BEYOND BOUNDARIES - AN APPLICATION OF SYSTEMIC TOOLS TO TRANSCEND CORPORATE TURFS

This paper describes a project in which the potentials of a common ser vice delivery system were explored between corporate staff departments sewing a common internal customer group within a corporation. Two Hum an Resources departments and the Corporate Quality Office are three se parate sources of support to corporate senior staff. The products and services provided by these three departments are discrete, yet similar and frequently overlapping. The up-front design genesis method called Evolutionary Guidance Systems (EGS) was used. This tool explores the primary dimensions of a social system and is based on the idea that on ly a 'dimension-balanced' system has the capacity to evolve. Rather th an focus on the existing services provided by the three departments, w hich reinforces competition, the department representatives explored f uture challenges affecting the environment, the company, and their sup port services, focusing on cooperation to meet these challenges. From this future horizon, implications for current tasks were discussed and plans developed. Implementation of the plans is in progress. The resu lts are encouraging and representative of systemic change. Boundaries, though still respected, have become permeable, allowing alliances to transcend old limitations. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.