Re: Reinforcing/Balancing in Humans LO703

Stuart A. Umpleby (umpleby@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu)
Thu, 6 Apr 1995 10:25:36 -0400 (EDT)

Replying to LO676 --

> Evolutionary ecologists differentiate two major strategies of evolution...
> opportunistic vs. equilibrium species.

Many thanks to Bruce Hanna for his very informative description of two
strategies of evolution.
>
> An interesting new thread might be how organizations can function more like
> equilibrium species and less like opportunistic species. Some aspects of
> interest - mechanisms to store information, how context-specific action is
> elicited, how "soft" cultural training is provided,..

One approach to increasing the adaptability of organizations is Russell
Ackoff's method of "interactive planning" which was first described in
_Creating the Corporate Future_, Wiley, 1981. The book is in part a
reaction to forecasting, which was popular at the time. Forecasting
allows an individual or firm to look farther ahead and hence to have more
time to adjust to new events. Ackoff, instead, advocated "creating the
future." That is, rather than adapting to what others do, create
something new, thereby destabilizing the environment for everyone else.
As more and more firms adopt this approach, the result can be a wild ride,
as we have witnessed perhaps most clearly with information technology.

From: "Stuart A. Umpleby" <umpleby@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu>