Harwood, Stephen

English

The notion of a business ‘strategy’ is a nebulous term which invites a variety of interpretations, with somefocusing upon the content of strategies and others upon the process of strategising. Whatever the interpretation,it is apparent that strategising is problematic and reflects the poor understanding of the dynamic between thetwo, which in turn reflects a poor understanding of the strategising process. In response, this paper presentsStafford Beer’s Viable System Model as a device with which to think about the strategising process as anembedded feature of organisational activity. With the insights provided with its use, it is proposed that the VSMoffers a valuable business tool to help improve the way strategy is carried out within businesses

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