Viable system model: a tool for managing sustainable development holistically

Abstract

PurposeUnited Arab Emirates’ (UAEs) commitment to sustainable development is well reflected in its Vision-2021, 2030 and the Green Economy Strategy for Sustainable Development, followed by several initiatives at federal and local level. However, out of seven Emirates, the governments of Abu Dhabi and Dubai are adopting and rigorously implementing green initiatives for conserving energy, minimizing resources wastage and becoming zero-carbon ecology, leaving behind the other five emirates. To promote the implementation of government’s sustainability agenda holistically (including all the emirates), it is important to adopt a systems thinking to diagnose the complex social arrangements and their interactive relations with the larger systems and the environment at each and all recursive levels.Design/methodology/approachThis viewpoint proposes that Viable System Model (VSM) framework can support sustainable planning and configuration evaluation holistically, by diagnosing the region (system-in-focus) together with the present and future environment, at multiple recursive levels of city, emirates and country-wide. To demonstrate the relative strength of the VSM structural framework and its principles to replicate/implement the green initiatives country-wide, the study provides supporting evidence and multiple examples of its application in other parts of the world for managing sustainability-related issues from smallest (town/city) to largest (national) levels in the United Arab Emirates.FindingsThe VSM framework has been adopted by several scholars for fruitful utilization of its structural, connectivity, recursivity and complexity principles in the context of sustainability at the organizational, territory and national levels. The discussion has been made on the suitability of VSM framework for implementing sustainable development initiatives county-wide by viewing it in totality and at multiple levels of administration and governance.Research limitations/implicationsIt has implications for leaders, policy-setters and regulators of United Arab Emirates as well as Gulf region inclusive of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman.Originality/valueNo prior work exists in Arab region where VSM has been proposed for the holistic management of sustainable initiatives. It has implications for leaders, policy-setters and regulators of United Arab Emirates as well as Gulf region inclusive of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman.

The project-oriented organisation through the lens of viable systems

“…By fulfilling the overall purpose of the system, S1 is action oriented, unlike the others, which are responsible for the control and management functions. The people working within a viable system interact with the actors in the external environment to fulfil organisational purpose (Brocklesby, 2012;Chaudhry, 2022;Schwaninger and Scheef, 2016). This includes creating products that are needed to manage the variety in the organisation's environment (Lowe et al, 2020).…”

“…System Two (S2), the coordination function, ensures that the operational elements work together harmoniously (Brocklesby, 2012). This involves ensuring the stabilisation of operational systems through the coordination of information systems, operational plans and schedules, standards and communication (Chaudhry, 2022;Schwaninger and Scheef, 2016). S2 harmonises activities by providing common values and standards for information, communication and processes (Lowe et al, 2020).…”

“…The allocation of resources is enabled through the review and use of information gathered through social activities and informal communication (Schwaninger and Scheef, 2016). S3 has an audit function for the ad hoc collection of information from operational elements to ensure goal achievement (Chaudhry, 2022). This also involves monitoring the essential variables to avoid excessive variety (Leonard, 2009) and supporting the self-regulation of the operational units (Lowe et al, 2020).…”

“…The balance between day-to-day demands and the future is overseen by normative management functions and defines the identity of the system (Leonard, 2009). Here, ethos, values and cohesion are communicated, resulting in the creation of a corporate identity (Chaudhry, 2022;Lowe et al, 2020). The balance between exploring and exploiting information serves as a key factor in the survival of an organisation.…”

“…Sense-making is the communication of identity and values (Chaudhry, 2022). The social processes of sense-making mentioned by Weick are enabled by normative management functions (Leonard, 2009).…”