The Viable System Model

Hoverstadt, Patrick

doi:10.1007/978-1-84882-809-4_3

Cited by 37 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 2 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The main benefit of VSD in tackling organizational problems in hospitals, indeed all applications in organizational contexts, is that it is particularly powerful in facilitating systemic and holistic diagnoses (Hoverstadt 2020 ). Lienhard and Legner ( 2014 ) illustrate why this is important.…”

Section: Results Reflections and Questionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Systemic Problem Structuring in a Complex Hospital Environment using Viable System Diagnosis – Keeping the Blood Flowing

Vik

Finnestrand

Flood

2021

Syst Pract Action Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This article presents the application of the systemic problem structuring approach Viable System Diagnosis (VSD) within the Department of Orthopedic Surgery in a large hospital in Norway. It explains why systemic thinking is relevant to this uniquely complex form of human organization. The department was coping with systemic dysfunction and VSD was chosen because previous applications demonstrated VSD excels at diagnosis of what is causing dysfunction. VSD was employed through a participatory framework that included in the process, among other stakeholders, medics, technologists, managers, administrators and, as far as possible given the sensitive nature of patient information, the patient. VSD guided thinking about what the organization is set up to do and the existing organizational arrangements to achieve that. The outcome was an agenda for debate that guided stakeholder discussions toward ways and means of improving organizational arrangements. The article briefly reviews previous applications of VSD in the hospital sector and other large complex organisations.

show abstract

Section: Results Reflections and Questionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is also worthy of note that that the VSM has been used in conjunction with other organizational concepts, fads, and process tools (Hoverstadt 2020 ). This is prevalent within the hospital sector.…”

Section: Results Reflections and Questionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Systemic Problem Structuring in a Complex Hospital Environment using Viable System Diagnosis – Keeping the Blood Flowing

Vik

Finnestrand

Flood

2021

Syst Pract Action Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…On the other hand, it is important to make it clear that the model is conceptual and not a methodology. According to Hoverstadt (2010), it is necessary to apply a methodology for the model utilization.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

From the black box to the fish farming development policy project: A diagnosis from the viable system model

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A review of the current literature on the global relevance of fish farming reveals the complexity and uncertainty arising from problem situations related to the management of fishery resources. Thus, the present paper is aimed to present an example of the application of the viable system model in the organizational context of the fisheries development policy. It describes the process that begins by clarifying the identity, purpose, and limits of the political organization in question, followed by the vertical and horizontal unfolding of its complexity. The results demonstrate that the recursive structures have much to contribute to the consistency of the political decision processes, besides reducing the social and organizational costs supported by many current policies. The model adopted can guide the leaders of public and private organizations to apply cybernetic concepts to improve the communication and actions of their strategic policies, establishing conditions for the development of fish farming.

show abstract

“…The lack of exploration activity means that leaders and organisations have insufficient situational understanding and are therefore unable to properly position themselves in the shifting VUCA landscape (McKelvey, 2008). This results in organisations continuously finding themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time thereby generating a continuous sense of crisis and extreme stress in the organisation which can quickly lead to organisational collapse (Hoverstadt, 2008). Finally, even if leaders do engage in exploration activities, the dominance of the industrial thought paradigm means that they lack the right epistemic tools to generate an effective situational understanding of VUCA environments (Uhl-Bien et al, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…The overemphasis on exploitation activity results in organisations that are highly optimised to achieve their goals in the present yet are very vulnerable and unprepared for future changes. Thus, when unexpected future events "arrive" in the present, these 253 Unknown to survive in VUCA environments efficient yet fragile organisations are thrown into crisis that significantly reduces organisational performance and at worst leads to organisational collapse (Hoverstadt, 2008). To address this consistent vulnerability, it is argued that modern leaders need to find a better way of balancing exploration and exploitation activities in today's VUCA world.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Why systems must explore the unknown to survive in VUCA environments

Bartscht

2015

Kybernetes

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to explain why systems must make a habit of exploring the unknown and identify the complex and chaotic dynamics that drive modern volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) situations. Design/methodology/approach -Eight faculty staff from the "Thunderbird School of Global Management" were interviewed around the subject of "what does it take to be a successful 21st Century leader?" in spring 2012. These interviews were then analysed using Ricoeur's Hermeneutic methodology which resulted in three behaviours being identified. Then, according to Ricoeur's methodology, deep interpretation of the results took place to understand these research results through the lens of complexity science. Findings -Systems must make a habit of actively exploring the unknown to discover the patterns that cause complex chaos. This enables them to improve their capacity to generate useful situational understanding in VUCA environments and better position themselves in the fitness landscape. Finally, the idea of "epistemic stance" is introduced as an important way of managing identity and improving innovation.Research limitations/implications -The implication is that modern systems, e.g. leaders and organisations, must make a habit of exploring the unknown to find and understand the dynamics that drive the complex world if they are to build effective situational understanding of VUCA environments. Practical implications -If systems wish to innovate, they must ensure they have the appropriate epistemic stance in place so that they can change their identity to allow innovation to transform the identity. Originality/value -Whilst the behaviour of exploration is already known, this research focuses that behaviour on specifically identifying the patterns that cause complex chaos. Further, the epistemic stance is introduced which plays an important role in regulating how open a system is to changing its identity and therefore adapting and innovating.

show abstract

The Viable System Model

Cited by 37 publications

References 2 publications

Systemic Problem Structuring in a Complex Hospital Environment using Viable System Diagnosis – Keeping the Blood Flowing

Systemic Problem Structuring in a Complex Hospital Environment using Viable System Diagnosis – Keeping the Blood Flowing

From the black box to the fish farming development policy project: A diagnosis from the viable system model

Why systems must explore the unknown to survive in VUCA environments

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About