Affiliation:
1. Institute of Management and Strategy University of St. Gallen St. Gallen Switzerland
2. Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences St. Gallen Switzerland
Abstract
AbstractManagement in systemic terms means to cope with complexity. Ross Ashby's law of requisite variety shows the way—maintaining the varieties of interacting systems in balance. To denote that process, we use the cybernetic concept of ‘variety engineering’, which we also formalize. It refers to processes of mutual complexity amplification and attenuation by interacting agents. The purpose of this contribution is to elicit ways of coping with complexity by means of variety engineering. The abstract concepts are illustrated by examples from ecological, social and economic contexts.
Subject
Information Systems and Management,Strategy and Management,General Social Sciences