The Viable System Model and inter-organizations

Abstract

To work against threats and to obtain new possibilities, new forms of interorganizational collaborations are formed. The management literature deals mainly with one single organization although aspects of collaborative processes are discussed. In this article problems with inter-organizational management and decision-making are discussed. In this article the possibilities and the limits of using the Viable System Model (VSM) for diagnosing and design of inter-organizations are discussed. The conclusion is that VSM seems to be promising but further evaluation must be performed. Organizational learning and negotiation support systems are approaches that should be used in inter-organizational management.