How Organizational Cybernetics can help to organize debates on complex issues

How Organizational Cybernetics can help to organize debates on complex issues José Pérez Ríos Iván Velasco Jiménez Pablo Sánchez Mayoral INSISOC University of Valladolid E.T.S.I. Informática, Campus Miguel Delibes, 47011 Valladolid, Spain E-mail: rios@uva.es 9th International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Industrial Management. Valladolid, July 10-12, 2013

Content 1. Introduction 2. Organizational Cybernetics and Group Decision Making 3. Communication and Information technologies and Group Decision-Making. Two cases 4. Group Decision-Making software tools. Debates Organizer 5. Conclusions 6. References

Content 1. Introduction 2. Organizational Cybernetics and Group Decision Making 3. Communication and Information technologies and Group Decision-Making: Two cases 4. Group Decision-Making software tools. Debates Organizer 5. Conclusions 6. References

Introducción The need for a systemic approach has been accentuated due to the changes happening in the world in the last decades of the 20 th century and the beginnings of the 21 st. The qualification of the current crisis as systemic by analysts. concepts of systemic thinking and systemic management are needed. The quality of the decisions made by managers is limited by the quality of the models they use (Conant-Ashby Theorem).. The managers as governors of organizations (from Ancient Greek κυβερνήτης (kybernetes, steersman, pilot, guide ), from κυβερνάω (kybernao, to steer, to drive, to guide, to act as a pilot )) need models adequate to the task (with requisite variety). The Systems Thinking field, in particular Organizational Cybernetics (OC), provide some models like the Viable System Model (VSM) and tools like Team Syntegrity (TS) that can help decision takers to tackle the complex problems facing them.

The new frontier of humanity is, at the end of the XXth century, not so much scientific or technological development as an understanding of the complex social systems in which we are immersed. Such understanding is fundamental for our being able to deal effectively with the problems of social tension facing mankind (Forrester, 1986) Fundamental challenges still not resolved in a satisfactory way as: The development of group-decision processes which are at the same time democratic, creative and efficient [ ] in which all points of view can be effectively taken into consideration (P. Ríos 2012). But, a whole new set of technological tools (ICT) became available. Increased use (Web 2.0, etc). New conceptual framework for the design of organisational structures and decision processes + ICTs allowing remote collective inter-communication OPENS new horizons for relations between individuals and institutions.

PURPOSE 1. Show how OC has been applied to help collective decisions making. 2. Expose two international pioneering experiences in which ICTs have been used in combination with OC concepts. - First case: to create a collective scientific book by a group of scientists working at distance and, - Second case: to organize a major academic international event. 3. Show an example of specific software developed in the Systems Thinking and Organizational Cybernetics Research Group through the last 15 years with the aim of helping any size of groups of people to organize debates on complex issues through Internet.

Organizational Cybernetics and Group Decision Making Focus on Team Syntegrity Team Syntegrity is a methodology developed by Stafford Beer with the aim of offering a creative, synergetic and participative platform for studying complex problems a structured means of creating and communicating a group awareness (Pérez Ríos 2012) The goals of the TS application: 1. To generate a high level of participation among the individuals concerned 2. To provide a structure and a system of communication that guarantee the non-hierarchical nature of the process 3. To benefit from the variety and wealth of knowledge supplied by each individual within the group, putting into practice the synergies derived from the interaction among all its members 4. To create a collective awareness, if possible shared among all the members of the group, regarding the central issue being considered and analysed. (Pérez Ríos 2012)

