Petter Øgland

• Øgland, Petter & Evans, Gary Alan (2026). Scientific Self-Management: A Critical Systems Response to Organisational Development Failure. Systems. 14(8). doi: 10.3390/systems14081015. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Approximately 70% of organisational development (OD) initiatives based on methodologies such as Total Quality Management (TQM), Business Process Reengineering (BPR), Lean, and Six Sigma are reported to fail. Critical Systems Thinking (CST) attributes many of these failures to poor implementation and inadequate attention to organisational context, emphasising the need for critical awareness, political agency, and multimethodology. However, when OD work itself becomes a “bullshit job”, even CST’s principles may struggle to take hold. This paper develops Scientific Self-Management (SCSM), inspired by Community Operational Research (COR) and informed by Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS), as a bottom-up systems approach to such situations. A 42-month first-person action research study of a public-sector OD programme examines the practical feasibility of SCSM in a complex organisational setting. The study shows how bottom-up learning and self-directed engagement can restore meaning and generate local organisational improvements where conventional approaches struggle to gain traction, while also highlighting the political challenges of sustaining such initiatives over time. It contributes to the CST and COR literatures by extending systems practice to situations in which management is incompetent or hostile and organisational culture has become paralysed by pretence. The findings suggest that successful organisational development depends less on the choice of methodology than on creating organisational conditions that enable meaningful participation, learning, and continuous improvement.

• Øgland, Petter & Kaasbøll, Jens Johan (2026). Isomorphism in General System Theory | Journal of the International Society for the Systems Sciences. Proceedings of the annual meeting of the ISSS. 70(1), p. 1–15. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper revisits the role of General System Theory (GST) within Critical Systems Thinking (CST) and Critical Systems Practice (CSP), arguing that GST has been too narrowly interpreted as a functionalist and regulation-oriented approach associated primarily with hard systems thinking. Drawing on Ludwig von Bertalanffy’s original concern with isomorphism, the paper proposes an alternative reading in which GST is understood as a general framework for relating structurally comparable models across different domains and paradigms. Inspired by van Fraassen’s pragmatic philosophy of science and the use of isomorphism in abstract algebra, the paper argues that isomorphism should be understood primarily as a relation between epistemological models rather than between real-world systems themselves. On this basis, the paper develops Critical Systems Intervention (CSI) as a model-centric approach to multimethodological intervention. CSI maintains coherence across paradigmatic shifts by introducing an explicit intervention ontology in the form of a game model representing the evolving socio-technical situation under study. Different systems methodologies associated with the Burrell–Morgan paradigms are then treated as generating structurally related representations of the same underlying intervention situation. The paper illustrates this argument through a reinterpretation of the Health Information Systems Programme (HISP) and concludes that GST can be repositioned as the broader ontological and epistemological framework within which critical and plural systems interventions become theoretically integrated.

• Øgland, Petter & Evans, Gary (2025). Fact or Fiction: TQM’s Need for Governance and Leadership. Systemist. ISSN 0961-8309. 46(1), p. 37–53. doi: 10.54181/AXEP3535. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper examines Total Quality Management’s (TQM) longstanding claim that governance and leadership are essential to its success, analysing this assumption through the lens of Critical Systems Thinking (CST). Although TQM is founded on principles of organisational cybernetics and is supported by models such as EFQM, high global failure rates suggest that existing frameworks insufficiently address how governance and leadership should operate in practice. Drawing on CST, the paper considers whether the Viable System Model (VSM) and Critical Systems Leadership (CSL) can together provide the necessary and sufficient conditions for effective TQM. The analysis is grounded in an action research case in which researchers attempted to create a TQM-like environment to support event management. The case illustrates how centralised leadership and top-down governance structures, inspired by VSM and CSL, ultimately proved fragile, as the project collapsed when key academic actors withdrew. This outcome demonstrates how TQM’s purported need for governance and leadership can become fictional when these functions depend excessively on individuals rather than distributed structures. The paper concludes that TQM requires governance aligned with existing organisational commitments and leadership that is distributed, adaptive and cultivated from the bottom up.

• Øgland, Petter & Evans, Gary (2025). Total Quality Management: Dead or Alive? Systemist. ISSN 0961-8309. 46(1), p. 5–36. doi: 10.54181/FCHF9782/FCHF9782. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  When Critical Systems Thinking (CST) was articulated in the 1980s, aiming to combine systems thinking with radical politics, there was interest in applying it to implement Total Quality Management (TQM) through action research. Total Quality Management (TQM) had emerged as a holistic management philosophy that focused on issues like customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction and social impact, mirroring certain aspects of CST. However, due to being perceived as a management fashion, academic interest in TQM peaked around 1993 and then faded, which made CST scholars start looking elsewhere to find ways of experimenting with CST-driven organisational change. However, as argued in this paper, TQM is probably more alive and relevant for CST today than ever before, meaning that there are vast opportunities for systems scholars to push the CST agenda by engaging in TQM research.

• Øgland, Petter & Evans, Gary (2025). Critical Systems Intervention: A Way to Operationalise Critical Systems Leadership in Complex Organisations. Proceedings of the annual meeting of the ISSS. 69(1). Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Critical Systems Leadership (CSL) is a type of leadership associated with the politically radical systems philosophy known as Critical Systems Thinking (CST). A methodology known as Total Systems Intervention (TSI) showed some initial promise in how to operationalise CSL as part of the CST implementation process, but TSI was soon critiqued both on political and scientific grounds, resulting in revisions like Critical Systems Practice (CSP). We believe that CSP missed some of the key aspects of the criticism, so we want to bring attention to a different version of TSI called Critical Systems Intervention (CSI), which we believe is simpler, sounder and more aligned with CST’s commitments to critical awareness, emancipation and multimethodology.  We illustrate the usefulness of CSI by revisiting a CSP case study, showing how the CSI approach corrects for areas where the CSP intervention would be open for critique.  Due to how CSI embodies ideas from classic CST literature that were identified in the early days but not sufficiently explored and thus abandoned too quickly, we believe that CSI is the currently best vehicle for operationalising CSL.

• Øgland, Petter & Evans, Gary (2025). A New Methodology in Support of Critical Systems Thinking: Critical Systems Intervention. In Perko, Igor; Espejo, Raul & Reyes, Alfonso (Ed.), Shaping Collaborative Ecosystems for Tomorrow. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. ISSN 9781836624967. p. 29–43. doi: 10.1108/978-1-83662-494-320251003. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Total systems intervention (TSI) was designed as a methodology in support of critical systems thinking (CST), which is a philosophy trying to unite systems thinking with radical politics, and initially, it showed great promise. However, it was soon critiqued both on political and scientific grounds, resulting in revisions like local systemic intervention (LSI) and critical systems practice (CSP). We believe that the revisions missed some of the key aspects of the criticism, so we are now presenting a new revision of TSI called critical systems intervention (CSI), which we believe is simpler, sounder and more aligned with CST’s commitments to critical awareness, emancipation and multimethodology. We illustrate the usefulness of CSI by revisiting an old TSI case study trying to use the viable system model (VSM) within the context of CST-driven total quality management (TQM), showing how the CSI approach corrects for areas where the TSI intervention would be open for critique. By having worked with ideals and ideas from classic CST literature that were identified at the time but not sufficiently explored and thus abandoned too quickly, we are now able to present a new methodology, CSI, that makes life easier for CST interventionists.

