This paper aims to present lessons learned in applying 2nd‐order cybernetics – specifically Maturana and Varela's “biology of cognition” – to the actual design of interactive…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present lessons learned in applying 2nd‐order cybernetics – specifically Maturana and Varela's “biology of cognition” – to the actual design of interactive decision support systems.
Design/methodology/approach
This consists of a review of the rationale and bases for applying 2nd‐order cybernetics in interactive IT design, the challenges in moving from theory to praxis, illustrative examples of tactics employed, and a summary of the successful outcomes achieved.
Findings
The paper offers conclusions about the general applicability of such theories, two sample applications devised for actual projects, and discussion of these applications' perceived value.
Research limitations/implications
The applications described are not claimed to represent a complete toolkit, and they may not readily generalize beyond the scope of interactive information systems design. On the other hand, the examples offered demonstrate that 2nd‐order cybernetics can constructively inform such designs – advancing the focus of discussion from theory‐based advocacy to praxis‐based recommendations.
Practical implications
The paper presents illustrative examples of the exigencies entailed in moving 2nd‐order cybernetics ideas forward from theory to praxis and specific tactics for doing so.
Originality/value
This paper addresses the persistent deficiencies in both concrete examples and guidance for practical applications of 2nd‐order cybernetics theories. It will hopefully stimulate similar attempts to demonstrate such theories' practical benefits.
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The purpose of this paper is to review online records of the conference of the American Society for Cybernetics (ASC) in the summer of 2010. Also reviewed is a burst of activity…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review online records of the conference of the American Society for Cybernetics (ASC) in the summer of 2010. Also reviewed is a burst of activity on the Cybernetics Discussion Group (CYBCOM) list associated with the ASC, during October and November 2010. The discussion continues at the time of writing.
Design/methodology/approach
The aim is to review developments on the internet, especially those of general cybernetic interest.
Findings
The records of the ASC conference convey its flavour and atmosphere but are obviously no substitute for participation. The burst of activity in the CYBCOM list began with reference to a derogatory commentary on the political significance of cybernetics. The implications of this were rapidly dismissed, but with the invoking of basic principles, particularly that of “recursive distinctioning”, which prompted very much further discussion. Current discussion is of the meaning to be attached to “recursion”.
Practical implications
Cybernetics is absolved from being a tool of capitalist oppression. The careful consideration given to various basic concepts in the CYBCOM discussion clarifies a variety of issues.
Originality/value
It is hoped this is a valuable periodic review.
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Philip Baron, Ranulph Glanville, David Griffiths and Ben Sweeting
The burgeoning literature on the feedback environment has begun to link this important construct to many relevant employee behaviors and attitudes. However, the underlying…
Abstract
The burgeoning literature on the feedback environment has begun to link this important construct to many relevant employee behaviors and attitudes. However, the underlying mechanisms linking the feedback environment to feedback seeking are not well understood. To address these gaps in the literature, this study integrates organizational support theory, the norm of reciprocity, and current empirical research to develop and test a model explicating this link. Data obtained from 202 supervisor-subordinate dyads indicated that perceived organizational support and job involvement play important roles in linking the feedback environment to supervisorreported feedback seeking behavior.
In 1989, the Cleveland based law firm Reminger and Reminger in conjunction with the Personnel Journal conducted a survey on Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) issues facing…
Abstract
In 1989, the Cleveland based law firm Reminger and Reminger in conjunction with the Personnel Journal conducted a survey on Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) issues facing America. This survey focused on various types of EEO complaints (Reminger, 1991). Of the 653 corporations who participated in the study, approximately 18% reported racial discrimination as their number one EEO problem. The survey revealed that race discrimination complaints were the highest among the government and manufacturing sectors (Reminger, 1991). In the 1990s, racial inequality continues to be of primary concern.
It has often been said that a great part of the strength of Aslib lies in the fact that it brings together those whose experience has been gained in many widely differing fields…
Abstract
It has often been said that a great part of the strength of Aslib lies in the fact that it brings together those whose experience has been gained in many widely differing fields but who have a common interest in the means by which information may be collected and disseminated to the greatest advantage. Lists of its members have, therefore, a more than ordinary value since they present, in miniature, a cross‐section of institutions and individuals who share this special interest.
Jamshid Beheshti, Mohammed J. AlGhamdi, Charles Cole, Dhary Abuhimed and Isabelle Lamoureux
The chapter describes a four-year research project, the objective of which was to design and develop an intervention tool to assist middle school students in their information…
Abstract
Purpose
The chapter describes a four-year research project, the objective of which was to design and develop an intervention tool to assist middle school students in their information seeking when engaged in an inquiry-based learning project.
Methodology/approach
Bonded design method was used to design a proof-of-concept (POC) low-tech Guide, and focus group and Informant Design methods were utilized to develop a Web Guide.
Findings
In creating an intervention tool, whether low-tech paper-based or high-tech websites, different methodologies that relied heavily on the participation of students in the design process were successfully utilized.
Practical implications
The research shows that participation of children and adolescents in designing the content of technology for educational use is imperative.
Originality/value
This is a long-term research project, which is unparalleled and unique in its scope, duration, breadth, and depth. Having access to the grade eight classes in a single school over a four-year period has proven to be a remarkable research opportunity, seldom reported in the literature.
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Nancy Horak Randall, Sue Carroll Pauley and Aaron B. Culley
Baby boomers are now the fastest growing group of adopters of social media. This research uses qualitative research methodologies to understand the factors influencing adoption…
Abstract
Baby boomers are now the fastest growing group of adopters of social media. This research uses qualitative research methodologies to understand the factors influencing adoption and use of social media and other emergent technologies by baby boomer and silent generation women. Life Course Perspectives (especially as combined with either Role Theory and/or Social Exchange Theory), and Family Systems Theory provide a strong basis for considering reciprocal socialization as an important dynamic in relationships between different generations, specifically within families. This research reveals and examines a particular form of reciprocal socialization between family members, the process of social media adoption. Using a convenience sample of 28 women born before 1963, we examine the characteristics of women who use computers, and more specifically who use social networking sites and other forms of emergent technology such as Skype. We also investigate the familial and social factors that women report as contributing to their adoption of social media. Women report that children, specifically daughters, strongly influence their decision to use social media such as Facebook. Women who do not use social media are found to either report lack of interest or perceived lack of ability to negotiate new technology, or to indicate that use of social media is unnecessary to them due to the spatial proximity of their families.