Stephen Harwood
University College London, UK
Biography
A nomad, having previously lived a variety of lifes as a practitioner and academic. Currently at Centre for Systems Engineering in Department of Space and Climate Physics (MSSL) at University College London. Practitioner experience spans the coal, oil, electronics and tourism industries, in roles that have included manager, director and consultant. Expertise lies in managing organisational transformation (e.g. business recovery, strategic positioning, technology implementation). Awarded a PhD in 2010 from the University of Edinburgh Business School for developing a conceptual explanation (‘domestication’) for how people take up and use online technologies. This has provided a platform to develop a research portfolio that operates at the intersection of technology, sustainability and social complexity. This work is grounded in the conceptual insights of Cybersystemics. and the Sociology of Technology. Stephen’s growing portfolio of publications includes a book, journal, conference and working papers, online journalist articles and evidence to UK Parliament.
Sessions
Cybernetics For All (#Cybernetics4All)
Cybernetics, Systems Thinking (Cybersystemics) and, specifically, the VSM, like any topic, can be learned informally or formally. An informal approach is likely to be unstructured and might take the form of using what materials are available, involve trial and error and result in misunderstandings and omissions of key concepts. A formal approach would be expected to be structured in a reasoned way to achieve specific learning outcomes. However, despite Cybernetics being around for over 75 years, there does not appear to be any material that explains how knowledge about Cybernetics, and particularly the VSM, is transferred from teacher to student. What does a course about cybernetics and the VSM look like? This becomes an important question if people want to develop a sound understanding of what constitutes Cybernetics (Cybersystemics). How many people claim to be expert in Cybernetics yet have only a very limited understanding of Cybernetics because it is informally grounded? In response, this paper offers an agenda for a Cybernetics (Cybersystemics) course. Whilst the VSM is the focus, the agenda includes such issues as the contextual background to the VSM, how to use it (VIPLAN method), its ontological implications (real systems or as conceptualisations), which has implications for how it is used in problematic situations (VIPLAN methodology). Since the VSM is not a model for the sake of modelling, but is about how it supports transformation, then this implies that the principles of change management are a necessary topic. Other topics can include its application to teaching research methods, sustainability and (autonomous) technologies. Critical is a language that is understandable. In sum, the agenda is a rich one.