• Øgland, Petter (2025). How to AIM for the Future of Soft Systems Thinking. Systemic Practice and Action Research. ISSN 1094-429X. 38(4). doi: 10.1007/s11213-025-09747-w. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  So-called ‘hard’ systems methods like System Dynamics (SD) are useful for analysing complex systems where multiple factors interact with each other. However, the models used in such approaches are developed by people who decide what aspects are to be included in the understanding of the systems, what the purpose of the systems are supposed to be, and how to interpret the outcome of the SD simulation experiments, suggesting that the inclusion of a ’soft’ systems method could be beneficial. The Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) has turned out to be a good interface in many ‘hard’ systems cases, although it has sometimes been experienced as too demanding or impractical, giving rise to the question of whether a simpler approach like the Appreciative Inquiry Method (AIM) would be more effective. In support of this hypothesis, six years of action research on the use of AIM within language pedagogy illustrates how periodic appreciation of a human activity system for learning Spanish has developed through cycles of reality judgements, value judgements and action judgements, although the study indicated that AIM would become increasingly more effective if assisted by SD-like evaluation principles. Using language pedagogy as an example, the paper argues the relevance of soft systems thinking and how the future of soft systems thinking depends on the widespread use of simple and effective methods like AIM.

• Øgland, Petter (2024). Teaching Systems Thinking for Professional Practice by Use of CST and Theory U. Systemist. ISSN 0961-8309. 45(1), p. 12–51. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In an age of impending climate catastrophe and social conflict, there is an increasing awareness of how we all need to think holistically, but organisational structures and social mechanisms have a tendency for favouring reductionist solutions that give short-term relief while making the long-term situation worse. Within the school of Critical Systems Thinking (CST), it has been argued that the teaching of systems theory needs to start with social awareness by what is more generally known as the "pedagogy of the oppressed", but it is not always obvious how this should be carried out. An educational approach described in this paper consists of taking a CST perspective and using the so-called Theory U of organisational transformation as a teaching method, which has been tested through action research in public administration. Despite the ultimate failure of the method, due to poor choice of game models for understanding the politics of how the systems perspective was seen as threatening to powerful actors with reductionist agendas, the experiment illustrates the relevance of CST perspectives and the potential usefulness of something like Theory U as part of a future-oriented educational approach.

• Øgland, Petter (2023). Explicating the Politics of Critical Systems Thinking by Game Theory: A TQM Study. Systemist. ISSN 0961-8309. 44(1), p. 1–38. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Total Quality Management (TQM) promises to improve business results, customer and employee satisfaction, and impact on society by focusing on leadership, strategy, personnel, resources and processes, but it often fails as the turbulence of office politics prevents organisations from adopting a sustainable systems perspective. It has been suggested that Critical Systems Thinking (CST) might solve the problem, where methods like Total Systems Intervention (TSI) emphasise the political aspects of implementation, but in practice it may not always be easy to know how to articulate politics as part of the systems model. This paper suggests that methods like TSI can become more successful by explicating the politics of CST through the use of game theory. The idea is illustrated by longitudinal action research on modelling organisational politics as regulatory games within the overall TQM implementation system.

• Øgland, Petter (2023). Critical Systems Thinking and Sociological Paradigms. Systemist. ISSN 0961-8309. 44(2), p. 9–48. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Critical Systems Thinking (CST) is an attempt to integrate systems thinking with the politically radical philosophy known as the critical social science paradigm, emphasising ideas like critical awareness, emancipation and methodological pluralism. However, the way CST consultants typically work with top managers and representatives of the organisational elite, for example when using it for implementing Total Quality Management (TQM), it can be difficult to stay within the paradigm. TQM implementation may end up being planned and implemented through interpretivist and functionalist philosophies, ignoring the politics and perhaps even making the organisation more oppressive than it used to be. In this paper, it is argued that CST-based implementation of TQM is more likely to become successful when being run by internal CST consultants who identify with the oppressed, view critical awareness and emancipation within the context of their own political struggles, and use the PDCA process of TQM for managing methodological pluralism.

• Øgland, Petter (2023). When TQM Professionals Want to Identify as Scientists: SWEAT Principles and Self-Worth Theory, How to Survive as a Management Consultant. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781446640531. p. 213–253. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle in Total Quality Management (TQM) is derived from the observation of how industrial quality control compares with the hypothesis testing in scientific experiments, meaning that it can be natural for quality management professionals to identify as scientists engaged in action research. However, when doing action research in one’s own organisation, the researcher becomes a political actor, which can be challenging in an oppressive public sector bureaucracy. To prevent problems from escalating, studies have shown that a survival strategy based on the so-called SWEAT principles can be useful, but the SWEAT principles are founded on values like self-respect, and trying to identify as a scientist in a culture where positional power is used to humiliate and harass people of knowledge can have a negative impact on self-respect and self-worth. The remedy suggested in this study is to ask the action researcher to reframe his identity into that of an artist, asking to consider the scientific method as a way of self-expression. An eighteen-month case study of self-image experiments suggests that the remedy may be worthwhile. Adopting the identity of an artist may shift the perspective from external drama toward inner empowerment.

• Øgland, Petter (2022). The Choice of Ontology in Canonical Action Research, Gamification of Total Quality Management. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781471642418. p. 173–200. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  New Public Management (NPM) has encouraged academics to collaborate with industry in solving practical problems, but it has not always been clear how to design research so that it produces academic knowledge from engaging in practical problem solving. Taking advantage of how action research is a well-known approach for studying change within the critical paradigm, Canonical Action Research (CAR) was developed by information systems scholars wanting to publish in journals that favoured positivist and interpretivist research. Interpretivism may be useful for conducting diagnoses, and positivism is useful for testing action hypotheses, but this paper claims that only the critical approach is able to cover the totality of CAR by seeing the researcher as participant in a political struggle. The argument is illustrated with examples from action research on how to implement total quality management (TQM) through use of critical theory, and then contrast this with similar studies founded in positivist and interpretivist paradigms. While the positivist and interpretivist studies seem to struggle on how to balance practical and academic interests, the critical approach integrates such interests through a unified perspective on power, knowledge and change.

• Øgland, Petter (2022). Playing a Game of EFQM Monopoly to Influence the Politics of TQM Implementation, Gamification of Total Quality Management. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781471642418. p. 101–124. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  A potentially useful way of trying to improve organisational performance within the public sector is to implement Total Quality Management (TQM) through use of EFQM or CAF models. However, such efforts often fail due to the politics of the TQM implementation process, which is why certain scholars have tried to address the implementation challenge through game theory, like linking EFQM/CAF with the Monopoly board game. Although this approach shows promise, there are still needs for exploring how to use the Monopoly game mechanics more properly. In this study, the emphasis is on trying to make the weights of the EFQM model reflect the dynamics of Monopoly gameplay. The idea is investigated as part of an action research study that has been going on for four years. The main lesson from experimental actions, so far, is the importance of configurating the EFQM Monopoly board so that the formal TQM standards, models and methods align with the political reality of the organisation.

