Five sketches of postmodernism: Implications for systems thinking and operational research

There is a long history of work in systems thinking and operational research (henceforth referred to as ‘systems/OR’) geared to facilitating organizational change and/or wider social improvement. Recently, however, the ‘improvement’ agenda has been subject to a sustained critique from people who take an explicitly postmodern stance. This paper presents five ‘sketches’ of postmodernism, and draws out some implications for systems/OR. The first sketch is of a dogmatic postmodernism that places conversation at the forefront of its agenda, but fails to enter into a conversation itself. It therefore collapses under the weight of a contradiction between its theory and practice. The second is of a more open postmodernism that is prepared to recognize its own status as a conversational device, and thereby its own transitory nature. This suggests the need for the systems/OR community to act as participants in debate, continually developing their own and others' views. The third sketch focuses on the central contradiction of a postmodern meta-narrative condemning all meta-narratives but its own. This raises some interesting issues, not the least of which is the realization that the term ‘meta-narrative’ is usually used pejoratively. We may therefore need to moderate the use of such language to facilitate productive debates on key issues of concern for the future of systems/OR. The fourth sketch looks at the irony of inevitable contradictions in postmodern theory, and the consequent move away from the notion that the role of rationality is to harmonize ideas. Several possible consequences for systems/OR are identified: further rational (harmonizing) explanations of ‘inevitable contradictions’ in postmodern theory may be provoked, or the shift away from a traditional notion of rationality may liberate systems/OR from a relatively narrow range of analytical methods. The fifth and final sketch examines the political consequences of postmodernism as expressed in liberalism. A disturbing picture is presented of the ‘privatization’ of forms of solidarity which are not legitimated through dominant ideologies, leading to powerlessness and alienation amongst those who experience largely unrecognized oppression, or who feel solidarity with the oppressed. A key implication is drawn out: there continues to be a crying need for new ideas in social theory to address the shortcomings of liberalism and inform the practice of systems/OR. People advocating postmodernism, amongst others, may make a useful contribution to the development of these new ideas.