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This paper addresses the current “big questions” debate in public administration and proposes an appropriate placement for organization theory in the discourse of the discipline. Major scholars in organization theory are analyzed in terms of their relationship to the big questions. Public administration is discussed as a confused discipline, but a discipline nonetheless, and organization theory finds its place as the foundation for discussion and examination of public administration’s “big questions.”

A general theory of conceptual systems (GCST) is developed, in which the concept of systems is introduced not a priori or theoretically, but by means of a rigorous procedure, supported by experimental knowledge of these or other system realization forms (so‐called “realization” and “trajectories”). This is the stage of an inductive construction of computable concepts, i.e. “concepts”. “Concept” is presented in the form of a function of discrete variables, one part of which is known (essential variables), while the other part is independent (non‐essential variables). The presence of “concept” allows one to construct new, not yet realized “trajectories”. This is the stage of the deductive conclusion. The general principles of GCST construction on the basis of an artificial intelligence program system are formulated. This approach excludes widespread methods of a priori construction of system theories (e.g. in the “theory of usefulness”, the “study of operations”).

It was the aim to apply basic epistemological concepts, as presented by Heinz von Foerster, to current problems of medicine and biology.

The relation of genes and human behaviour is an important issue in current medical discourse. Many states and diseases are claimed to be caused by a genetical disposition. To prove the soundness of such claims, a strict methodology has to be applied.

The usual approach of combining genetical findings with observed behaviour is based on an insufficient epistemology. The neglect of recursive processes leads to misinterpretations that have far‐reaching consequences, especially if disease and therapy are concerned.

A precise analysis of recursive traits would allow more reliable models of the relation between genetical disposition and environmental influence.

The paper reflects trivial or non‐trivial relations in social behaviour that are often neglected.

This chapter reports results from a study into the current state of library and information science (LIS) research in Indonesia and the major actors in the Indonesian LIS research environment. The study used a qualitative case study method. The findings show (1) a low level of LIS research activities by Indonesian academicians, library practitioners and students and (2) an emphasis on applied research into collection processes and developments, user perception and satisfaction with library services, effectiveness of libraries and information centre management and information technology. Further problems for Indonesian LIS research include the poor understanding of the relevance of LIS research, the role of LIS researchers and the conflict of values and beliefs among the actors in the Indonesian LIS environment. However, the prospects for Indonesian LIS research are improving with a growing awareness of the importance of LIS research for Indonesia. LIS research quality in Indonesia is being enhanced through formal education, research competition and journal research reports since the 2000s. Indonesian LIS actors need to learn research methodologies and cooperate with each other more intensively to improve their research skills. Recommendations for improving Indonesian LIS research include, changing the mindset of researchers to create a research climate, building research networks, improving knowledge access, changing regulations (job description, performance evaluation of system, credit points), providing more funding for LIS research and improving LIS curriculums. All Indonesian LIS actors need to communicate with each other to create acceptable values, norms and beliefs to improve Indonesian LIS research.

A conversation is the minimum architecture which Pask claims that an entity must have for it to be able to think and learn autonomously. An understanding of this architecture is developed through a consideration of the limitations of simple systems. Conversation Theory is shown to have three dimensions: It is a theory of cognition, a theory of experimentation and a heuristics for the design of experiments. These three dimensions are discussed in turn, suggesting several respects in which Conversation Theory may have value.

The purpose of this paper is to outline the peculiarities of educational administration. The author's approach is admittedly intuitive and impressionistic. It is argued that several features of the knowledge base of administration and of its graduate teaching‐learning system place extraordinary demands on departments providing training in this field. Similarly, the teaching‐learning system brings both professor and practitioner into a strange relationship. The professor must deal with students who are practicing administrators, many of whom are “good” or “successful” in their profession, display an enormous range of competencies, and are disdainful of the academic pursuit of educational administration. The author suggests that only through the type of interaction between professor and student and the analysis of important problems accessible to reasoned intervention, may a satisfactory solution be found.

Why do some management ideas take root and remain viable and others wither and die? This article offers four fundamental reasons: all organizations are basically living, social organisms; culture is more powerful than anything else in the organization; system‐focused interventions work, component‐centered interventions usually do not; interventions clearly tied to business strategy work, interventions not clearly tied to business strategy do not. The author describes research that points to four core cultures: control, based on a military system, with power as the primary motive; collaboration, emerging from the family and/or athletic team system, in which the underlying motive is affiliation; competence, derived from the university system, with the fundamental motive of achievement; and cultivation, growing from religious system(s) and motivated by growth or self‐actualization.

This paper presents a new simplified text of some concepts of pansystems methodology and related applications to pedagogy, methods of teaching, study and creation, including certain principles of operations research, systems theory, cybernetics, etc.