• Øgland, Petter (2022). Dealing with Political Conflict when Bootstrapping ISO 30301-based Management Systems for Records, Gamification of Total Quality Management. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781471642418. p. 127–148. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  To develop an ISO 30301-based management system for records (MSR) in an organisation without a formal quality management system (QMS) is difficult, but it is even more difficult when the QMS is being developed in a chaotic manner that creates tension and conflict. An implementation method known as the bootstrap algorithm (BA) has sometimes been recommended for systems development in highly complex environments, but the BA is vague on how to conceptualise and deal with internal politics. The aim of this study is to look at game theory as a practical approach for dealing with political problems as they emerge during the BA process. Twelve months of action research defined by a cycle of ISO 30301 audits confirms the usefulness of the game-theoretical approach whenever MSR development has to be coordinated against QMS development in an unpredictable environment. The reason for success is explained by how the game-theoretical framework makes it necessary to stop and reflect at critical moments.

• Øgland, Petter (2022). Using a Bootstrap Strategy for Building Competence, Gamification of Total Quality Management. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781471642418. p. 151–170. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In an increasingly complex world, it is difficult to survive by being distractedly engaged in too many things, resulting in shallow knowledge. Deep knowledge or expertise is needed. Furthermore, decades of research have shown that the development of expertise comes mainly from years and years of deliberate practice. Deliberate practice should be easy to undertake, as it is based on seven relatively straightforward principles, but in practice it is difficult. The idea in this paper is to compare the brain to a city and knowledge with infrastructure, and see whether the bootstrap algorithm (BA) used for developing information infrastructures can be used for developing individual expert knowledge. Self-improvement action research is used for testing the BA strategy at mastering the Pac-Man video game. Having practiced Pac-Man on a daily basis for eight years, current prognosis suggests that it will take at least another fifteen years before mastery is achieved, but the BA approach provides a useful structure for deliberate practice. While the Pac-Man case shows how the seven principles need to be interpreted relative to the context of the challenge, the study suggests that the BA strategy can be useful for developing expertise in any domain.

• Øgland, Petter (2022). Implementing Lean Production in Public Administration through Autopoiesis. Systemist. ISSN 0961-8309. 43(2), p. 63–93. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Efforts at implementing Lean Production in public administration often fail, and the reason is sometimes explained by referring to leadership and culture, as the bureaucratic mindset tends to contradict the philosophy of Lean Thinking. Bu-reaucracy self-perpetuates through a process of autopoiesis, meaning that self-generation of bureaucracy is a natural consequence of how the organisation re-sponds to its environment. However, if the bureaucratic management system could be mapped out against the ISO 9001 quality management standard, indi-vidual processes could be analysed against Lean Principles, and improved from the inside out. This idea is explored through action research, which has so far lasted almost four years, where the main results so far is that Lean Auditing of the management system against ISO 9001 has a positive impact on the creation of an autopoietic Lean Production System.

• Øgland, Petter (2022). SWEAT Principles and LEAK Values for Surviving Hawk-Dove Games in Public Administration, Gamification of Total Quality Management. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781471642418. p. 203–226. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The need to do more with less in public administration has led towards improvement programmes based on Lean Production and Total Quality Management, but it has also resulted in workforce reduction, often resulting in many of the best people leaving the organisation and the introduction of a new group of managers who exploit the situation for personal gain. As a consequence of such dynamics, ordinary employees have to develop survival strategies. The SWEAT principles exemplify a strategy that has shown much promise among the underprivileged, if properly followed, but successful commitment to the strategy means commitment to the underlying values. The aim of this paper is to explore these values, and it does so by showing how the LEAK values emerged during a twelve-month period of action research in a specific public sector organisation. The results indicate that focusing on LEAK values makes it easier to execute the SWEAT principles as means for survival.

• Øgland, Petter (2021). How TQM coordinators can use SWEAT principles to avoid burnout, A Project-by-Project Approach to Total Quality Management. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781365049811. p. 131–156. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  One of the challenges with total quality management (TQM) in public administration is the risk of burnout among TQM coordinators trying to survive within a culture of incompetence and fear. Although a possible solution to this challenge may be found in the so-called SWEAT principles, research has shown that the principles are unlikely to be properly implemented unless the value system of the TQM coordinator is aligned with values embedded in the principles. Building on ideas from cognitive linguistics, this study documents twelve months of action-reflection told from the perspective of a TQM coordinator trying to support is his of the SWEAT principles by a sequence of metaphors; life as a Pac-Man game, life as a journey, life as a bicycle race and life as lobster fishing. All of the metaphors support the SWEAT principles in different ways, but the final metaphor of lobster fishing is particularly relevant as it fits with the way the anonymous inventor of the SWEAT principle recharges his survival batteries.

• Øgland, Petter (2021). Using lean thinking to bootstrap an action research network on quality management, A Project-by-Project Approach to Total Quality Management. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781365049811. p. 159–176. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Action research on total quality management (TQM) takes place in the intersection between two communities; the practitioner community of quality management and the research community. Failing to satisfy the practitioner community in terms of not solving practical problems is bad for the researcher-client agreement, while failing to satisfy the research community in getting published is bad for academic career development. It has previously been suggested that the best way towards sustainable action research is to become part of an action research network, and it has been explained how the bootstrap algorithm (BA) from information infrastructure research can be used in this context. In this paper it is suggested that lean thinking should have a positive effect on the use of the BA for developing action research networks on quality management. The claim is supported by a case study, illustrating and problematising the early stages of trying to make an individual action research effort part of a larger network.

• Øgland, Petter (2021). Lean academic writing for action researchers, A Project-by-Project Approach to Total Quality Management. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781365049811. p. 179–206. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Bootstrap Algorithm (BA) has proved useful as an action research strategy for implementing Total Quality Management (TQM) in public administration, but it requires the action researcher to make use of managerial power. The project-by-project approach to TQM is based on the idea of how to gradually develop the necessary and sufficient power for bootstrapping TQM when the action researcher is a powerless quality consultant. The book is based on a three-year study in a public sector organisation.

• Øgland, Petter (2021). Cultivating vision and strategy through use of the EFQM model, A Project-by-Project Approach to Total Quality Management. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781365049811. p. 93–110. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  It has been argued that that there are three main reasons for failing to successfully implement total quality management (TQM); an ineffective or inappropriate TQM model, an ineffective or inappropriate TQM implementation method, or an ineffective environment for TQM implementation. What should a quality coordinator do when one or more of these conditions are present? A possible strategy could be to use the EFQM model as an implicit model, trying to cultivate vision and strategy for the implementation through processes of networking and dialogue. The strategy has been tested through three years of action research within a quality department in a public sector organisation. Despite the departments lack of models, methods and understanding of environment, the EFQM assessments have been successfully used as part of a bootstrapping strategy for implementing TQM by building on existing quality control infrastructure. The study contributes to TQM theory by showing how the EFQM model can be used as a simple implementation tool for organisations that would otherwise be expected to fail.

• Øgland, Petter (2021). Bootstrapping internal control by use of ISO 30301, A Project-by-Project Approach to Total Quality Management. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781365049811. p. 113–128. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Internal control systems are intended to increase the efficiency of modern public administration, but it is not always obvious how such systems should be successfully implemented. Even when referring to implementation guidelines and hiring external experts, the resulting system is unlikely to be a success unless the internal implementation team has a minimum of competence on issues like financial auditing, the COSO framework and relevant ISO standards. On the other hand, the bootstrap algorithm (BA) is a design strategy for implementing information infrastructures in challenging environments. The idea in this study is to evaluate the BA for aiding a non-competent project group in implementing internal control by use of standards such as ISO 9001, ISO 30301 and ISO 19011. More than two years of action research gives an account of how the BA turns out helpful for developing solutions by building alliances and improving current practice. The main reason for preliminary success is ascribed to the way the BA is used for linking vital components of internal control with interests of the various members of the implementation team and surrounding community, forcing the project team to grow competent while protecting it from displaying too many signs of non-competence.

• Øgland, Petter (2020). Publish or Perish: The Gamification of Academic Life, Implementing Lean ISO 9001 in Public Administration. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781716805141. p. 193–210. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  One of the brutal realities of modern society is that life as a governmental scientist has become more difficult. In some cases, research careers spanning decades are suddenly terminated, and the only way to follow one’s vocation is to look for work elsewhere, preferably in academia. However, academic life has also become more competitive, with a stronger focus on issues like citation indexes and impact factors. Intentionally or not, the emphasis on scoring mechanisms turns the environment more game-like. This paper hypothesises a game strategy for governmental researchers to enter academic life by focusing their scores on places like Google Scholar and ResearchGate and making sure the scores look acceptable. As means for testing the hypothesis, the author has done action research on his own situation by keeping track of online academic scores and applying for jobs, assuming that good scores would play a fundamental part in how the evaluation committees would be ranking of candidates. Contrary to what was expected, the applicants ranked highest in the various application processes were the applicants with the lowest scores. The lesson learned is that the rules of the game are not rigged in favour of governmental scientists.

• Øgland, Petter (2020). Improving the SWEAT strategy of TQM implementation by use of Pac-Man theory, Implementing Lean ISO 9001 in Public Administration. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781716805141. p. 165–190. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  It is now more than 50 years since Stafford Beer wrote about managers and management scientists as natural enemies. In more recent decades, a Pac-Man theory of Total Quality Management (TQM) has been suggested as a mathematical description of this conflict. One of the key skills in Pac-Man is to predict and respond to the behaviour of the adversaries, which in TQM context has been described as the SWEAT survival principles. The aim of this paper is to introduce an algorithmic model of how dominant managers behave, and to empirically test the model by investigating whether it makes the SWEAT principles easier to implement. Based on twelve months of action research, a management scientist reports a feeling of being slightly more in control of the conflict situation. The success of the SWEAT strategy is explained by its simplicity and its ability to provide effective response to the behavioural logic represented by the algorithmic model.

• Øgland, Petter (2020). Bootstrapping ISO 9001 quality management systems by focusing on records management, Implementing Lean ISO 9001 in Public Administration. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781716805141. p. 145–162. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  It has been claimed that ISO 9001 implementation failure often comes from focusing too much on the standard itself and too little on the problems that the standard has been designed to solve. A proposed solution to this problem is to downplay the ISO 9001 rhetoric and use the bootstrap algorithm (BA) from information infrastructure research to work silently towards ISO 9001 compliance, but this approach has been shown problematic if the quality department is sceptical of the BA. This paper presents a possible solution to this challenge by making alliances with people in the periphery of quality management, like those working with records management and the ISO 30301 standard, and then use the records management infrastructure for running the BA. Results from almost two years of action research indicates that this may be a viable approach if one manages to exploit important overlaps between the two ISO standards, such as the clause about “management review”, suggesting that ISO 9001 success can be achieved by bootstrapping the quality management system by focusing on records management.

• Øgland, Petter (2020). Postmodern TQM: Using literature theory for designing ISO 9001 quality management systems, Implementing Lean ISO 9001 in Public Administration. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781716805141. p. 95–116. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Although total quality management (TQM) is supposed to be value-free and applicable for all sorts of organisations, there have been an ongoing worry from politically engaged scholars that management frameworks are ideologically laden and tend to commodify workers and strengthen managerial oppression. A proposed solution to the problem has been to implement TQM in the spirit of postmodernism, but the literature has been less clear about how to do it. This paper proposes a method of using literary theory for designing ISO 9001 quality management systems through the means of science fiction prototyping (SFP). Contrary to what was expected, the empirical outcome of using postmodern literature theory turns out to be an even stronger tendency for managerial oppression, culture of fear and alienation among co-workers, and a total failure in getting anything resembling quality management in place. The failure of the postmodern TQM approach shows how the road to hell is often paved with good intensions.

• Øgland, Petter (2020). Using Lean Development strategies for getting good at Pac-Man: Results from six years of daily training, Implementing Lean ISO 9001 in Public Administration. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781716805141. p. 119–142. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In recent decades the Pac-Man video game has conquered academia and has been used areas like robotics, biology, sociology and psychology. For instance, there has there been interest in the use of Pac-Man models for critical studies of Total Quality Management (TQM), but this becomes a problem when the researcher does not understand Pac-Man well enough for translating and testing theoretical solutions into real-world scenarios. The purpose of this paper is to suggest how Lean Development (LD) from software engineering and elsewhere can be used for effectively building knowledge and skills in how to master the game. Empirical results from longitudinal self-improvement study are in support of this idea, indicating that LD provides a useful framework for thinking about how to achieve mastery of video games like Pac-Man, with implications for research domains where such models are being used.

• Øgland, Petter (2017). A New Look at How to Create Living Educational Theory from Questions Like "How do I improve my practice?". In Opic, Sinisa; Bognar, Branko & Ratkovic, Snezana (Ed.), New Approaches to Research Methodology in Education. University of Zagreb Press. ISSN 9789538115189. p. 279–296. Full text in Research Archive
• Øgland, Petter (2017). Using the Bootstrap Algorithm for Developing an Information Systems Audit Programme. NOKOBIT: Norsk konferanse for organisasjoners bruk av informasjonsteknologi. ISSN 1892-0748. 25(1). Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  As a side-effect of recent decades of successful information technology innovation, many organisations are developing complex networks of information systems that are becoming increasingly difficult to manage. There is a growing awareness of how this situation has to be approached through structured means with strong management commitment, but current frameworks for information technology governance, such as COBIT, CMMI and ISO 9001, involve so many factors and audit criteria that audit programmes become costly and difficult to implement. If one looks at the situation from an information infrastructure perspective, one might assume that the audit programme could be bootstrapped into place, but it is also known that this approach is likely to fail in communities that are locked into institutional patterns that reinforce design styles assuming vertical control and complete specifications. Still, the claim of this paper is that a bootstrap strategy is useful for developing ISO 9001-based IT auditing programmes if it is implemented in a prudent manner. This claim is investigated through action research in public administration, focusing on how to implement IT auditing by means of the so-called bootstrap algorithm (BA). What the research indicates is that the bootstrap approach is useful for getting the ISO 9001 auditing running in a way that gets quick results and makes it possible to gradually expand the focus in directions that add value to the process. The study adds evidence to the claim that the bootstrap strategy is an effective approach for responding to challenges in IT governance.

