creation of an ontology that differentiates relatable levels of reality, as a theory of levels allows culture to be broken down into parts that can be analysed more easily. It also helps them to facilitate the creation of a set of generic or universal dimensions of culture which can be used to map different cultures. However, a problem with this theoretical approach is that it does not offer a very dynamic representation of culture, and it has manifestations that impoverish the way that phenomenal manifestations of culture can be explained. On the other hand, there is an alternative approach was adopted by Schwartz. This approach does not discuss ontology but it creates a value inventory in which respondents assess ‘comprehensive’ cultural values. Consequently, there is some relationship between outcome of Hofstede’s and Schwartz’s results. Yolles has developed a theory of Knowledge Cybernetics that delivers a new ontology and a dynamic modelling approach. Schwartz’s results have been merged into this, resulting in a new theory dynamic theory of culture quite distinct from Hofstede’s level theory.

Organisations as emergent normative personalities: part 1, the concepts

PurposeModelling the organisation to enable purposeful analysis and diagnosis of its ills is often problematic. This is illustrated by the unconnected non‐synergistic plurality of organisational models each of which relates to a particular isolated frame of thought and purpose. A cybernetic approach is adopted to create a generic psychosocial model for the organisation that is used to characterise its emergent normative personality. Organisations are often complex, and seeing them in terms of their normative personality can reduce the complexity and enable a better understanding of their pathologies. This paper seeks to do two things. The first is to show that it is possible to set up a generic model of the organisation as an agency, and the second is to show that this same model can also be represented in the alternative terms of the emergent normative personality. In order to do this, an understanding of what it is that constitutes generic criteria is required. In addition, the paper shall show that organisational and personality theories can be connected generically. One of the consequences of the theory is that the patterns of behaviour which occur in an agency have underlying trait control processes.Design/methodology/approachA meta‐systemic view of the organisation is adopted through knowledge cybernetics that enables more flexibility and formality when viewing organisational models. The paper develops a formal generic model of the organisation that should facilitate the exploration of problem situations both theoretically and empirically.FindingsThe outcome of the research formulates the cognitive processes of normative personality as a feasible way of explaining organisations and provide a capacity to analyse and predict the likelihood of their behavioural conduct and misconduct. As an agency trait model, agency explains the socio‐cognitive aspects of self‐organisation and the efficacy of connections between the traits. These traits control the personality, and inter‐trait connections are Piagetian intelligences that orient the traits and work through forms of first‐ and second‐order autopoiesis. The development of a typology of pathologies is also suggested as feasible.Originality/valueThere are previous metaphorical notions that link agency with traits. Here, metaphor is extended to produce a formal model for the emergent normative personality. This is the first time that socio‐cognitive and trait approaches are formally linked, as it is the fist time that a typology for organisational pathologies is proposed.

Understanding Organisational Culture as a Trait Theory

This paper aims at an organisational culture theory redefining existing concepts of organisational or corporate culture dimensions. It does this by embracing a new concept of organisational culture that fits with thematic classes of organisation theory. Knowledge cybernetics will be used to show the interconnections (interaction processes) between thematic fields of organisation theory following Hatch and Cunliffe (2006). Its perspective is that social collectives have collective minds that can be explored in terms of their social psychological processes, and personalities. In concert with Bandura's concept of collective agency, that of normative personality is integrated into organisational context and Piaget's notions of how the mind operates are applied to the organisation. Organisational culture manifests itself by different emphasis given to different types of the interconnections interactions between the organisation and its environments and different emphasis on different types of information and knowledge flows within the organisation. The paper offers a theoretical construct exploring organisational culture from the perspective of thematic fields of organisation theory. It requires further elaboration and development of a questionnaire to be tested in different contexts and samples. It has the capacity to provide pragmatic meaning in case studies and may contribute to identification of dysfunctions of information and knowledge management in organisations. This is the first approach to take a view from the thematic fields of organisation theory on research into organisational culture by applying knowledge cybernetics.

Cybernetics of Tao

PurposeTaoist thought is not easily penetrable for Westerners, though it has growing importance with the globalisation of Chinese commerce. The purpose of this paper is to explore some aspects of Chinese and Taoist thought, and how they can be expressed in cybernetic terms, using a knowledge cybernetics (KC) schema.Design/methodology/approachKC operates through metaphor the role of which is considered with respect to its application to the specific area of urban landscaping.FindingsA new methodological approach is indicated that is capable of linking Western landscape theory with Taoist feng shui. The traditional approach to critical planning has been in principle enhanced through the idea of landscape canonical harmony that comes from Taoist feng shui. It is also shown that the activity phases in urban landscape design are ontologically different, and use distinct types of energy measures.Research limitations/implicationsThe research uses KC as a vehicle for the development of a landscaping methodology that draws on both traditional Western and Chinese Taoist approaches. It requires application to real situations to draw out its practical capacities.Practical implicationsThis is apparently the first time that a synergy between Western and Chinese approaches to landscape design and development has been attempted that results in the proposal of a complete methodology.Originality/valueThe successful use of this methodology could demonstrate that Western and Chinese approaches to landscape design are relatable.

