Context

Innovative Global Management through Metaphor (Part #2)

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Discussion of the following characteristics of the social condition is inappropriate at this time, even if space permitted. They have been noted by many authors in different ways. For the purposes of the subsequent discussion they can usefully be treated as design constraints. The list, which can also be viewed as a list of assumptions, is not necessarily comprehensive but it does include:

1. Complexity: Global management must deal with a very high degree of complexity which exceeds the capability of the most sophisticated models (especially if account is taken of Ashby's Law).
2. Incommensurability: Many aspects of global management involve essentially incommensurable options, perhaps best illustrated by policy conflicts over environment and industrialization.
3. Limits to comprehensibility: Whether because of the inherent complexity, lack of information or inadequately developed conceptual skills, individuals and groups are unable to encompass the range of issues and dimensions relevant to global management at this time. In particular this raises questions as to whether appropriateness is itself comprehensible.
4. Multiplicity of perspectives: Even amongst the well informed there are incommensurable perspectives and world views, emerging from, or reinforced by, differences in language, culture, ideology, values or belief system. These differences are not reconciled even after lengthy debate, even under the most congenial circumstances.
5. Information overload: The amount of information available and scheduled to be produced in the coming decades (through "desktop publishing") raises fundamental questions about the appropriateness of the systems for absorbing, comprehending and acting intelligently on such information (especially given the absence of "desktop comprehension" devices). Even the most intelligent and best funded can no longer be sure that the patterns of information on which they are acting are the most appropriate, whether for themselves or for others.
6. Urgency: There is widespread recognition of impending crisis, possibly in the form of a crises of crises, touching environmental, social, resource and other dimensions of the social condition. It is questionable whether existing strategies are adequate to such a crisis.
7. Policy time constraints: Policy-makers are under considerable pressure to produce results in the short-term, irrespective of the consequences in the longer-term. Such results are increasingly assessed and evaluated through the media. Policies must be made appealing to voters in the short-term. The proposal of new, alternative policies is a standard political device to highlight the defects in existing policies. Such policy reversals make it very difficult to maintain any continuity of policy.
8. Incommunicability: Despite the intellectual and cultural richness of the times, and despite the development of sophisticated information systems, the ability to disseminate powerful insights widely is severely curtailed by other information priorities. Complex insights cannot be effectively communicated and cannot compete in a media environment with simpler insights. Politicians are especially sensitive to the need for simple messages, and those seeking to influence politicians must also ensure that there communications are simple in form.
9. Irresponsibility: All social entities endeavour to extend their influence beyond their current boundaries irrespective of the appropriateness of such initiatives to others. This applies as much to nations, cultures and social groups as it does to ideologies, disciplines, religions and other belief systems. Each considers that wider application of their own insight would be of greater benefit to the whole.
10. Corruption and deceit: Limitation of attention to publicly declared policy objectives and their implementation can only be considered naive given the level of official and unofficial corruption prevailing at all levels of society. A significant proportion of international programmes arise out of hidden agendas and may receive funding in part because of their capacity to deceive. One indication of this is the degree to which the archives of seemingly uncontroversial bodies are classified for periods of up to 50 years.

These constraints are presented in order to stress that although many current initiatives are necessary, even vital, it is important to question whether they are sufficient to the dimensions of the challenge with which society is faced. It is healthy to assume that they are not sufficient and to consider more radical approaches to social innovation for global management.

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