1st Edition

The Third Lens Multi-ontology Sense-making and Strategic Decision-making

Edited By Mika Aaltonen Copyright 2007
    178 Pages
    by Routledge

    178 Pages
    by Routledge

    Advancing new sense-making tools for organizational strategy, this book demonstrates how to deal with asymmetric threats and opportunities. It employs participatory methods and multiple sector strategies to shift strategic thinking into considering disorder complexity and chaos. The contributors examine whether the 'third lens' or ontology of a project (its nature, work and strategic landscape) should influence the two other 'lenses' (our epistemological and methodological choices) that create an understanding of the world we live in. The book also considers the importance of time, in particular spatio-temporal relations that serve as reflection points for sense-making and strategic decision-making, both with respect to the situation in which they take place and as conceptual vehicles for managing multiple times and realities. Written for 21st century strategists, this volume will benefit people and organizations who struggle daily with multiple co-existing ontological, epistemological and methodological discourses.

    Contents: Introduction - before this book was written. Part 1 Re-Setting Our Thoughts: Strategic decision-making - how it is, and how it used to be, Mika Aaltonen; Making sense of the past, present and future, Mika Aaltonen; Sense-making in relation to time and the strategic landscape, Mika Aaltonen. Part 2 Modelling Sense-Making: A foresight model for evaluating long-term growth: Formel-G, Stefan Bergheim; A political early warning-response system to address global and regional threats, Tapio Kanninen; Platforms, pieces and probabilities - introducing the 3P-model, Mika Aaltonen. Part 3 Revisiting Causal Theory: Sensitiveness to initial conditions: reconceptualising cause, Mika Aaltonen and T. Irene Saunders; Making sense of a complex world, Paul Cilliers; The emergence of final cause, Eve Mitleton-Kelly. Part 4 Conclusions: Conclusions - after this book was written, Mika Aaltonen; Bibliography; Index.

    Biography

    Mika Aaltonen is Head and Chairman of the Board of StraX (the research unit for strategic intelligence and exploration of futures) at Helsinki University of Technology, Finland

    'This is a must read for planners worldwide. The Third Lens dissects the complex trade-offs between the properties of strategic landscape and time frame at stake to help you to see what you did not see before and to practice possibilities around you.' Michael S. Loescher, Author of Proteus ...Insights from 2020, President, The Copernicus Group Inc., Executive Director, The Copernicus Institute, USA 'Multi-ontology sense-making, with its explicit recognition that there are differing types of system in which different causal assumptions apply offers a radically new way of approaching management in an uncertain world. Mika Aaltonen's book is a vital contribution to this field. I strongly recommend this book.' Dave Snowden, Cognitive Edge Pte Ltd, UK 'There is no doubt that this book will become a cornerstone for multi-ontology sense-making. By reading this book, I realised how powerful such an approach could be.' Patrick L. Hetzel, University Panthéon-Assas, Paris, France 'The book is well-organized, full of essential contexts, and a worthwhile read.' International Journal of Operations & Production Management