Setting the theoretical stage: a reply to Magala

This article is a reply to the paper in this issue by Slawomir J. Magala 'Commentary: Setting the theoretical stage'. He comments that the use of my core social viable systems model from knowledge cybernetics depends crucially on its adequacy of use in their bridging of the gap between two views: that culture is a relatively stable and identifiable causal factor triggering human behaviour, and that culture (a la Hofstede) is a mutable flow of action resources, which is co-shaped by social interactions, modified by learning loops and continuously corrected by self-reflexive actions. The consideration of learning loops requires an incite into the nature of cybernetics and feedback, and so I will begin with this. Comment is also made on the nature of culture from that follow Sorokin which predates Hofstede by more than 30 years. Magala also is interested in a better understanding of the Maruyama Universes, and a clearer understanding of the nature of the recursive approach, as well as the relationship between domains and processes of the model. This paper briefly attempts to respond to these questions.

Coherence, pathology and change in Chinese commercial banks

In this article, the traditional organisation development (OD) methodology is adapted into a new form called organisation patterning (OP), which is able to explore coherence, pathology and change in Chinese commercial state-owned banks. This occurs by shifting it into a cybernetic frame of reference that provides a new way of understanding organisational change. OP is better able to deal with resistance, power and control issues than traditional OD is. It is applied to the notions of coherence and pathology in the Chinese commercial banking system through a questionnaire analysis of state-owned banks in different Chinese regions. OP is different from traditional OD, incorporating new knowledge derived from a cybernetic paradigm called knowledge cybernetics. It is better able to understand coherence and pathologies and is applicable to understanding change in Chinese commercial state-owned banks. This study only concerns well-established state-owned commercial banks in China. There might be different conclusions for other types of enterprises. The study also offers guidelines for managing change in Chinese banks, especially with respect to coherence, pathologies and kinematics.

Migrating personality theories Part 2: towards a theory of the balanced personality?

PurposeSome personality schemas are seen to compete with others, but are they really complementary? The purpose of this paper is to show that two trait approaches, Myers‐Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and Mindscape theory, which are normally considered to be competitive, shall be migrated into a more complex modeling space using knowledge cybernetics, when they are shown to have a complementary potential.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses the meta‐framework of knowledge cybernetics (KC) part of the relevantial universe identified by Maruyama, to migrate different theoretical approaches and relate them. A consequence is the possible development of a more sophisticated trait theory that is capable of providing more complex information about personality.FindingsThe findings indicate that current type theories are not necessarily stand‐alone, but may be seen as complementary within a broader conceptual framework.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper is limited to the investigation of MBTI. However, it offers a generic approach that can be applied to other solitary theories like MBTI.Practical implicationsThe paper leads to the possibility of improved explanatory power for a type theory than is currently possible.Originality/valueVery little comparative work has been done relating representations of MBTI and Mindscape theory. This also appears to be the first serious extensive direct comparison between any form of MBTI and Mindscapes. KC uses Habermas's three world theory and shows that it is possible to consider MBTI and Mindscape theory as conceptually distinct and complementary, and together contributing to a new way of exploring the field of personality theory.

Migrating personality theories Part 1: creating agentic trait psychology?

PurposePluralities of personality schemas reside across different Maruyama universes suggesting incommensurability and isolation. Schemas may migrate across Maruyama universes given appropriate means. As illustration, the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) schema for personality temperament is migrated into a sociocognitive schema through the intermediary of knowledge cybernetics (KC). MBTI is a type approach that operates with polar opposites; however, conceptually there is no reason for it not to be associated with a trait space. Supposing that MBTI has traits at some horizon of meaning, then since traits are responsible for the creation of enduring states, sociocognitive explanations should be able to explain the stable states consistent with a variation of the McCrae and Costa proposition. As a result this paper aims to formulate for the first time a link between the MBTI type schema, a trait space, and a capacity for sociocultural descriptions.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses the meta‐framework of KC, part of the relevantial universe identified by Maruyama, to formulate a representation of MBTI. This also appears to be the first serious use of the Maruyama universe concept, and the first time that MBTI has been explored from a relevantial perspective. A consequence is the possible development of a more sophisticated trait theory that is capable of providing more complex information about personality.FindingsThe findings indicate that a more complex form of type theory is possible than has been provided by MBTI.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper is limited to the investigation of MBTI. However, it offers a generic approach that can be applied to other solitary theories like MBTI. It also postulates a trait basis for the MBTI type approach.Practical implicationsThe paper leads to the possibility of improved explanatory power for a type theory than is currently possible.Originality/valueThe paper adopts for the first time a relevantial meta‐framework approach to explore a development of MBTI. It has value to those researchers who may wish to explore the potential of more complex forms of type personality theory than are currently available.