The Main Phases of Team Syntegrity Opening question The TS application process starts when a question is asked concerning the issue to be studied or discussed. This question is normally (though not necessarily) of a general, open nature; Explosion of variety: Statements generation In this stage, each participant prepares statements he/she considers relevant to the central question. The only requirements regarding these statements are that they can be refuted and are not very extensive; Reduction of Variety and grouping (convergence): Aggregated Statements After issuing and grouping the statements, we go on to generate Aggregated Statements; Assigning topics to people. When the topics for discussion have been identified, it is necessary to determine which persons among the group are going to take part in the debate on each of them. We need therefore to find out their preferences. Once these preferences have been ascertained, this information is processed with the aid of a computerised assignment algorithm, which tries to maximise the degree of satisfaction in the group; Creation of teams and assignment of roles. Generation of content. In this phase the different teams which debate each of the main topics generates the information that clarifies the topic. Action plans. The more complex the issue the more useful Team Syntegrity

Figura 5.1: Basic structure (Syntegration) based on the Icosahedron: 30 persons and 12 Topics (Perez Ríos, 2008 and 2012). Courtesy Malik Management Zentrum St. Gallen)

tse 5 Persons... study 1 Topic 30 Persons study 12 Topics Basic structure of a Syntegration Team (Perez Ríos, 2012) (Courtesy of Malik Management Zentrum St. Gallen)

tse One Team: 1 Topic and 5 members (Perez Ríos, 2012). (Courtesy of Malik Management Zentrum St. Gallen).

Facilitator Observers Team members Critics tse Figura 5.5: Un equipo: 1 Tema, 5 miembros, 5 críticos y observadores. (Perez Ríos, 2008d). (Cortesía de Malik Management Zentrum St. Gallen). Reproducido con autorización.

Two pioneering examples: * The Stafford Beer Festschrift Project (SBFP): 1995-1996 (25 September 1996-Liverpool John More University, U.K.) * The Horizonte 2000 Project (Iberforo98): 1997-1998 (27 March 1998-University of Valladolid, Spain)

The Stafford Beer Festschrift Project (SBFP) (1995-1996) (First application of TS in the world, using ICTs) Purpose: to create a collective scientific work, revealing the usefulness of S. Beer s different theories for all kinds of organisations and for society in general. To celebrate his 70th birthday, September 25 th 1996, at John Moore s University in Liverpool. Participants: 4 continents and 16 countries - 30 cyberneticians (Schwaninger, Espejo, Pérez Ríos et al.) - Institutions: (among others: Universities of Manchester, Toronto, Valladolid, Dublin, Los Andes/Bogotá, Mannheim, Humberside, John Moores/Liverpool, City University/London, St. Gallen, Bangor, Nayang Institute of Technology/Singapore). Time frame: October 1995 to July 1996. Team Syntegrity Form used: Icosahedron (12 chapters and 30 authors). Almost all of the work: Identify the chapters to include (12) and generate the content (more than 600 pages), was done remotely via Internet. Publication: To be and not to be that is the system: A tribute to Stafford Beer CD ROM (Espejo, Schwaninger et al., 1997) Carl-Auer-Systeme-Verlag, Heidelberg, Germany

tse 12 Topics 30 Persons Figura 5.1: Basic structure (Syntegration) based on the Icosahedron: 30 persons and 12 Topics (Perez Ríos, 2008 and 2012). Courtesy Malik Management Zentrum St. Gallen)

The Horizonte 2000 Project (Iberforo98) University of Valladolid, Spain (1997-1998) (First application of TS in Spain, using ICTs) Presented in "I Encuentro de Rectores de Universidades Hispano-Americano-Filipinas Organized by the University of Valladolid. In Valladolid (Spain) on 23-27 march 1998. Purpose: to promote the cooperation among the universities from Iberoamérica, Filipinas and those of Spanish influence in the U.S.A. To identify and to start new ways of relationships among the various Spanish speaking universities. It intends, from 1998 on, to open a new historical period of relationships based upon the equality, democracy and mutual trust. To make it possible and to foster this process the new information and communication technologies will be used. (Almuiña, Pérez Ríos et al, 2000, pp.14-15). Participants: More than 65 universities (mostly Rectors) coming from all spanish speking world countries. Time frame: October 1997 to March 1998. Almost all of the work, was done through Internet. The debates system used was based on TS and it used a new software tool created for this event (Iberforo-98 Project)..