• Øgland, Petter (2015). Using stag hunt boundary objects for establishing researcher-client agreements in information systems action research. NOKOBIT: Norsk konferanse for organisasjoners bruk av informasjonsteknologi. ISSN 1892-0748. 23(1). Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Within the literature on using canonical action research (CAR) for studying information systems it is claimed that the first CAR principle of establishing a researcher-client agreement (RCA) is of fundamental importance. However, an RCA depends on mutual trust and is not always easy to obtain, especially in environments where there is a history of distrust. Describing such situations through the use of the Stag Hunt model from game theory, this paper suggests that insights on how to play the game of repeated Stag Hunt can be carried over to the empirical situation by coordinating a change from mutual distrust to mutual trust by thoughtful selection of boundary objects that intersect the practice communities of the researcher and the client. The claim is empirically investigated by reflecting on a researcher within a public sector organisation wanting to carry out action research within that organisation on behalf of a university information systems research community. In the explanation of why the data appear to support the hypothesis, (1) reifying the CAR intervention as a method, (2) making the method into an immutable mobile by describing it as an algorithm, and (3) adjusting the CAR to make the intervention algorithm the unit of analysis, are three steps that are argued to increase the likelihood of the Stag Hunt to enter the basin of attraction that makes it possible to establish the RCA.

• Øgland, Petter (2009). Measurements, feedback and empowerment. Critical systems theory as a foundation for software process improvement. In Newell, S.; Whitley, E.; Pouloudi, N.; Wareham, J. & Mathiassen, Lars (Ed.), INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN A GLOBALISING WORLD: CHALLENGES, ETHICS AND PRACTICES. ECIS 2009 The 17th European Conference on Information Systems. ISSN 9788861293915. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  While organizations in software industry want to portray themselves as professional in terms of following standards and methods, they may also have needs for improvising and short-cutting when necessary. Such dilemmas of dual logics are sometimes internally resolved by evolving a false belief of what is done (practice) being in correspondence to what is said (standards), regardless of what an empirical investigation might show, something that can have poor business implications and also poor social implications. Particularly focusing on this latter point, the meta-methodology of total systems interventions (TSI) has been used for integrating critical systems theory with total quality management, improving social conditions in parallel with improving business processes. Although TSI is not designed for liberating organizations where nobody see themselves in need of liberation, the hypothesis of this paper is that it is possible to design quality management systems as “conflict machines”, causing sufficient social tension for more or less automatically changing “fake quality” into “real quality”. The hypothesis is investigated by applying design research in a Scandinavian public sector organization. The findings consist of statistical and interpretative evidence for the success of the approach, making a contribution to how TSI can be applied in the software industry.

• Øgland, Petter (2009). The Pac-Man model of total quality man-agement: Strategy lessons for change agents. Systemist. ISSN 0961-8309. 31(2&3), p. 82–103. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Organizational development frameworks like total quality management (TQM) can create conflicts between change agents and managers. Some researchers believe that playing video games has an impact on how people make decisions and handle conflicts. The purpose of this paper is to identify and investigate a Pac-Man model for aiding change agents in developing optimal TQM strategies. An empirical study of a five year TQM development project is analysed by using the Pac-Man video game as a theoretical lens. The results are presented as simulations of game play, suggesting four implications on how Pac-Man strategies can be used as TQM strategies. The four strategies consist of (1) never stop “eating dots” in terms of continuous quality auditing, (2) find and follow the “patterns” in the organizational maze that can be audited without upsetting management by understanding “ghost” psychology, (3) eat “power pellets”, getting management commitment when the organization is in a re-ceptive mode, and (4) eat “bonus fruits” of management appreciation whenever it appears. In conclusion the study suggests elaboration of critical systems theory (CST) by applying ideas and concepts from game theory.

• Øgland, Petter (2009). The Game of Software Process Improvement: Some reflections on players, strategies and payoff. In Krogstie, John (Eds.), Proceedings fra NOKOBIT 2009 - Norsk konferanse for organisasjoners bruk av informasjonsvitenskap. Tapir Akademisk Forlag. ISSN 9788251924931. p. 209–222. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  When starting the software process improvement (SPI) journey, there are many SPI standards to select from. Selecting good SPI standards can be a technical problem, from a software engineering point of view, but it can also be a political problem, some standards fitting more with internal political agendas than others. As it is well-known that SPI without management commitment can have disastrous effects on SPI, so can also be the consequence of selecting standards that are technically unfit. The dilemma on how to select SPI standards provides a picture of SPI as a political game played out between managers, software engineers and SPI people. Starting with SPI from the viewpoint of control theory, the paper identifies different conflict situations within the control theory framework, and suggests using game theory and drama theory for finding optimal control strategies. Drama theory is further explored through a SPI case study that illustrates how SPI standards stabilize in spite of conflicts and social disaster. The contribution of the paper consists of introducing the concept of ‘evolutionary drama theory’ (derived from evolutionary game theory, EGT) as a tool for describing and analysing how an artefact like a SPI standard evolves towards equilibrium (evolutionary stable strategy, ESS) by looking at repeated dramas where equilibriums may not necessarily be found or, if found, may not necessarily fit with the ESS.

• Øgland, Petter (2009). Action Research and Design Science Research - More similar than dissimilar. In Krogstie, John (Eds.), Proceedings fra NOKOBIT 2009 - Norsk konferanse for organisasjoners bruk av informasjonsvitenskap. Tapir Akademisk Forlag. ISSN 9788251924931. p. 171–184. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  During the past few years there has been a discussion within the information systems community related to the similarities and differences between action research (AR) and design science research (DSR). Some believe the two research paradigms are similar and that they can be matched in ways that can improve the quality of research. Others argue that AR and DSR are based on fundamentally different research paradigms, making a mixed approach difficult. From the viewpoint of doing intervention based software process improvement (SPI) research, the combination of AR and DSR can typically be a critical success factor. Using van Fraassen’s philosophy of science as a starting point, this paper argues how paradigmatic differences between AR and DSR can be overcome by designing AR/DSR based SPI research along the philosophy of constructive empiricism. The idea is illustrated by an empirical example of the evolution of an AR/DSR based SPI research method. The significance of the paper is a support to the group of IS researchers arguing the case of similarity between AR and DSR by pointing out a way of overcoming the paradigmatic criticism made by researchers arguing the case of dissimilarity.

• Øgland, Petter (2008). Designing quality management systems as complex adaptive systems. Systemist. ISSN 0961-8309. 30(3), p. 468–491. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Complex adaptive systems research adds to the theory of how to design systems that are resilient to change in turbulent environments. This paper reports a case story about using complex adaptive systems theory for designing a quality management system in a politically turbulent organization. The story explains how the quality management system evolved rapidly, exploiting the turbulence of the organization, but collapsed after six years. Through an analysis and discussion of what went wrong, three key issues are identified and explained; (1) topology of quality management systems, (2) controlling the controllers, and (3) projects perspective vs. systems perspective. Implications for a revised design strategy are discussed.

