Stafford Beer, a British operations research theorist and cybernetician, developed the Viable System Model (VSM).
VSM is a useful framework for determining the viability of an organization. The model facilitates in ascertaining whether a business organization or a system stands a chance to survive in constantly disrupting markets and settings. The VSM offers organizations a solution that helps them balance control and efficiency.
The Viable System Model enables examining the internal and external equilibrium of an organization, pinpointing shortcomings and issues, and improving organizational systems and processes. Maintaining this equilibrium with the environment is a must for organizations and systems to be viable.
VSM encompasses 5 components or subsystems, each with distinct functions:
1. Operational Unit
2. Management Level
3. Coordination Level
4. Cognitive Level
5. Policy or Organization Ethos
These subsystems work together to achieve effective Communication, Decision Making, Feedback, and Autonomy within an organization. VSM emphasizes the importance of adaptability, resilience, and self-regulation in organizations, allowing them to thrive in dynamic and uncertain conditions.
This PowerPoint presentation discusses each of the subsystems in detail. Additional topics discussed include Ashby's Law of Requisite Variety, Axioms of Management, Beer's Principles of Organization, Factors Influencing a Self-organizing System, Purpose of an Organization, Algedonic Signals, among others.
This PowerPoint presentation on the Viable System Model also includes some slide templates for you to use in your own business presentations.
Got a question about the product? Email us at flevypro@flevy.com.
Source: Best Practices in Organizational Design, Purpose, Business Resilience PowerPoint Slides: Viable System Model (VSM) PowerPoint (PPTX) Presentation Slide Deck, LearnPPT Consulting
Did you need more documents?
Consider a FlevyPro subscription from $39/month. View plans here.
For $10.00 more, you can download this document plus 2 more FlevyPro documents. That's just $13 each.
Organizational Design Organizational Alignment Organizational Effectiveness Organizational Development Maturity Model Business Maturity Model Current State Assessment Bain PowerPoint McKinsey PowerPoint Bain Presentations Bain Frameworks Boston Consulting Group PowerPoint Consulting Frameworks Mercer PowerPoint PwC PowerPoint Bain Templates Accenture Templates McKinsey Templates Boston Consulting Group Templates Accenture PowerPoint Consulting Methodologies Booz Documents PwC Templates Capgemini PowerPoint Oliver Wyman Presentations Boston Consulting Group Frameworks E&Y PowerPoint IBM Presentations Oliver Wyman Templates Strategy Consulting Frameworks Bain Documents IBM Documents Capgemini Documents Roland Berger PowerPoint A.T. Kearney PowerPoint BCG Documents Accenture Frameworks BCG Frameworks BCG PowerPoint Oliver Wyman PowerPoint Consulting Documents BCG Presentations A.T. Kearney Documents Management Consulting Frameworks BCG Templates E&Y Templates Roland Berger Presentations Capgemini Templates Boston Consulting Group Documents LEK Frameworks Booz Allen Presentations E&Y Frameworks McKinsey Presentations Booz Allen Frameworks A.T. Kearney Frameworks IBM Templates Booz Allen PowerPoint Accenture Documents Accenture Presentations A.T. Kearney Templates McKinsey Frameworks Boston Consulting Group Presentations McKinsey Documents LEK PowerPoint Mercer Templates Roland Berger Frameworks Capgemini Frameworks Booz Presentations Roland Berger Templates PwC Frameworks Booz Allen Templates Booz Templates Strategy& Presentations Oliver Wyman Documents Mercer Presentations LEK Documents PwC Presentations LEK Templates Capgemini Presentations IBM PowerPoint E&Y Documents Oliver Wyman Frameworks Booz Allen Documents PwC Documents IBM Frameworks Mercer Frameworks Mercer Documents LEK Presentations Booz PowerPoint Strategy Documents Booz Frameworks A.T. Kearney Presentations Roland Berger Documents Business Frameworks E&Y Presentations Strategy& PowerPoint Deloitte PowerPoint Consulting Process A.T. Kearney Frameworks A.T. Kearney PowerPoint A.T. Kearney Templates A.T. Kearney Documents A.T. Kearney Presentations Gap Analysis Core Competencies Core Competence Core Competencies Analysis Organizational Behavior Restructuring Reorganization Turnaround McKinsey 7-S Digital Transformation Digital Transformation Strategy Growth Strategy Small Business Corporate Strategy Organizational Structure
![]() |
Download our FREE Strategy & Transformation Framework Templates
Download our free compilation of 50+ Strategy & Transformation slides and templates. Frameworks include McKinsey 7-S, Balanced Scorecard, Disruptive Innovation, BCG Curve, and many more. |