SOCIAL SCIENCE THAT ACTUALLY WORKS
CURRENT AFFAIRS
HOW FRED AND MERRELYN EMERY DIDN’T GET INTO THE PALGRAVE HANDBOOK OF ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE THINKERS
Merrelyn Emery with Don deGuerre and Philip Deering, August 2018
This is the story of how the work of Fred and Merrelyn Emery didn’t make it into The Palgrave Handbook of Organizational Change Thinkers, Szabla, D.B., Passmore, W., Barnes, M., Gipson, A.N. (Eds). (2017). Palgrave Macmillan.
Invitations were extended to us to write two chapters documenting the work of both Fred and Merrelyn but ultimately neither chapter was found acceptable. This story extends over about two years with several twists and turns as the reasons for delaying publication of our contributions changed over time. We publish both chapters here exactly as they were last presented to the editors.
FRED EMERY: CREATOR OF TIMELESS WORK FROM A TIMELESS LAND
Merrelyn Emery, 2016
This chapter documents the evolution of an approach to social science based on material universals or reality, open systems theory (OST). OST diverges from approaches based on abstract universals. The chapter traces the development of its key concepts and attempts to convey some feeling for the man responsible for most of its development. It attempts to convey not only Fred’s intellectual brilliance but also hints at his complex mixture of free spirit, respecter of life, self-determination and participative democracy.
MERRELYN EMERY AND OPEN SYSTEMS THEORY: A PRACTICAL, CONTEXTUAL SOCIAL SCIENCE TO ENGAGE THE WORLD
Don deGuerre and Philip Deering
Open Systems Theory (OST) as primarily developed by Fred and Merrelyn Emery in Australia provides an integrated set of concepts and constructs in both theory and practice to more accurately describe reality. A major part of the work is to research participative democratic structures, processes and governance as an alternative to dominant hierarchies.
NOTES ON CRISES AND DESIGN PRINCIPLES
Merrelyn Emery, 2020
As we battle Covid-19 we are relearning a lesson humanity has learnt many times before. It is cooperate or die.
FICTION VS REALITY: COMPETE UNTO DEATH VS COOPERATE TO SURVIVE: HUMAN NATURE VS B=PXE
Merrelyn Emery, 2020
In recent days we have seen headlines and news articles reporting on a real life example of Lord of the Flies albeit one with an entirely opposite lesson. The lesson from the original novel was that there is only a thin veneer of ‘civilization’ keeping us all from the savagery that always lurks deep within every person. Remove us from that civilization and the inner darkness will triumph with horrible destruction and death.
AFTERWARDS
Merrelyn Emery, 2010
When the ruins of our industrialized society lie scattered across the planet there will be a few picking amongst the rubble, trying to eke out their lives. Inevitably there will be a constant theme running through all the discussions as people collect to shelter at night – that theme will encompass a thousand whys?
BRIEF REFUTATION OF EFFORTS TO ESTABLISH A THIRD ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN PRINCIPLE
Merrelyn Emery, 2022
As the title indicates, this paper refutes two papers from this group of authors who claim to have discovered a third genotypical design principle to add to the two discovered by Fred Emery in 1967 which are a major plank of the highly successful organizational change method known as the Participative Design Workshop. As the analysis shows, their claim has no basis, conceptually nor practically, and is seriously misleading. That they have been published in peer reviewed journals is an indictment of what currently passes for social 'science'.
A PATCHWORK OF CONTRADICTIONS AND CONFUSIONS: INSIDE THE SOFTWARE INDUSTRY
Merrelyn Emery, 2023
In direct contradiction to a lot of the excited and exaggerated marketing about 'agile' which has swept the software industry, this analysis shows that far from being a positive contribution to either theory or practice, the agile movement has created an industry which is a mosaic of confusions, improbable organizational configurations and some plain bad practices. Based on misunderstandings of what people and organizations require for good functioning, the industry has emphasized control over coordination. Subsequently, many good intentions are not being fully realized and there are some very poor results for both individuals and their organizations. The industry is recoverable with an education in the design principles and redesign of the structural inadequacies.
CHANGE, RESISTANCE TO IT IN THE SOFTWARE INDUSTRY AND OVERCOMING IT
Merrelyn Emery, 2023
This is the second report on the current state of the software industry. It deals with the first set of questions about recent changes in the industry, reservations about possibly moving to participative democratic organizations and ways in which to answer those reservations. This report should be read in conjunction with the first."