Contents
Foreword
Preface to the Second Edition
Preface to the Second Edition: Revisiting the Titanic Metaphor
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1 Introducing Complexity and Sustainability
1.1 INTRODUCTION
1.2 MAJOR SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES IN THE 21ST CENTURY
1.3 THE NEED FOR A PARADIGM SHIFT: INTRODUCING COMPLEX SYSTEMS APPROACHES
1.4 MANAGING COMPLEXITY IN ORGANIZATIONAL SYSTEMS
1.4.1 Systems Thinking
1.4.2 Complex Systems
1.4.3 Organizational Cybernetics
1.4.4 Complementarities and Differences between Complex Systems Approaches to Management
1.4.5 Complexity Approaches and Sustainability Research
1.5 GOVERNANCE AND SUSTAINABILITY
1.5.1 Holistic and Ecological Thinking
1.5.2 A Systemic Approach to Sustainability
1.5.3 Revisiting the Idea of Sustainability from a Complexity Approach
1.5.4 Governance for Sustainability
1.6 SUMMARY
Chapter 2 Viability through Complexity Management: Revisiting the Viable Systems Model
2.1. THE CONCEPTUAL PLATFORM
2.1.1 Inspiration
2.1.2 Models and Observers
2.1.3 Co-evolution: Organisms in Their Niche
2.1.4 Recursion: Systems within Systems within Systems
2.1.5 Variety, Requisite Variety, and Variety Engineering
2.2 OVERVIEW: THREE ELEMENTS, FIVE SYSTEMS
2.2.1 The Three Elements: Environment, Operation, and Meta-system
2.2.2 The Three Elements as a Homeostatic System
2.2.3 The Five Systems: Physiological Inspiration
2.2.4 Diagrammatic Representation
2.3 THE FIVE SYSTEMS
2.3.1 System 1
2.3.2 System 2
2.3.3 System 3
2.3.4 System 3
2.3.5 System 4
2.3.6 System 5
2.4 VIABILITY THROUGH COMPLEXITY MANAGEMENT
2.4.1 Review: Operation, Meta-system, and Environment
2.4.2 An Example: An Individual as a Viable System
2.4.3 Variety Engineering: Vertical and Horizontal Axes
2.4.4 Meta-systemic Management
2.4.5 Homeostasis and Self-regulation
2.4.6 Real-time Management
2.5 ORGANIZATIONAL TRANSFORMATION: METHODOLOGIES AND TOOLS
2.5.1 A Methodology to Support Self-transformation
2.5.2 Organizational Pathologies
2.5.3 Managing Complexity in the 3/4/5 Homeostat: Team Syntegrity
2.6 VIABLE SYSTEMS, COMPLEX ADAPTIVE SYSTEMS, AND SUSTAINABILITY
2.7 SUMMARY
Chapter 3 Societies as Viable Systems: Self-governance and Sustainability
3.1 A SOCIETY AS A VIABLE AND SUSTAINABLE SYSTEM
3.2 GOVERNANCE AND SUSTAINABILITY
3.3 VSM CRITERIA FOR SUSTAINABLE SELF-GOVERNANCE
3.3.1 First: Co-evolution with the Environment
3.3.2 Second: Autonomy and Cohesion
3.3.3 Third: Recursive Governance for Sustainability
3.4 A FRAMEWORK FOR ASSESSING SUSTAINABLE GOVERNANCE
3.5 MANAGING COMPLEXITY IN A NATION STATE
3.5.1 Modeling the Social Economy: The Cybersyn Project (1972, 1973)
3.5.2 Modeling the Nation State: A Colombian Case Study (1998)
3.5.3 Case Study: The Gorgona Syntegration (Colombia, 1996)
3.5.4 Learning from the Case Study
3.6 LESSONS FOR MODELING SUSTAINABLE SOCIETIES
