Prof John Brocklesby

Professor Management Studies,
Victoria Management School

Introduction

John Brocklesby works at the intersection of complex systems theory, organisation studies, and management theory and practice. He has degrees from Coventry University (BA Hons), London School of Economics (MSc Econ), and Warwick Business School (Phd). He has published books on management science and competitive capability, and has published extensively in prestigious journals across his primary fields. He is currently Professor of Management Studies and Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Commerce and Administration at Victoria University. Previously he served for many years as Chair of the Management research and teaching group. He is an ex-New Zealand President of the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management, and has served two terms as an ANZAM Distinguished Research Fellow. He was a member of the NZ Performance Based Research Fund (Business and Economics panel) in both 2003 and 2006. He is currently researching the organisation of and leadership of change in complex systems.

Qualifications

BA (Hons)

MSc (Econ) London School of Economics

PhD Warwick Business School

Research Convenor VMS

Publications and Presentations

Refereed Academic Journal Articles

Brocklesby J. ‘Using the Viable Systems Model to Examine Multi-Agency Arrangements for Combatting Transnational Organised Crime’ Journal of the Operational Research Society, Vol. 62, 2011.

Brocklesby J. “Ethics Beyond the Model: How Social Dynamics Can Interfere with Ethical Practice in Operational Research/Management Science” OMEGA – International Journal of Management Science, 37, December 2009.

“Rethinking the Theoretical Underpinnings of Soft Systems Methodology - Synthesising the Contributions of Geoffrey Vickers and Humberto Maturana”. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Volume 24, March 2007.

“Reconnecting Biology, Social Relations and Epistemology – A Systemic Appreciation of Autopoietic Theory”. International Journal of General Systems, Vol. 33, No.6, December 2004.

“Autopoiesis and the Theory of Viable Systems”. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Vol. 22, 2005. (with John Mingers).

“The Evolution of Competitive Capability in Exemplar Firms – A Cognition and Complex Systems Perspective”. International Journal on Social Change and Organisational Transformation, Vol. 5, 2004 (with Colin Campbell-Hunt).

“Multimethodology: Towards a Framework for Mixing Methodologies” (with John Mingers), OMEGA: International Journal of Management Science, Vol. 25, No. 5, 1997.

Towards Demokratia - Systemwide Organisation Development in Ancient Athens (with Stephen Cummings) Journal of Organisational Change Management Vol 10, No.1, 1997.

“Operational Research – Beyond the Sandbox”, Journal of the Operational Research Society, Vol. 48, April 1997.

“Multimethodology – A Framework for Critical Pluralism” Systemist, Vol. 18, (3), 1996 (with John Mingers).

“New Methods for Old: On the Take-Up of Methodological Complementarism” Journal of the Operational Research Society, Vol. 47, No 7,  July 1996.

 “Foucault Plays Habermas - An Alternative Philosophical Underpinning for Critical Systems Thinking” (with Stephen Cummings), Journal of the Operational Research Society Vol. 47 No 6, June 1996.

"Designing Viable Organisation Structures" (with Stephen Cummings), International Journal of Strategic Management - Long Range Planning, Vol. 28, No 6. January. 1996.

“Using Checkland's Soft Systems Methodology for Developing Competency Profiles in Strategic Human Resource Management”, International Journal of Manpower Vol. 16, 5/6, 199.

"Combining Hard, Soft, and Critical Methodologies in Systems Research: the Cultural Constraints", Systems Research, Vol. 12, No.3, 1995. (with Stephen Cummings).

"Intervening in the Cultural Constitution of Systems - Complementarism and Other Visions of Systems Research&squo;, Journal of the Operational Research Society. Vol. 46 No 11, 1995.

"Demystifying the Viable Systems Model as a Tool in Organisational Analysis"  (with John Davies, and Stephen Cummings), Asia Pacific Journal of Operational Research, Vol. 12, No 2, May 1995.

"Let the Jury Decide - Assessing the Cultural Feasibility of Total Systems Intervention" Systems Practice, Vol. 7, No 1, February 1994.

"Methodological Complementarism or Separate Paradigm Development - Examining the Options for Enhanced Operational Research",Australian Journal of Management ,Vol. 18, No 2, - December 1993.

