On Purposeful Systems

JC WANDEMBERG (mailto:juwandem@NMSU.EDU)
Sun, 2 Mar 1997 11:59:41 -0700 

Message-ID:  <Pine.SUN.3.95q.970302115837.6190D-100000@verdi>
Date:         Sun, 2 Mar 1997 11:59:41 -0700
From: JC WANDEMBERG <mailto:juwandem@NMSU.EDU>
Subject:      On Purposeful Systems
To: mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU


Ackoff & Emery seminal work "On Purposeful Systems" demonstrated that
there are seven types of "functional individuals or systems" from
1) Passive Unifunctional instruments to.... 4)Reactive Goal-seeking
Automata...to 7) Active Multifunctional Purposeful individuals.


Now, the critical question is under what type of system do people behave
"purposefully?. Again Ackoff & Emery demonstrated that ALL systems have a
CONSTANT tendency towards either decreasing or increasing the range and
level of behavior of the elements of the system. In variety-decreasing
systems the range and level of purposeful behavior will tend to be
restricted, whereas in a variety-increasing systems the range and level of
purposeful behavior will be extended, i.e. people capable of displaying
ideal-seeking behavior.


Finally, the seminal work of Lippit and White demonstrated the humans make
a conscious or unconscious choice between two, and only TWO types of
systems, i.e., organizational structures, namely BUREAUCRACY Vs.
Participative Democracy. The default CONSCIOUS choice is of course
Bureaucracy. The little-known alternative is most often made unconsciously,
e.g. immediately after a disaster strikes, but because people are unaware
of it, its structure turns pretty soon into...yeap, you guest it
BUREAUCRACY!.


Most development initiatives are built as variety-decreasing systems where
beneficiary participation is instrumental to the systems. Participants
cannot be expected to behave purposefully within this type of project
design. No wonder, according to Pretty et al. typology of participation,
there are 7 types of "participation": from 1)"Passive"
non-purposeful.....to 7) "Active" purposeful participation.


So, the challenge is HOW TO DESIGN PARTICIPATIVE DEMOCRATIC ORGANIZATIONAL
STRCUTURES with PURPOSEFUL INDIVIDUALS where the system is instrumental
to its elements?


Best regards,
P.S. there is also a third choice, LAISSEZ-FAIRE, but this is a
NON-structure although it's sometimes wrongfully perceived as a
Participative Democratic structure.




     ************************************************************
     |J.C. Wandemberg                                           |

     |Ph.D Graduate Researcher                                  |

     |                                                          |

     |                                                          |

     |INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR NATURAL, ENVIRONMENTAL        |

     |& CULTURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IIRM)                    |

     |College of Agriculture & Home Economics (NMSU)            |

     |Box 30003, Dept. 3169, Las Cruces, NM 88003-003 USA       |

     |URL:http://web.nmsu.edu/~juwandem Email:mailto:juwandem@nmsu.edu |

      **********************************************************


Nota:Las opiniones aqui vertidas son de exclusiva responsibilidad de su
autor y no representan necesariamente la posicion del Instituto.


Note: The opinions expressed here are the exclusive responsibility of its
author and do not necessarily represent that of IIRM.