• Øgland, Petter (2007). Designing Quality Management Systems With Minimal Management Commitment. Systemist. ISSN 0961-8309. 29(3), p. 101–112. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In literature on quality management design it is “common knowledge” that quality management will not work without management commitment. But, not always is it possible to achieve management commitment, so what to do then? Based on a longi-tudinal study of quality management design in a software development organisation, a systems thinking approach is presented and discussed. The main idea is that man-agement commitment is observed through the eyes of the people being managed, and may thus be created as an illusion to compensate for a lack of the real thing. The case study shows how this can be done in a way easy to replicate.

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• Øgland, Petter (2025). Implementing Internal Control in Public Administration. Lulu Press. ISBN 9781291889574. 236 p. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This book examines internal control as a dynamic organisational system shaped by human judgement, formal structures, and feedback processes rather than as a static compliance mechanism. Integrating internal control theory, governance, and system dynamics, it explains how control arrangements evolve over time and why well-intended controls may produce unintended consequences. Through analytically grounded case narratives, the book shows how control failures emerge from erosion, misalignment, and symbolic use of controls, and provides conceptual tools for understanding and improving the long-term effectiveness of internal control in practice.

• Øgland, Petter (2023). How to Survive as a Management Consultant. Lulu Press. ISBN 9781446640531. 284 p. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Principles and criteria for succeeding with Canonical Action Research (CAR) have made it easier to study problems like how to implement Total Quality Management (TQM) in real organisations, where the first requirement of CAR is to get into a position of organisational power. How does one attain power? How should a powerless action researcher manage his interpersonal information flow intelligently? The Management System for Survival (MSS) is based on the idea of gradually developing the necessary and sufficient power as the TQM implementation process develops. The book accounts a five-year study of an academic TQM consultant trying to survive in a public sector organisation.

• Øgland, Petter (2022). Gamification of Total Quality Management. Lulu Press. ISBN 9781471642418. 256 p. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Gamification is a type of mechanism design that has become increasingly popular in recent years. It is a design theory that aims at making the social environment more explicitly game-like, in order to motivate people in the same way as they are motivated by recreational games. The theory in this book builds on ideas on how games like Monopoly, Pac-Man and Minecraft can be useful for understanding behaviour at the strategical, tactical and operational levels of the organisation, and it argues that TQM can be implemented when using these three game models in the context of a strategy known as the bootstrap algorithm.

• Øgland, Petter (2021). A Project-by-Project Approach to Total Quality Management. Lulu Press. ISBN 9781365049811. 236 p. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Bootstrap Algorithm (BA) has proved useful as an action research strategy for implementing Total Quality Management (TQM) in public administration, but it requires the action researcher to make use of managerial power. The project-by-project approach to TQM is based on the idea of how to gradually develop the necessary and sufficient power for bootstrapping TQM when the action researcher is a powerless quality consultant. The book is based on a three-year study in a public sector organisation.

• Øgland, Petter (2020). Implementing Lean ISO 9001 in Public Administration. Lulu Press. ISBN 9781716805141. 236 p. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This book is based on a four-year study in a public sector organisation that starts by observing the nature of a “fake quality” culture, and then investigates the organisational efficiency in misrepresenting Lean ISO 9001 as a way of trying to bootstrap real Lean ISO 9001. Contrary to common beliefs about how an anti-quality culture can never function as a basis for real Lean and real ISO 9001, the message in this book is to follow the flow of the culture rather than going against it.

• Øgland, Petter (2018). Space 1999 and Science Fiction Prototyping. Lulu Press. ISBN 9781387807383. 800 p. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Science fiction prototyping (SFP) refers to the idea of using science fiction to describe and explore the implications of futuristic technologies and the social structures enabled by them. SFP may include the development of new science fiction narratives, or it may draw upon insights from classical stories and related discourse. It is sometimes said that the golden age of science fiction is twelve, and many of the conversations in this book revolve around people who were about this age when they first discovered SPACE 1999. At that age, most people are developing identities and looking for role models, so this motivates a reading of SPACE 1999 from the viewpoint of using the text for understanding self and society. If one looks at SPACE 1999 through the perspective of critical theory, to understand society is to understand how social and economic injustice is reproduced and to apply this knowledge by means of taking political responsibility. Much has already been written about SPACE 1999 in this context, but what is new in this book is that it tries to move the focus towards SPACE 1999 audiences. To which extent do fans of SPACE 1999 understand and discuss the series in the context of critical theory or related perspectives that are relevant for SFP? Different members of Online Alpha have different perspectives. For instance, there are those who are engaged with how the series models the inner world of psychology, exploring characters and relationships by writing fanfiction, and there are those who look at how it models outer reality by commenting on science and technology. Neither of these perspectives are necessarily aligned with critical theory, but they are both important for seeing how SPACE 1999 can be a used for structuring and engaging with real-world problems. To make use of SPACE 1999 in the context of SFP, the psychological and technological perspectives also have to be supported by social perspectives. As will be seen in this book, this can be done in many ways, like when Online Alpha is visited by university scholars from the humanities or social sciences, or when members are being provoked by right-wing extremists and thus have to defend the value of SPACE 1999 by engaging in debate. With the first online discussions of SPACE 1999 starting in 1993, this book celebrates the 25th anniversary of Online Alpha. It is edited and told from the perspective of trying to present different types of discussions by focusing on humour, insight, surprise and shared community. The book also aims at explaining how the discussions have changed over the years and how they continue to change.

• Øgland, Petter (2018). Making Change: How to Succeed with Information Systems Action Research. Lulu Press. ISBN 9780359258574. 312 p. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This book addresses the problem of designing sustainable canonical action research (CAR) for studying aspects of the information systems development cycle when well-established principles and success criteria are difficult to meet. It covers the methodological issues that arise when action research methods are conducted, provides examples of action research in practice, and summarises philosophical foundations of action research and its application as a methodology in Information Systems research and research programs.

• Øgland, Petter (2017). A Pac-Man Perspective on Organisational Change. Lulu Press. ISBN 9781387398218. 364 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Øgland, Petter (2016). Implementing IT governance in the public sector by use of bootstrap algorithms. Lulu Press. ISBN 9781365380464. 282 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Øgland, Petter (2015). Using the Bootstrap Algorithm for Changing the Control Game. Lulu Press. ISBN 9781312611276. 344 p. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  'Using the Bootstrap Algorithm for Changing the Control Game' is clearly written and points are supported by real life case studies. Dr. Ogland demonstrates how a Total Quality Management strategy articulated through the use of bootstrap algorithms can be used to achieve world-class performance in challenging environments such as complex organisations saturated with power struggles and internal politics. The book features insights on critical systems thinking, game theory, quality management systems, the EFQM Business Excellence Model, self-assessment, and the implementation of TQM. Case studies provide practical insights from twenty years of empirical research on how to bootstrap TQM and Business Excellence in complex environments. The ideas developed in the book have been acknowledged as a major contribution to the theory of TQM, and the book itself is an indispensable resource for practitioners trying to implement TQM in environments where traditional implementation methods are bound to fail.

