The Viability of Organizations Vol. 3

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xxiv

   PDF

2. Building the Bridge

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

      PDF

   2. “Organization in 3D”: Discovering the Systemic Dimension of Organizations

      • Wolfgang Lassl

      Pages 3-27

   3. The Organizational Chart and the VSM: How Does One Get from One to the Other?

      • Wolfgang Lassl

      Pages 29-45

   4. The Art of Designing Jobs and Units—The “Left Wing” of Organizations (Part 1)

      • Wolfgang Lassl

      Pages 47-60

   5. The Limitations of Jobs and Units—The “Left Wing” of Organizations (Part 2)

      • Wolfgang Lassl

      Pages 61-74

   6. The “Right Wing” of Organizations—Overview (Part 1)

      • Wolfgang Lassl

      Pages 75-87

   7. The Inner Adaptation Processes—The “Right Wing” of Organizations (Part 2)

      • Wolfgang Lassl

      Pages 89-101

   8. The Greater Frame of Reference and the Need for an “Organizational ABS”—The “Right Wing” of Organizations (Part 3)

      • Wolfgang Lassl

      Pages 103-114

3. Designing Organizational (Chart) Structures

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 115-115

      PDF

   2. An Organization Is not a Model Railway—Thoughts About the Design of Organizational Structures

      • Wolfgang Lassl

      Pages 117-132

   3. What Kind of House Do We Want: A Bungalow or a Villa—Why and to What End?

      • Wolfgang Lassl

      Pages 133-144

   4. The „Plan“ and „Structure of the House“: Developing the Basic Model

      • Wolfgang Lassl

      Pages 145-174

   5. The “Interior Design” (Part 1): Finding and Defining the Way to Generate Benefits and Purpose

      • Wolfgang Lassl

      Pages 175-190

   6. The “Interior Design” (Part 2): Designing the Metasystemic Functions

      • Wolfgang Lassl

      Pages 191-200

   7. The “Interior Design” (Part 3): How Can We Achieve Synergies?

      • Wolfgang Lassl

      Pages 201-215

   8. Toward a Functioning Organizational (Chart) Structure

      • Wolfgang Lassl

      Pages 217-241

   9. Organizing the Secondary Functions

      • Wolfgang Lassl

      Pages 243-264

   10. Design Guidelines and Scenarios—A Summary

       • Wolfgang Lassl

       Pages 265-288

   11. Hotspot Matrix Organization

       • Wolfgang Lassl

       Pages 289-300

The design process for organizational structures sometimes resembles a random walk, especially when it is embedded in an arena of competing personal interests and power games. Many organizations still lack clear guidance and are therefore seeking a rigorous, nuanced, and impartial methodology for the design and development of their organizational structures, processes and behavioral repertoire. The Viable System Model (VSM) can help: by identifying the essential design principles and parameters that need to be considered, and which can be used to enhance an organization’s effectiveness, adaptability, cohesion and overall viability.
This book, the third volume in a set of three, connects the VSM to the world of the standard organizational chart. It offers readers a new perspective on corporate functions and their contributions to the organization as a whole. Further, it shows them how the VSM can be used to develop viable organizational structures, following a detailed step-by-step approach. Lastly, it explains the vital processes, behaviors, and attitudes that need to be developed in order to make organizations truly viable.



Readers will find solutions to, and guidelines on, many critical organizational design issues, e.g. designing job profiles; correctly mapping synergistically (“centrally”) operating units in the organizational chart; outsourcing processes; and handling matrix situations; as well as designing and implementing organizational change processes.




"This compendium is a most welcome contribution to Organizational Cybernetics. Lassl provides a detailed analytical and insightful perspective on the currently most powerful organization theory, which is a key to mastering complexity: the Viable System Model. The author also finds new, creative ways of showing the practitioner how to make the model work. If you apply it properly, you can reap huge benefits: the viability of your organization and a prosperous future."
Prof. em. Dr. Markus Schwaninger, University of St. Gallen


"There is nothing more practical than a good theory" (K. Lewin). This is exactly what Lassl’s books exemplify and prove. By advancing the VSM-based organizational theory and providing ample application-related examples, these books allow the readers to look at their organizations and management from a new perspective, and provides them with the knowledge to trigger and implement practical organizational changes.I have been able to draw upon many cutting-edge examples from Lassl’s books for my lectures on the VSM, which have repeatedly convinced students of its value and enabled them to gain an in-depth understanding of the VSM. Particularly Lassl’s elaborations on variety management and on the axiom of requisite vertical eigen-variety are cornerstones for every organizational design project, for value-oriented management, and for the overall viability of the organization. I highly recommend the book to all managers looking for ideas for future-oriented design of organizations and of value creation."
Prof. Dr. Matthias Müller-Wiegand, Vice President Department Business and Law, Rheinische Fachhochschule Köln/University of Applied Sciences 

• Designing organizations
• Modelling organizations
• Organizational effectiveness
• Diagnosing organizations
• Organizational structures
• Managerial effectiveness
• Viable System Model
• Stafford Beer
• System theory
• Cybernetics
• Complexity management
• VSM
• organizations

• Pure Management Group, Vienna, Austria

  Wolfgang Lassl

Wolfgang Lassl is a management consultant and researcher with a long and successful track record both in management consultancy and academia. He looks back at teaching assignments such as at the University of Vienna and Tufts University (Fletcher School). He is an associate of the Peter Drucker Society Europe and a member of the program steering committee of the Annual Global Peter Drucker Forum. Having worked for international consultancies, he is now a director at the Pure Managementgroup.  

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