Modelling Pathologies in Social Collectives

As social collectives operate through more complexity their coherence suffers and their pathologies become more apparent. Generic modelling of pathologies will be explored in terms of the knowledge cybernetics schema. Two models will develop, one which is transitive in nature and the other lateral. The transitive model distinguishes between different realities in autonomous collectives, and an example is the distinction between thinking and doing. The lateral model distinguishes between different states of being within the same reality. Examples of a lateral schema is the distinction between two competing corporate agents in a given frame of reference seeking the same observable good (e.g., market share), and the more coded example of the interaction between the ideology and ethics of social collectives that affect both the autopathic (endogenous) and sociopathic (exogenous) nature of the pathologies of collectives.

Organizations as Complex Systems: An Introduction to Knowledge Cybernetics

Organizations as Complex Systems: An Introduction to Knowledge Cybernetics

From sociohistory to psychohistory

PurposeThis study seeks to postulate a theory of psychohistory as a “think‐piece”. It develops from some earlier theoretical work on sociohistory that can model cultures that are large‐scale (e.g. societies) over the long term or small scale (e.g. corporations) over the short term. Sociohistory, as developed by Yolles and Frieden, provides a new theory to explore the possibilities of tracking and explaining social and cultural change. It offers entry to the development of a theory of psychohistory that explores the psychological basis for decision making and social action and interaction, and connects with both Jung's propositions on psychological profiling and with the popular Myers‐Briggs instruments of personality testing.Design/methodology/approachSociohistory was developed by coupling three theoretical frameworks: the knowledge cybernetics of Maurice Yolles, the mathematical approach in extreme physical information (EPI) of Roy Frieden, and the sociocultural dynamics of Pitrin Sorokin. Knowledge cybernetics creates the vehicle for the exploration of the sociocultural dynamics that reflects the theoretical structures of Sorokin, and uses EPI as a way of fine tuning one's understanding of the qualitative and quantitative dynamics uncovered. The basic fractal nature of knowledge cybernetics is be used to extend the theory of sociohistory from sociocultural dynamics to psychosocial dynamics. Elaborating on the fractal nature of the approach, an indicative theory of psychohistory is formulated.FindingsThe theoretical basis for sociohistory is outlined and extended from sociocultural to psychosocial dynamics, and it is shown how the methodological approach can then be extended to the development of psychohistory. An agenda for further sociohistorical and psychohistorical research is also developed in this process.Originality/valueSociocultural dynamics is extended to the promise of being able to deal with social dynamics within a cultural setting. The postulated theory of psychohistory both explores social dynamics in psychological terms and is linked to the potential for developing a new personality inventory.

Organizations as Complex Systems: An Introduction to Knowledge Cybernetics

Organizations as Complex Systems: An Introduction to Knowledge Cybernetics

THE POLITICAL DYNAMICS OF THE EUROPEAN PROJECT

The formation of the European Project is a well established event on the international political horizon. However, its enlargement accommodating additional member States has made it more complex, and fundamental questions about its future development have been raised. The creation of an entry point for a European Variable Geometry (EVG) was intended to simplify the political processes of the Project. However, some have been concerned EVG will spell its demise. This paper is interested in exploring the nature and political dynamics of the European Project. To do this it adopts as a frame of reference a paradigm called Knowledge Cybernetics (KC), and it uses the rise of the EVG as an examining trigger. The paper engages in theory building, requiring a development of the KC paradigm. It will show that the complexity of the Project can be reduced by exploring its cultural dynamics, and its interactive stability can be examined through joint alliance theory.

Modelling pathologies in social collectives

As social collectives operate through more complexity their coherence suffers and their pathologies become more apparent. Generic modelling of pathologies will be explored in terms of the knowledge cybernetics schema. Two models will develop, one which is transitive in nature and the other lateral. The transitive model distinguishes between different realities in autonomous collectives, and an example is the distinction between thinking and doing. The lateral model distinguishes between different states of being within the same reality. Examples of a lateral schema are the distinction between two competing corporate agents in a given frame of reference seeking the same observable good (e.g., market share), and the more coded example of the interaction between the ideology and ethics of social collectives that affect both the autopathic (endogenous) and sociopathic (exogenous) nature of the pathologies of collectives.

Exploring public–private partnerships through knowledge cybernetics

AbstractKnowledge cybernetics operates as a social geometry and incorporates joint alliance theory. Using its schema, an exploration is made of how in a globalizing economy governments may seek to enhance their social infrastructural provision by coupling private corporations into public services and producing public–private partnerships. This paper will explore and explain the systemic needs of such partnerships, their ontological and epistemological pathologies, and their ethical and ideological contradictions. Despite the unlikelihood of partnerships functioning effectively to the benefit of social provision, the persistence of the use of private provision in the delivery of social goods may have an ideological explanation. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.