• Øgland, Petter (2015). Periodiske B-splines: Algoritmer, teori og anvendelser. Lulu Press. ISBN 9781329216464. 144 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Øgland, Petter (2015). Programmering av trackingalgoritmer: Kalmanfilterteori og andre løsningsprinsipper. Lulu Press. ISBN 9781329228733. 64 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Øgland, Petter (2014). Mechanism Design for Total Quality Management. Lulu Press. ISBN 9781365248993. 346 p. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Mechanism design (sometimes called reverse game theory) is a field in game theory studying solution concepts for a class of private information games. In a design problem, the goal function is the main given, while the mechanism is the unknown. Therefore, the design problem is the inverse of traditional economic theory, which is typically devoted to the analysis of the performance of a given mechanism. This book deals with the issue of using existing and evolving information infrastructure for designing mechanisms that will allow complex organisations to implement Total Quality Management (TQM) to improve performance and reach new levels of excellence. The book is based on twenty years of action research conducted in collaboration between the University of Oslo and various Norwegian public sector organisations.

• Øgland, Petter (2014). Space: 1999 - Episode by Episode. Lulu Press. ISBN 9781312585935. 736 p. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In his groundbreaking book from 1996, Pierre Fageolle articulates an understanding of Gerry Anderson’s SPACE 1999 based on Michel Butor's comments about science fiction being the mythology of today and by explaining why SPACE 1999 is particularly relevant in this context. In 2012 Henry Keazor made further progress on Fageolle’s programme by contextualising SPACE 1999 through the use of Marxist historian Eric Hobsbawn’s analysis of the 20th century. Keazor also extends Fageolle’s theory of SPACE 1999 by adding insights collected by members of the Online Alpha community, although making no mention of the important 1997-98 episode by episode discussion. When currently publishing a book-based edit of the 1997-98 discussion, the aim is to contribute to the scholarly understanding of SPACE 1999 in the way suggested by Fageolle and Keazor, both by filling old gaps of knowledge and by identifying new ones in terms of how the discussion dealt with various philosophical and political aspects of the series.

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• Øgland, Petter (2026). Foreword (Space 1999 and Liberation Theology). In Balor, John K. (Eds.), Space 1999 and Liberation Theology. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781291498608. p. ix–ix. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Alphans are an exiled people, cast into the wilderness of space, where survival becomes a struggle not only against the hostile universe around them but also against questions of power, authority, community and hope. This book is an account of a discussion at the Online Alpha forum, in which fans and commentators explore Moonbase Alpha through the lens of liberation theology, drawing on the work of Paulo Freire, Gustavo Gutiérrez and James Cone. Together, they ask what it means to resist domination, to build solidarity in conditions of exile, and to hold on to hope when the future is uncertain. At the intersection of science fiction, theology and critical theory, the discussion explores Space: 1999 as a parable of oppression and liberation — and asks what the Alphans' struggle might teach us about the possibility of freedom and a new way of living together.

• Øgland, Petter & Kaasbøll, Jens Johan (2026). Using the Viable System Model to Make Organisational Action Research More Sustainable. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Organisational action research frequently struggles to achieve sustainability beyond specific projects, individuals, or institutional conditions. Such failures are commonly attributed to contextual factors including organisational politics, leadership change, or lack of management commitment. This paper argues that these explanations are incomplete, as recurring breakdowns also reflect limitations in how action research methodologies themselves conceptualise organisational viability. Focusing on the Networks of Action (NOA) approach and its foundation in the bootstrap algorithm (BA), the paper examines why NOA-based initiatives have achieved long-term sustainability within the Health Information Systems Programme (HISP) while similar attempts elsewhere have repeatedly failed. Drawing on Stafford Beer’s Viable System Model (VSM), the paper re-articulates NOA as a viable organisational system in its own right, making explicit the functions of coordination, control, development, and identity that remain implicit in the original bootstrap formulation. Through a retrospective re-analysis of a failed action research initiative in public administration, the study demonstrates how sustainability problems can be understood as deficiencies in systemic design rather than contextual misfortune. The contribution is a VSM-based BA for NOA development: the paper reframes action research sustainability as a problem of organisational viability and shows how organisational cybernetics can complement existing socio-technical approaches by providing design principles for more sustainable Networks of Action.

• Øgland, Petter & Evans, Gary (2026). Integrated Systems Leadership: A Soft Systems Approach to Educational Practice. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Preparing students to address increasingly complex organisational and societal challenges requires more than integrating systems thinking into the curriculum; it requires educators to lead systemically. Building on our earlier work on Integrated Systems Pedagogy (ISP), this paper proposes Integrated Systems Leadership (ISL) as a soft systems approach to educational practice. ISL is defined as the integration of Critical Systems Leadership (CSL), Black Belt Leadership (BBL), and Servant Leadership, bringing together critical awareness, methodological discipline, and relational ethics in support of systemic learning and educational change. The paper draws on three years of collaborative action research within a Master's programme in Sport Business Leadership. Using Critical Systems Intervention (CSI) as the methodological framework, the research examines how two educators collaboratively designed, implemented, evaluated, and refined teaching interventions through iterative cycles of planning, action, reflection, and improvement. The inquiry explores how systems thinking can move beyond curriculum content to become a way of leading the educational process itself. The findings indicate that ISP can be sustained only when accompanied by a corresponding form of systemic leadership. Our action research showed that this leadership emerged through the complementary application of CSL, BBL, and Servant Leadership, while CSI provides the practical mechanism through which it is developed and refined. The paper therefore extends ISP into ISL, offering a soft systems approach to educational practice that integrates theory, leadership, and action research.

• Øgland, Petter (2026). Foreword (Space: 1999 – The 50th Anniversary). In Balor, John K. (Eds.), Space 1999 -The 50th Anniversary. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781291972535. p. ix–ix. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Space: 1999 – The 50th Anniversary is an edited volume of the Online Alpha forum’s landmark debate marking fifty years of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s cult series. Transforming web discussions into a structured book, it explores the show’s two seasons in depth: the brooding, metaphysical Year One (1975–76), hailed for its atmosphere of exile and existential dread; and the retooled Year Two (1976–77), often criticized for formula and spectacle. The final “Wrap-Up” reflects on decades of fan and scholarly engagement, showing how disagreement and debate have kept Space: 1999 alive as both cultural artifact and philosophical provocation. Blending fandom, criticism, and theory, this book demonstrates why the series endures—not as a closed text, but as a continuing argument about media, culture, and humanity’s place in the cosmos.

• Øgland, Petter & Evans, Gary (2025). Integrated Systems Pedagogy: Not Adding but Integrating Systems Thinking into the Educational Curriculum. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In a world characterised by impending climate crisis, social conflict and technology run wild, the need for teaching systems thinking has never been greater. However, due to the impact of politics on education and research, and how universities and institutions of higher education are often run, incentives like the Research Excellence Framework (REF) make it necessary for most researchers to focus on domains where they can demonstrate excellence, typically meaning fragmented and reductionist research in highly specialised fields. As a response to this challenge, Integrated Systems Pedagogy (ISP) has been developed through Critical Systems Thinking (CST) as a constructivist methodology for teaching systems thinking by reframing curriculums in ways that are expected to stimulate understanding with implications on how to think and act systemically. The difference between ISP and traditional systems pedagogy is exemplified by how we have been teaching quality management by use of ISP as opposed to how it is frequently taught at business schools. The example illustrates our message that systems thinking is not something that should be taught in addition to everything else but rather as an underlying philosophy of knowledge and learning that should be integrated in all sorts of topics at all levels of education.

