Demystifying Beer... Do You Want Fries With That?

This paper concerns the strongly theory based organisational intervention - Stafford Beers' Viable Systems Diagnosis (VSD). The assumption that organisations have difficulty in transforming good theories into effective workplace practices is examined using VSD. We propose levels of knowledge or recursions of the Beer system that are appropriate and effective in terms of organisational interventions. We contend that the lexis emanating from Brain of the Firm, and The Heart of the Enterprise exacerbates the complexity of VSD causing readers to focus on Diagnosing the System. We suggest this outcome contributes to the non-popularity of VSD, but that Beer himself cannot be exonerated. The lack of fundamental VSD principles, identified as a deficiency in Diagnosing the System is expanded from the antecedents, Brain and Heart. The paper concludes by considering a systematic categorisation of Beer's work that will guide organizational change agents wishing to use this intellectually complex and powerful system

The development of PICCO through action research

This paper involves action learning as 'continuance of mindset'. It describes a four-year work in progress Action Research (AR) study exploring organizational viability. Involving two separate organizations and four cycles of AR, the study has seen the researcher and to some extent the organizations develop action-learning mindsets. The paper is an attempt to stand back from the case study and its associated learning from an organizational perspective - and to associate learning from the mindset of an action researcher. The paper contends that adopting the mindset of an action researcher contributes to the transfer of learning from one organization to the other. It advocates that action researchers do not resume their initial methodologies in a new setting and the latter organization acquires learning from the first interaction. It is concluded that an action learning mindset gains cumulative wisdom from both organizational and methodological perspectives