3.6.1 Models and Performance Indicators
3.6.2 Real-time Data Streams
3.6.3 Recursive Modeling
3.6.4 Patterns of Viability
3.7 SUMMARY
Chapter 4 Toward More Sustainable Businesses
4.1 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: ORIGIN, DEVELOPMENT, APPLICATIONS, AND ASSESSMENT
4.1.1 Environmental Management Origins
4.1.2 Environmental Management Development
4.1.3 Environmental Management Application
4.1.4 Assessment of Current Approaches to Environmental Management
4.2 SYSTEMS AND COMPLEX SYSTEM APPROACHES TO ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
4.2.1 Systemic Approaches in Environmental Management
4.2.2 Our Theoretical Framework versus Environmental Management
4.3 TOWARD MORE SUSTAINABLE BUSINESSES: INNOVATIVE EXAMPLES
4.3.1 New Business Ethics
4.3.2 Autonomy versus Cohesion
4.3.3 Co-evolution with the Environment
4.3.4 Rethinking the OperationโEnvironment Loop
4.4 SUMA: CO-OPERATIVE DESIGN FOR A SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS
4.4.1 Diagnosis
4.4.2 Redesign
4.4.3 Learning from the Case Study
4.5 โGREENINGโ A UNIVERSITY: FROM PARTICIPATORY FORMULATION TO IMPLEMENTATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
4.5.1 Outcomes
4.6 IMPLEMENTING CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGIES WITH THE VSM IN A MEXICAN BUSINESS
4.6.1 Introduction
4.6.2 Corporate Sustainability Project Implementation
4.6.3 Enhanced Methodology to Support the Implementation of Corporate Sustainability Projects
4.6.4 Case Study: The Implementation of a Corporate Sustainability Project with in a Mexican Firm (2014โ2015)
4.6.5 Intervention
4.6.6 Assessing Governance for Sustainability
4.6.7 Lessons on Governance for Sustainability
4.6.8 Conclusion: VSM Criteria for Sustainable Governance
4.7 INTEGRATING SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS WITH THE VSM
4.7.1 The Challenge
4.7.2 An Organizational Scenario
4.7.3 ISO 26000
4.7.4 ISO 14001
4.7.5 ISO 14044
4.7.6 Generic SR Management Functions and Assessment of Standards
4.7.7 A Template for Sustainability Integration
4.8 SUMMARY
4.8.1 System 5 Policies
4.8.2 Outside and Then
4.8.3 Inside and Now
Chapter 5 Viable and Sustainable Networks
5.1 BACKGROUND: VSM AND SOCIAL NETWORKS
5.2 VIABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF ORGANIZATIONAL NETWORKS
5.3 CASE STUDY: ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT IN THE MAGDALENA RIVER BASIN
5.3.1 Modeling Environmental Management in the Nation
5.3.2 Example of VSM Diagnosis
5.3.3 Meta-systemic Management
5.3.4 Networks of Eco-communities
5.3.5 Criteria to Design the National Environmental Information System
5.3.6 Discussion
5.3.7 Learning from the Experience
5.4 SELF-ORGANIZATION AND SUSTAINABILITY: A COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY IN TWO THREATENED COLOMBIAN ANDEAN ECO-REGIONS
