Martin Pfiffner
Biography
Dr. oec. HSG Martin Pfiffner is a renowned expert on organizational and structural issues. He studied at the University of St. Gallen HSG, where he graduated with a doctorate in economics. As an assistant to Professors Peter Groß (Sociology) and Fredmund Malik (Management), he worked his way into system-oriented management theory. Later he studied management cybernetics in Canada and Wales with Professor Stafford Beer. For over 30 years he has worked as a lecturer, trainer and consultant for organizations in the business and non-business sector. Pfiffner is considered one of the world’s leading experts in the practical application of the Viable System Model and Syntegration®. The basis for his work is ‘The Neurology of Business’. This is what he calls the neurology of an organization and this is also the title of his book. In the last three decades, Martin has supported countless economic, public or private organizations in all corners of the world. In various institutions and functions he contributes to the application of the models and methods of management cybernetics such as the ‘Viable System Model’ or ‘Syntegration®’ for the success of companies.
Sessions
From Theory to Practice
As this reflects my own journey with Team Syntegrity, the Viable System Model and the Operations Room, I would emphasize how cybernetics is rooted in practical application. Using stories and anecdotes from my own journey, struggles and highlights I would illustrate how Stafford’s legacy was received in management of the 90ties, where it struggled with the status quo and where big achievements supported its further acceptance and dissemination. I would begin in the 1990s, with the establishment of Team Syntegrity Europe, describing the challenge of convincing managers to engage seriously with the Viable System Model at that time – and how that changed later. How we got a company to build the first “SB Operations Room” and conclude with a perspective from today, comparing what Stafford Beer’s models and methods have achieved so far with their future potential and outlook.