Francesca Iandolo

The viable decision maker for CAS survival: how to change and adapt through fitting process

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the decision-making process in the management of the complex adaptive systems (CAS), particularly focusing on the dimensions that affect the individual decision maker (DM) when passing from decision to behavior in fitting processes. Although the importance of the general process of fitting in terms of organizational design has been highlighted in earlier studies, a closer focus on the DM perspective is required. Design/methodology/approach Starting from the theoretical frameworks of viable systems approach (vSa) and addressing the evolving concepts of change and adaptation in CAS, the work takes the DM perspective and investigates the dimensions involved in the paths that lead complex decisions into behaviors, when referring to fitting processes. The paper reviews the vSa and the concept of CAS, deepening the decision making in fitting processes. Then, the paper proceeds to discuss the schemes and the categories that affect, at different levels, the decision and behavioral choices by proposing an interpretative framework. Findings The paper proposes a general framework useful to recognize/identify which are the elements/dimensions that have to be considered when organizations change in pursuing survival. The findings of the paper also show how adopting a vSa as a meta-model can be insightful to the understanding of service systems and useful in fully comprehending decision-making processes and behavior in complex adaptive system. Originality/value The originality of this paper lies in exploring the decision making process in CAS, adopting a closer perspective on the single DM through the lens of the vSa.

From Mechanical to Cognitive View: The Changes of Decision Making in Business Environment

Management can be considered the science of decisions. Different researchers and practitioners have analysed the contents and boundaries of this vibrant domain, proposing multiple contributions and several perspectives.

A system dynamics perspective on a viable systems approach definition for sustainable value

Aim of this work is to shed light on sustainable value and develop a model, based on vSa and translated at applicative level through the system dynamics methodology for measuring sustainable value. By adopting vSa perspective, value, characterized by strongly subjective contents, will be considered as a vector quantity, as the result of the subjective weighting of the different dimensions that may change according to the considered organization. Starting from the analysis of system dynamics and vSa, we will implement the theoretical framework into a model developed with system dynamics, hence through a methodology capable of addressing systemic problems which is also an expressive approach to solve issues arising in complex systems (characterized by interdependence, mutual interaction, information feedback, circular causality). In order to translate theory into “action and application” we will develop a model through which it will be possible to exploit the advantages of vSa implemented into an SD model, which ultimately can also be instantiated to specific cases and then simulated for further quantitative insights. Currently, there is no theoretical/practical approach to sustainable value measurement for business organizations that simultaneously considers the dimensions of the triple bottom line together with the subjective perspective of decision-makers. From these considerations, we derived the idea to integrate vSa and system dynamics with the aim of analyzing the issue of sustainable value, whose triple dimension is usually (erroneously) seen under a perspective that does not consider the interactions among those three dimensions. The integration of the subjective perspective within a model for calculating sustainable value can be seen as considering vSa as the theoretical framework, and system dynamics as the methodology that allows translating such an approach into a model that can later be simulated. It is also worth mentioning that through the application of the vSa theory to the case of sustainable value, by means of a transcoding approach like the system dynamics one, we are somehow trying to “redefine”, or better “enhance”, the vSa theory itself, by “operationalizing” it.

Alla ricerca di un possibile principio evolutivo della teoria e della pratica d’impresa. Il percorso degli studi dell’economia d’impresa

Obiettivi . Il lavoro ha ad oggetto l’evoluzione dell’economia d’impresa con l’intento di delineare il percorso che ha informato il progresso culturale di tale disciplina. Metodologia . Analisi ragionata e critica della letteratura dell’economia d’impresa. Risultati . Sviluppo di uno schema interpretativo generale dell’evoluzione dell’economia d’impresa dall’originaria tecnica mercantile, alla tecnica industriale e commerciale, fino all’odierna economia e gestione delle imprese, che consente di ricomporre la letteratura d’economia d’impresa in un coerente quadro d’insieme. Limiti della ricerca . Il lavoro, compiuto nella prospettiva di analisi della letteratura dell’economia d’impresa, rappresenta la componente teorica di uno studio articolato e di piu ampio respiro nell’ambito del quale il contributo sviluppato assume piena significativita. Implicazioni pratiche . L’individuazione di un percorso evolutivo della disciplina dell’economia d’impresa amplia la visione riduzionista, orientando l’economista d’impresa verso un ruolo cruciale nell’indirizzare l’evoluzione dei sistemi produttivi verso percorsi sostenibili. Originalita del lavoro . La ricomposizione della letteratura d’economia d’impresa in un quadro d’insieme unitario, articolato in un percorso logico coerente, ne mette in luce potenzialita ancora poco esplorate ai fini della formulazione e comprensione dei problemi delle organizzazioni economiche.