Top

Published in:

2011 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

32. Anthony Stafford Beer

Author : Jonathan Rosenhead

Published in: Profiles in Operations Research

Publisher: Springer US

Activate our intelligent search to find suitable subject content or patents.

search-config

AI-assisted search

Off

Abstract

Stafford Beer was one of the most remarkable figures that Operational Research (OR) in any country has produced. A charismatic, even flamboyant character, he founded two major and pioneering OR groups in the U.K., wrote some of the best books about the subject, and was a world leader in the development of systems thinking. He is widely acknowledged as the founder of the field of management cybernetics. This international stature led to his engagement as advisor to several national presidents. His charm, conviction, and force of character opened up opportunities in industry and business, and later in government, which would have been denied to a more conventional figure.

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

über 102.000 Bücher
über 537 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

Automobil + Motoren
Bauwesen + Immobilien
Business IT + Informatik
Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
Finance + Banking
Management + Führung
Marketing + Vertrieb
Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe
Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

über 67.000 Bücher
über 340 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

Bauwesen + Immobilien
Business IT + Informatik
Finance + Banking
Management + Führung
Marketing + Vertrieb
Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now

previous chapter Thomas L. Saaty

next chapter John F. Magee

Andrew A (1993) Stafford Beer—personal reminiscences and reflections. Kybernetes 22(6):60–73CrossRef

Ashby W (1956) Introduction to cybernetics. Chapman and Hall, London

Barrionuevo A (2008) Before ’73 Coup, Chile tried to find the right software for socialism. New York Times, March 28.

Beer S (1953) A technique for standardising massed batteries of control charts. Appl Stat 2(3):160–165CrossRef

Beer S (1957) The mechanical simulation of stochastic flow. In: Davies M, Eddison R, Page T (eds) Proceedings of the first international conference on operational research. English Universities Press, London, pp 166–175

Beer S (1959) Cybernetics and management. English Universities Press, London

Beer S (1962) Towards the cybernetic factory. In: Foerster H, Zopf G (eds) Principles of self-organization. Pergammon Press, Oxford, pp 25–89

Beer S (1966) Decision and control: the meaning of operational research and management cybernetics. Wiley, Chichester

Beer S (1967) Management science: the business use of operational research. Aldus Books, London

Beer S (1972) Brain of the firm. Allen Lane, London

Beer S (1975) Platform for change. Wiley, Chichester

Beer S (1977) Transit. CWRW Press, Wales. Limited Edition, Private Circulation. Second expanded edition 1983

Beer S (1979) The heart of enterprise. Wiley, Chichester

Beer S (1981) Brain of the firm, 2nd edn. Wiley, Chichester

Beer S (1984) The viable system model: its provenance, development, methodology and pathology. J Oper Res Soc 35(2):7–26

Beer S (1994) Beyond dispute: the invention of team syntegrity. Wiley, Chichester

Beer S (2001) Think before you think : learning an outlook, mimeograph (unpublished)

Bunker B, Alban B (1997) Large group interventions: engaging the whole system for rapid change. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA

Capey R (1996) Interview with Stafford Beer. Operational Research Society Archive (MSS.335), Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry, December 10

Espejo R (2004) Special issue: tribute to Safford Beer. Kybernetes 33(3)

Espejo R, Harnden R (1989) The viable system model: interpretations and applications of Stafford Beer’s VSM. Wiley, Chichester

Kirby M (2000) Spreading the gospel of management science: operational research in Iron and Steel, 1950–1970. J Oper Res Soc 51(8):1020–1028

Lehman MM (1993) Interview 178, IEEE History Centre, Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. http://www.ieee.org/portal/cms_docs_iportals/iportals/aboutus/history_center/oral_history/pdfs/Lehman178.pdf. Accessed 30 Mar 2009

Ludley J (2008) Personal communication

Mingers J, Rosenhead J (2001) An overview of related methods: VSM, system dynamics, and decision analysis. In: Rosenhead J, Mingers J (eds) Rational analysis for a problematic world revisited: problem structuring methods for complexity, uncertainty and conflict. Wiley, Chichester, pp 267–288

Rivett BHP (1977) The case for cybernetics—a critical appreciation. Eur J Oper Res 1(1):33–7CrossRef

Rose J (1993) A tribute to Stafford Beer: reflections and reminiscences. Kybernetes 22(6):6–7CrossRef

Tocher K (1963) The art of simulation. English Universities Press, London

Treverton G (1988) Covert action: the limits of intervention in the postwar world. Basic Books, New York, NY

Wiener N (1948) Cybernetics: control and communication in the animal and the machine. Wiley, New York, NY

Title: Anthony Stafford Beer
Author: Jonathan Rosenhead
Publisher: Springer US
Book: Profiles in Operations Research
Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-6280-5

Electronic ISBN: 978-1-4419-6281-2

Copyright Year: 2011
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-6281-2_32