The Horizonte 2000 Project (Iberforo98) University of Valladolid, Spain (1997-1998) Publications: Key note speech. Book Pérez Ríos J (1998) La sintegración en equipos y el aprendizaje en las organizaciones. El caso de IBERFORO-98. I Reuniónde Rectores de Universidades Hispano-Americanas-Filipinas. Marzo 1998, Valladolid, Spain. Almuiña C, Martín R. y Pérez Ríos J (eds.) (2000) Las Universidades iberoamericanas en la sociedad del conocimiento. Universidad de Valladolid. Valladolid. Book Chapter (Sintegration process) Pérez Ríos J (2000) Nuevas formas organizativas en sociedades complejas. In Almuiña C, Martín R, Pérez Ríos J (eds.). Las Universidades Iberoamericanas en la sociedad del conocimiento. Universidad de Valladolid: Valladolid, Spain; 291 317

Network for Ibero-American universities (precursor of UNIVERSIA)

Group Decision-Making software tools Debates Organizer Based on OC principles and in some elements of TS approach Initiated in 1997 in the UVA (ST and OC Research Group) The development of Two Groups of Software Tools to support: - Knowledge capturing - Organization of debates The first group: software tools for Application of TS protocols. The second group: software tools for Collective knowledge capturing and study of complex issues, Realization of debates through Internet. These set of tools were presented in Liverpool 2006 in: Fourth Metaphorum Conference (Pérez Ríos, 2006).

First group of tools (based in Team Syntegrity ) Software to configure and organize groups sessions in different size options (number of persons: 30, 24, 28, 12, 6). Software to optimize (maximize participants satisfaction) the assignments (persons to issues) in the physically organized sessions. Software to facilitate through Internet the visualization in 3D of the various TS configurations (view of Topics and Participants, as vertex and struts respectively, in figures corresponding to various groups sizes/configurations as represented by the icosahedron-30, octahedron-12, tetrahedron-6, etc.). TS 3D

Second group of tools (Study complex issues through Internet) -Two software applications: (Col-KCap) Creation through Internet of a causal map of the complex problem and classification of variables (Pérez Ríos 1999) (Debates Organizer) (www.debatesorganizer.org) Allows to any number of people the realization of debates through Internet around complex issues.

CSCW Internet based Knowledge capturing and interactive modelling work

Debates Organizer To facilitate the organization of debates around complex issues to any number of persons through Internet: (www.debatesorganizer.org) Advantages versus physical meetings (i.e.: meetings organized with TS) - The persons who compose the group can be located anywhere in space and can intervene at the time that best fits their needs or availability. - A person is not limited to belong only to two specific teams (Topics), A person can participate virtually in as many Teams/Topics as she/he likes.

Debates Organizer The first version of this software was used by the rectors in the Project Horizonte 2000 to organize the: I Encuentro de Rectores de Universidades Hispano-Americano-Filipinas (Pérez Ríos 1998, 2000) Project Horizonte 2000 financed in part by the BSCH, was the precursor of Universia (BCSH, 2000). The ICT based software tools used in this project constituted the Iberforo-98 (Iberfora-2000). Main component was the software to facilitate the organization of debates: The initial version of this software included the three main phases of the Internet based debate. An advanced version of this software was presented in the 2006 Metaphorum Conference in Liverpool (Pérez Ríos, 2006). Since then we have been using successive versions of it continuously in our teaching activity in the UVA with engineering students (Information Science, Telecommunications etc.).

