Business cybernetics: a provocative suggestion

Abstract

Purpose

There is a field needing both cybernetics and systems theory: business as one way to viability – “business cybernetics” might have to emerge. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

A first draft of business cybernetics (BC) notion is presented. Discusses the definition of business systems (BSs) and their need for requisite holism, our understanding of cybernetics, our understanding of the (general) systems theory and systems thinking, differences between some versions of systems theories and cybernetics, and add our draft cybernetics of BSs, finishing with BC as a case of interdependence between business practice, systems theories and cybernetics and resulting conclusions.

Findings

It was not found, although quite some literature was studied and quite some practical experience in business, both as employees and as consulting instructors was collected. It is clear that cybernetics and (general) systems theory were created at about the same time by two different groups of scientists. They both dealt with complex rather than complicated entities/features/processes and they both tried to stress relations between parts of reality, which used to be considered separately and one‐sidedly rather than (requisitely) holistically.

Research limitations/implications

Later on, their “war against a too narrow specialisation” did not end in their general victory, but rather in application of their fruitful findings inside many specialised disciplines of science and practice. This is good, but not good enough, uncovered topics remain. Business is one of them.

Originality/value

Links both cybernetics and systems to an emerging “business cybernetics” in an innovative approach.

Citation

Potocan, V., Mulej, M. and Kajzer, S. (2005), "Business cybernetics: a provocative suggestion", Kybernetes, Vol. 34 No. 9/10, pp. 1496-1516. https://doi.org/10.1108/03684920510614786