Organizational Cybernetics: The Ecology of Change in a Norwegian Shipyard

Abstract

Develops elements in what is called heterarchical logic in a study of the ecology of change in a Norwegian shipyard. The heterarchical logic is not in accordance with traditional understanding of rationality in organizations. Considers on what type of management this type of logic is based. Both “heterarchical logic” and the new type of management, joint management, partly answer Jackson’s criticism of the use of cybernetical models in organizations. This also is a contribution to organizational cybernetics with regard to Flood and Carson’s demand that the question of how autonomous work groups should be organized should be incorporated in organizational cybernetics.

Citation

Johannessen, J. and Hauan, A. (1994), "Organizational Cybernetics: The Ecology of Change in a Norwegian Shipyard", Kybernetes, Vol. 23 No. 8, pp. 11-26. https://doi.org/10.1108/03684929410071169