“The Classical System: Organisational Insights Into What Made Athens Great”, Systems Practice, Vol. 6, August 1993, (with Stephen Cummings).

“International and Comparative Labour Relations”, New Zealand Journal of Industrial Relations, Vol. 13, August 1988.

“Women in Banking: Before and Beyond the 1984 Human Rights Inquiry.” New Zealand Journal of Business, December 1985.

"Technological Change and the Labour Process in New Zealand: A Synthesis." New Zealand Journal of Industrial Relations, Vol. 9. No. 3, December 1984. (with David Smith, Kerr Inkson, Roberta Hill).

"Technological Change and the Labour Process - Towards an Analysis of Computerisation in the New Zealand Trading Banks." New Zealand Journal of Industrial Relations, Vol. 9, No. 3 December 1984.

"Review of 'Industrial Accidents and Nightwork in the Manufacturing Sector' by T. Dwyer," New Zealand Journal of Industrial Relations, Vol. 8 No. 3 Dec 1983.

"Industrial Relations and the Capitalist Labour Process." New Zealand Journal of Industrial Relations, Vol. 8, No. 3 December 1983.

Books

“World Famous in New Zealand &squo; How New Zealand Companies Achieved Global Success”, with C. Campbell-Hunt, S.Chetty, L.Corbett, D.Jones, P. Walsh; Auckland University Press, 2000.

“Collaboration and Linkages Between SME's in New Zealand” Ministry of Economic Development, (2004), with C.Campbell-Hunt, S.Chetty, L.Corbett, A. Gawith, S.Mattear.

“The New Operational Research and Management Science: Integrating Hard, Soft, and Critical Systems Perspectives” Publisher: VUW (1993).

Book Chapters

Brocklesby J, ‘Outlining the Terrain of Autopoietic Theory’, in Autopoiesis in Organisation Theory and Practice, edited by R. Magalhaes and R.Sanchez (Emerald ‘Advanced Series in Management’, Bingley, 2009).

Brocklesby J, ‘Plugging the Theoretical Gaps: How Autopoietic Theory can Contribute to Process-Based Organisational Research’, in Autopoiesis in Organisation Theory and Practice, edited by R. Magalhaes and R.Sanchez (Emerald ‘Advanced Series in Management’, Bingley, 2009).

“Multimethodology: Towards a Framework for Mixing Methodologies” (with John Mingers), in “Systems Thinking ” Critical Systems Thinking and Systemic Perspectives on Ethics, Power and Pluralism" G. Midgley (ed), Sage 2003.

 “Thinking and Acting: Complexity Management for Sustainable Business”, in G. Friozelle and H. Richards (eds), Tackling Industrial Complexity, (Cambridge: Institute for Manufacturing, 2002), with L.Corbett and C.Campbell-Hunt.

“Strategy as Systems”, in “Images of Strategy”, S.Cummings and D.Wilson eds. Routledge, 2003.

“The Use of the Term Autopoiesis in the Theory of Viable Systems”, in G.Ragsdell and D.West, “Systems Theory and Practice in the Knowledge Age”, Plenum, New York, 2002.

“The Evolution of Competitive Capability – A Biological Perspective”, in “World Famous in New Zealand”,C.Campbell-Hunt et.al, Auckland University Press, 2001.

“Phenomenic reductionism and its implications for Soft Systems Methodology”, in A.Gregory, G.Hindle and G.Ragsdell (eds) “Systems Thinking in the New Millenium”, Plenum, New York,1999.

“Becoming Multimethodology Literate: An Assessment of the Cognitive Difficulties of Working Across Paradigms” in J.Mingers and A.Gill “Multimethodology: The Theory and Practice of Mixing Methodologies”, Chichester, Wiley, 1997.

“From Single to Multi-Paradigm Systems Research: The Cognitive Constraints” in F.Stowell, R.Ison, R.Armeson, J.Holloway, S.Jackson, and S.McRobb (eds) “Systems for Sustainability”, Plenum, New York, 1997.

”In the Spirit of Total Systems Intervention: Systems Modeling at Telecom (NZ) Ltd.” in K.Ellis, A.Gregory, B.Mears-Young, and G.Ragsdell "Critical Issues in Systems Research", Plenum, New York, 1995.