The paper presents an enquiry into the reasons why there arc so few published practical examples of the application of cybernetics in munagcrncnt. It takes thc case for such an approach as presented in Platform for Change by Professor Stafford Beer and comments on and criticises the separate papers presented in that volume, It is suggested that there may be two main reasons why, in Britain, cybernetic thinking has not yet any real impact on management. The first is a tendency to over state the case and the second is a failure to understand human reactions to the sort of control systems which cybcrnct icians arc suggesting.
It is apparent both from the literature of Operational Research and its practice that over the last twenty five years there has become an increasing recognition of the systems orientation of the outlook of the Operational Research scientist. No longer are we satisfied to take management problems as given to us but rather we are always seeking to put them in a larger framework. Undoubtedly this change has been largely due to the influence of the cyberneticians. Paradoxically, however, we are aware that to a certain extent this has been the limit of the influence of cybernetics on the attitude of mind of the Operational Research scientists. Consequently it is timely to review the literature of cybernetics, particularly in terms of the British experience, and to try and see why these limitations should have existed.
By his writing and his speaking the main advocate of the presentation of the case for cybernetics has emerged in the formidable person of Professor Stafford Beer of the University of Manchester. Over this period of twentyfive years he has produced more than fivehundred books and papers and his book, Platform for Change [1], draws together a series of these. They form an integrated presentation of his