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Discusses how behavioural scientists have produced a multitude of data on complexities of consumer motivation – but states the sheer diversity of approach is making it difficult for decision‐makers to draw meaningful conclusions. Submits that the correct line of advance lies with a systems perspective. Examines Newton's Law of Motion to demonstrate how physics may be used to draw generalisation about activity in consumer systems. Purports that the important point here is that physics is not being applied to social systems, but rather it is parallel principles of cause and effect, which may be utilised, to facilitate the comprehension of these forces affecting behaviour in social systems. Concludes that what is needed to analyse available knowledge applicable to consumer motivation is a conceptual scheme which can serve as a frame of reference for marketing decision makers.

This paper proposes a systems framework for the analysis of economic exchange and development. Exchange is examined in the context of a social system in which actors have differential control over resources and different action opportunities and positions in a structure of social relationships. Exchange activities in a social system have ramifications in different spheres (economic and non‐economic) of social life. We focus on those ramifications which relate to social differentiation in terms of power‐unequal or differentiated action capabilities and different structural positions of actors in the social system of interaction. This perspective on exchange leads to the consideration of factors important to the emergence and maintenance of systemic, uneven development of action capabilities and to unequal dependency relationships among actors in a social system. In sum, what we wish to do in this paper is to develop a more systematic model that indicates the mechanisms whereby initial imbalances of the sort mentioned above generate social processes‐non‐economic as well as economic‐which tend to institutionalize the imbalances and perpetuate them in a self‐reinforcing manner.

Aims to analyse the influence of Norbert Wiener’s ideas on the social sciences and on social systems, including society as a whole. Describes Wiener’s own attitudes regarding the applicability of cybernetics to social systems and his vision on the development of modern society. Highlights sociologists and political scientists who were inspired by his ideas and deals with researchers who tried to apply his ideas to social systems. Concludes by evaluating to what extent specific ideas of Wiener have impacted on the social sciences.

Focuses on the issue of increasing environmental and societal complexity, and its effects on the individual, especially visible in the increase of self‐reference (the commonalities between man, animals and machines). Distinguishes three meanings of self‐reference and discusses the interrelationships between self‐reference, alienation, and growing societal complexity: states that, especially in the last few decades of this secular age, there has been increasing incidence of self‐reference. Also discusses the relationship between self‐reference, constructivism, and modern brain research. Asserts that the march of self‐reference is likely to continue, but that it will change in character.

In a computer simulation experiment, the sociocybernetic concepts of self‐referencing control, disturbances from the environment, goal‐oriented behaviour, and morphogenesis are subsequently included in a model. With this model, a large variety of trajectories with quite different behaviours can be generated by only minor changes of initials and coefficients, which leave the structure of the model fully intact. Shows that the same trajectory can be generated by models which have a completely different structure. Thus, the “fit” between observed and generated trajectories is an insufficient criterion to warrant decisions regarding acceptance or rejection of the model, and the theory behind it. Additional criteria have to be introduced in model‐testing methodology. The sociocybernetic concept of self‐referentiality even requires a radical change in this methodology.

The purpose of this paper is to sketch the most valuable contribution of Dr Rose to the development of social cybernetics over the period 1975‐1995.

The paper is based on an analysis of the proceedings of the sections on “Social Systems” or “Social Cybernetics” of the WOSC conferences from 1978 through 1991, and on an analysis of the entries of the Bibliography on Social Cybernetics (1998).

The sections on “Social Systems” of the International Congresses on Systems and Cybernetics, initiated by Dr Rose, provided in the period 1978‐1995 the most important meeting point for social scientists aiming at the application of the cybernetic approach to social systems and social processes, and for cyberneticians wanting to use the principles of cybernetics for the analysis and solution of social problems.

The paper shows how the journal Kybernetes, founded by Dr Rose, became the most frequently used publication medium of social cyberneticians: of the 184 papers on social cybernetics mentioned in this bibliography 76 (41 per cent) were published in Kybernetes, more than in any other journal in the domain of cybernetics or social science.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a meaningful framework for the classification of the integrity trait in the moral context (ethics), offering an understandable conceptualization of a notion that although identified as central in the literature has is not been defined in a clear and conventional way.

Grounding ideas on the person‐situation historical debate, and drawing on the insights of Luhmann's General System Theory, this paper develops a multileveled framework that categorizes the view of integrity.

The integrity framework presents three categories (levels) of integrity: personal integrity, moral integrity and organizational integrity (OI). This classification serves as a bridging mechanism when trying to link different academic areas (e.g. psychology and ethics) since it provides some agreement on the different meanings and perspectives of the concept of integrity present in the literature.

Practical application of the framework is foreseen within the organizational context, where managers could use it for articulating some of the more intangible aspects that compose their organizational cultures, and which in turn, impact their employees' behavior. In addition, the framework is useful to detect possible/future conflicts of interests that may arise due to different personal (employees) and organizational (company) views of integrity.

This paper alerts scholars and practitioners to the need of a sound classification of the concept of integrity, plus an agreement on its meaning, scope and uses. Consequently, it develops a multileveled framework to show an understandable conceptualization of the trait, paving the road for multidisciplinary research on the topic.

Briefly reviews the standard Poisson distribution and then examines a set of derivative, modified Poisson distributions for testing hypotheses derived from positive deviation‐amplifying feedback models, which do not lend themselves to ordinary statistically based hypothesis testing. The “reinforcement” or “contagious” Poisson offers promise for a subset of such models, in particular those models with data in the form of rates (rather than magnitudes). The practical difficulty lies in distinguishing reinforcement effects from initial heterogeneity, since both can form negative binomial distributions, with look‐alike data. Illustrates these difficulties, and also opportunities, for various feedback models employing the self‐fulfilling prophecy, and especially for confidence loops, which incorporate particular self‐fulfilling prophecies as part of a larger dynamic process. Describes an actual methodology for testing hypotheses regarding confidence loops with the aid of a “reinforcement” Poisson distribution, as well as its place within sociocybernetics.