Software Debates Organizer STEPS Identification of the people who is going to intervene in the process Configuration of the debate. In Figure 1 (screenshots from the software Debates Organizer) we can see some of the menu options for the administrator to configure the application. Question that expresses the issue to be clarified/answered (manifesto to the group). Example: a) Case 1: "I Encuentro de Rectores de Universidades Hispano-Americano-Filipinas" the question was: How to organize (now and in future) the relationships between the various Universities Hispano-Americano- Filipinas, based on a common language and culture, in order to get the maximum benefit for our societies? b) Case 2: Students of Information Science Engineering: What do you think are the effects of the current financial crisis for society and what role ICTs can play in this new scenario? Generation of statements/ideas in response to the issue/question proposed (Figure 2). Example of Idea (Figure 3) Aggregation of statements (see Figure 4). The purpose of this phase is to consolidate related ideas into a more elaborated Aggregated Statement. Example of AS (Figure 5) Final topics which condense the answer of the group to the question/issue under study. This process (generation of ideas, aggregation and final consolidation) is enriched with the comments (visible to the group) to all ideas made by the group members through time. Debate management (Figure 6). Generation of Content for each of the Final Topics.

Conclusions In this paper we presented some examples of applications of OC concepts and tools to help managers to study complex issues in a collaborative way We commented two international projects (SBFP and Horizonte 2000) in which these have been applied in combination with ICT tools. We exposed as well several software developments done at the STOC (INSISOC/UVA) research group with the aim of facilitating the organization of debate sessions through Internet. We provide also some information about how one of those -the debates organizer software- works. This application can be used not only to help managers of companies to make group decisions but to all kind of organizations, no matter if they are public, private, big or small, for profit or non-profit etc. Current lines of research: to explore how evolved version of this tools can provide support to a more collaborative and efficient citizens participation in public affairs.

References Almuiña C, Martín R. y Pérez Ríos J (eds.) (2000) Las Universidades iberoamericanas en la sociedad del conocimiento. Universidad de Valladolid. Valladolid. Beer S (1994) Beyond Dispute. The Invention of Team Syntegrity. Wiley. Chichester. Espejo R, Schwaninger M et al. (1997) To be and not to be that is the system: A tribute to Stafford Beer. CD ROM, Wiesbaden; Carl Auer-Systeme Verlag. Pérez Ríos J (1998) La sintegración en equipos y el aprendizaje en las organizaciones. El caso de IBERFORO-98. Key note speech. I Reunión de Rectores de Universidades Hispano-Americanas-Filipinas. Marzo 1998, Valladolid, Spain. Pérez Ríos J (2000) Nuevas formas organizativas en sociedades complejas. In Almuiña C, Martín R, Pérez Ríos J (eds.). Las Universidades Iberoamericanas en la sociedad del conocimiento. Universidad de Valladolid: Pérez Ríos, J. (2006) Information and Communication Technologies And Organizational Cybernetics. The Fourth Metaphorum Conference. Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, U.K., MAY, 4th-5th, 2006 Pérez Ríos J (2012) Design and diagnosis for sustainable organizations: The viable system method. Springer: Heidelberg, New York.

GRACIAS

Fig. 1 Debates Organizer main screens (Debate options) Return

Fig. 1 Debates Organizer main screens (Users options) J. Pérez Ríos, I. Velasco, P. Sánchez 9th International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Industrial Management Valladolid, July 10-12, 2013

Fig. 2 Debates Organizer (List of Statements/ Ideas) Return

Fig. 3 Debates Organizer (Example of Statement/ Idea and Comment) Return

Fig. 4 Debates Organizer (Example of Aggregated Statements) Return

Fig. 5 Debates Organizer (Example of Aggregated Statements with Ideas and Comments) Return

Fig. 6. Debates Organizer (Participation levels) Return

Fig. 2 Debates Organizer (List of Statements/ Ideas)

Fig. 4 Debates Organizer (Example of Aggregated Statements) Fig. 3 Debates Organizer (Example of Comment to a Statement and List of Aggregated Statements)

Fig. 3 Debates Organizer (Example of Agregated Statements and Comments) J. Pérez Ríos, I. Velasco, P. Sánchez 9th International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Industrial Management Valladolid, July 10-12, 2013

Fig. 3 Debates Organizer (Participation levels)