5.4.1 Our Methodological Approach
5.4.2 Our Theoretical Model: The MOSES
5.4.3 Case Studies Analyses
5.4.4 Lessons from Our Case Studies: Reactive versus Preventive Action
5.5 CASE STUDY: THE MEXICAN SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY PROGRAM (MSSP)
5.5.1 Background: Description of the MSSP 2005โ2008
5.5.2 Methodology
5.5.3 VSM Analysis
5.5.4 Results and Implications
5.5.5 Conclusions
5.6 CASE STUDY: THE EMILIA ROMAGNA CO-OPERATIVES IN NORTHERN ITALY
5.7 CASE STUDY: THE MONDRAGON CO-OPERATIVES
5.8 CASE STUDY: THE EVERGREEN CO-OPERATIVES, CLEVELAND, OHIO
5.9 CASE STUDY: GASTEIN VALLEY, AUSTRIA
5.9.1 Context
5.9.2 VSM Diagnosis
5.9.3 Conclusions and Implications
5.10 SUMMARY
Chapter 6 Rethinking Sustainable Development
6.1 APPROACHES TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
6.1.1 Mainstream Paradigm and Dominant Approaches
6.1.2 Unexpected Results: Inequitable Outcomes
6.1.3 Societal Complexification and Governance
6.2 RETHINKING THE PARADIGM OF DEVELOPMENT
6.2.1 Holistic and Complexity Views on Development
6.2.2 Rethinking the Intervention Paradigm
6.2.3 Redesigning Governance Structures
6.3 SELF-GOVERNANCE IN COMMUNITIES: DEVELOPING A EUROPEAN ECO-VILLAGE
6.3.1 Background on the Project: The Eco-community
6.3.2 Methodological Approach
6.3.3 The Learning Process
6.3.4 Progress Achieved
6.3.5 What Comes Next?
6.3.6 Combined Complexity Analyses
6.3.7 Discussion
6.4 FROM SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT TO SUSTAINABLE GOVERNANCE
6.4.1 Alternative Models of Governance
6.4.2 Redesigning Governance: Democratic Participation
6.4.3 Redesigning Governance: New Measuring Systems
6.5 CASE STUDY: DEVELOPING A GOVERNANCE SYSTEM FOR A NATIONAL PROGRAMAGAINST POVERTY
6.5.1 Program Design: An Innovative Approach
6.5.2 Implementation
6.5.3 The Monitoring System
6.5.4 Running the Programs: The Control Loop
6.5.5 Assessment of Impact on Poverty
6.5.6 Relevance to Sustainable Development
6.6 SUMMARY
6.6.1 Contributions to Sustainable Development
6.6.2 Challenges for Implementation of a Complexity Approach to Sustainability
Chapter 7 Envisioning Solutions for the Required Societal Transition
7.1 THE REQUIRED SOCIETAL TRANSITION
7.1.1 Reflections at Each Level of Organization
7.1.2 Defining the Levels of Recursion
7.2 FROM INDIVIDUALS TO FAMILIES, NEIGHBORHOODS, COMMUNITIES, AND TOWNS
7.2.1 Recursion 1: An Individual Attempting to Live Sustainably
7.2.2 Theoretical Case Study: An Individual in Pinecone Partnership
7.2.3 Recursion 2: A Family Unit Attempting to Live Sustainably
7.2.4 Recursion 3: The Neighborhood/Community Attempting to Live Sustainably
7.2.5 Recursion 4: A Town or Village Attempting to Live Sustainably
7.2.6 Case Study: Transition Towns
7.2.7 Case Study: Transition Streets
7.2.8 Case Study: Designing a New Agora
7.3 THE COMMONS AND THE WORK OF ELINOR OSTROM
7.3.1 Identification of the Five Systems
7.3.2 Patterns of Relationships between the Five Systems
7.4 FROM THE ECO-REGION TO THE CONTINENTAL LEVELS
7.4.1 Recursion 5: An Eco-region Attempting to Live Sustainably
7.4.2 Recursion 6: A Nation Attempting to Live Sustainably
7.4.3 Case Study: Transition Management
7.4.4 Case Study: Transition Management in the Netherlands
7.4.5 Case Study: Managing Complexity in the Transition Network
7.4.6 Recursion 7: A Continent Striving Toward Sustainability
7.5 THE GLOBAL RECURSION: A PLANETARY SOCIETY STRIVING TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY
7.5.1 Global Recursion: Co-evolution with the Environment
7.5.2 Case Study: โCap and Shareโ
7.6 SUMMARY
Chapter 8 Conclusions
8.1 SYSTEM 5: IDENTITY AND THE NEED TO ADOPT A NEW PARADIGM OF SUSTAINABLE GOVERNANCE
8.2 NEED FOR RECURSIVE SUSTAINABLE SELF-GOVERNANCE
8.3 CO-EVOLUTION BETWEEN AN ORGANIZATION AND ITS NICHE
8.4 STRUCTURAL DESIGN
8.5 CREATING A CO-EVOLUTIONARY LEARNING SOCIETY
8.6 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMPLEXITY SCIENCES
8.7 FINAL STATEMENT
Appendix A Stages of the Methodology to Support Self-transformation
A.1 UNDERSTANDING ORGANIZATIONAL IDENTITY
A.2 RECURSIVE ANALYSIS: MODELING COMPLEXITY LEVELS AND DECIDING THE SYSTEM IN FOCUS
A.3 VSM ANALYSES
A.3.1 Analyzing Primary Activities
A.3.2 The Monitoring Control Mechanism
A.3.3 The Adaptation Mechanism
A.4 ALIGNING STRATEGY AND STRUCTURE
A.4.1 Aligning Strategy and Structure
A.4.2 Strategic Information Management
A.5 AGREEING AND IMPLEMENTING CHANGES
A.6 MONITORING PERFORMANCE
Appendix B Organizational Archetypes
References
Index