Re: Philosophy underlying LO? LO373

Michael McMaster (Michael@kbddean.demon.co.uk)
Thu, 09 Mar 1995 19:23:31 GMT

Replying to LO356 --

Yogesh, I need to have some clarity to know how to respond to your
requests.

In your questions about how information processing relates to aspects of
complexity, are you using the term to refer to computers or is it a general
question about information processing of living systems?

When you ask about an organisation's interaction with complexity are you
interested in how and organisation deals with other complex systems (other
organisations, teams, industry, economy) or are you asking about how an
organisation relates to its own complexity?

Are you asking about small groups and how systems affect them or about how
they can use complex IP/communication systems? And when you refer to
complex IP systems do you mean that they are using complex adaptive
principles or just that they are technically complex or similarly
complicated?

Similar questions of mine apply to "processes of interpretation of complex
information". Interpretation and language are both complex phenomena and
I can't figure out if you are using the various language distinctions
(complex, information processing, organisation, human computer
interactions) in a particular way that I'm not getting or if you're
unclear about what is complex or what.

This communication shows that the distinctions that I made earlier between
mathematical, systems dynamics and complex adaptive systems useage of the
term complexity - plus the added confusion of the general useage which
equates it with complicated - need to be operationally defined or we can
get into a lot of confusion if not trouble.

-- 
Mike McMaster      <Michael@kbddean.demon.co.uk>
    "Postmodern society is the society of computers, information, scientific
knowledge, advanced technology, and rapid change due to new advances in
science and technology."          Postmodern Theory, Best & Kellner