• Øgland, Petter (2024). Foreword. In Balor, John K. (Eds.), Space 1999 and Star Trek. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781470960827. p. xi–xi. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The account of more than a year of Online Alpha discussions deals with similarities and differences between Space: 1999 and Star Trek. For some, there are striking similarities in scopes, plots and characters. For others, the two series are ideological incompatible, having absolutely nothing in common.

• Øgland, Petter (2022). Foreword. In Balor, John K. (Eds.), Faut-il brûler Cosmos 1999 ?. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781470964863. p. ix–ix. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The twenty months of Online Alpha discussion covered in this book deal with the dilemma of whether the second series of SPACE: 1999 ruined the legacy of the series as a whole, as some scholars and fans believe, or whether there are ways of reading the second series that put the totality in a new and interesting perspective.

• Øgland, Petter (2021). Foreword. In Balor, John K. (Eds.), SPACE 1999 and Shakespeare. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781716196393. p. xi–xi. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This book consists of transcripts of Online Alpha conversations about literature, language and translation, sometimes connecting plots and characters from SPACE 1999 with the world of Shakespeare. The main part of the book deals with a particularly happy period at the forum, when academics and fans joined forces in trying to understand the series from a semiotic perspective. The outcome consists of rich and interesting connections between SPACE 1999, Shakespeare and the literary canon.

• Øgland, Petter (2020). Foreword. In Balor, John K. (Eds.), Structuralist Interpretations of SPACE 1999. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781716404085. p. xi–xii. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In 1993, the French art critic Pierre Fageolle wrote what is by many considered to be the authoritative interpretation of SPACE 1999. Many of the discussions carried out on ONLINE ALPHA have been written in response to what is sometimes described as Fageolle’s structuralist interpretations. This book tries to cover some of them. It starts with a discussion about structuralism as a philosophy of mathematics, which has not so much to do with SPACE 1999 per se, although it prepares the ground for understanding the nature of the three structuralist interpretations that follow. The first interpretation is presented as part of a discussion in 2007-08, and was motivated by the presence of Professor from the University of Rome, who was interested in the semiotics of SPACE 1999 from the viewpoint of how the series changed meaning through various dubbings. The main theme of the discussion concerns the structure and meaning of “Collision Course”. The second interpretation comes in the shape of a conversation from 2010-11, at a time when all the original 24 episodes had just been restored and released on Blu-ray. This interpretation is less explicitly concerned with the mathematical structures of language and meaning, but it still builds heavily on ideas that evolved in the previous interpretation, and it tries to expand on these. The third interpretation evolved during a discussion from 2019-20. The general idea this time was to have a belated celebration of the Blu-ray release of the final 24 episodes by discussing them one by one. The aim of the discussion was to look for structures that would aid the development of ideological readings of the complete series by picking up loose threads from the previous two discussions.

• Øgland, Petter (2019). How to Survive in a Public Sector Bureaucracy: The SWEAT Principles. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Sometimes there are conflicts between competence and position in hierarchical organisations. An expert within a given domain typically reports to a manager who knows less. If there is a disagreement between the expert and the manager, the manager overrules the expert due to hierarchical position. In principle, this should be an uncontroversial aspect of how bureaucracies are designed to work. However, if the decisions made by the manager are due to profound lack of understanding, the expert may experience personal and moral problems. This paper looks at the relationship between the competent employee and the incompetent manager through DISC analysis, and it proposes a survival strategy for the employee by means of five principles presented as the SWEAT principles. The principles have been articulated though conversations with an informant skilled at surviving uncomfortable situations in public sector bureaucracies, and the principles are then empirically investigated through action research. The paper supports the relevance and practical usefulness of the SWEAT principles.

• Øgland, Petter (2019). Foreword. In Balor, John K. (Eds.), An Exploration of Space 1999 Through the Lens of Video Games: Payne 1999. Lulu Press. ISSN 9780359766789. p. ix–ix. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This book contains transcripts from Online Alpha discussions where the video game PAYNE 1999, game theory and game-study theories are used for analysing and commenting on problems of conflict and cooperation in SPACE 1999. The discussions build on more than a decade of conversations and debate about PAYNE 1999, and the aim of the book is to put the various threads together while also developing new ideas and providing direction for further investigations.

• Øgland, Petter (2019). Foreword. In Balor, John K. (Eds.), Categories and Themes in 'Space: 1999'. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781794809574. p. ix–ix. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This book documents an Online Alpha discussion where a particular classification system is presented and explored by means of engaging with categories like 'alien contact’, ‘collectivism/community/holistic society’, 'utopia/dystopia' and many others. It is recommended reading for anybody interested in how SPACE 1999 can be rendered meaningful within the context of canonical discourses from science fiction studies.

• Øgland, Petter (2018). Foreword. In Balor, John K. (Eds.), 1999: A Space Odyssey. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781387937073. p. xi–x. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Part of the premise of the online discussion transcribed in this book is how Gerry Anderson’s television series “Space: 1999” can be understood in relation to Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” by looking at both narratives through the perspective of systems theory. As a result of doing so, an engaged debate concerned with the political and philosophical subtext of both stories developed. This book gives a full account of the debate with summaries of ideas and insights.

• Øgland, Petter (2018). Foreword. In Balor, John K. (Eds.), The Epic Structure of SPACE 1999. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781387360086. p. ix–x. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This book contains transcripts from Online Alpha discussions where the epic and narrative structure of SPACE 1999 is being discussed by comparing episodes with themes, characters and elements of plot from the Homeric Odyssey and Lewis Carroll’s stories about Alice. The discussion is motivated by questions raised in the scholarly literature and earlier Online Alpha debates about how to make sense of SPACE 1999 from the viewpoint of critical theory.

• Øgland, Petter (2018). Do ontological and epistemological assumptions matter in information infrastructure research? Making Change: How to Succeed with Information Systems Action Research. Lulu Press. ISSN 9780359258574. p. 131–146. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  During the past couple of decades, researchers from within the Scandinavian tradition of information systems (IS) research have made outstanding contribution to the understanding of information infrastructures (II). However, as the ontological and epistemological viewpoints of the leading scholars of this tradition have gradually become the dominating ideological viewpoint, a crisis arises when a less dominant group of II scholars, doing action research on II development and change, become incapable of developing the right type of knowledge, as this requires conflicting ontological and epistemological views. In order to carry out meaningful action research, they need to liberate themselves from the dominating ideology. There is need for a revolution within II research, and the purpose of this paper is to suggest how the revolution should be carried out by means of rethinking II research from the viewpoint of constructive empiricism (CE). More concretely, the II research needs to be restructured in a manner that makes it possible to carry out action research in the manner that was done successfully during the early days of the Scandinavian school of IS research. Not only will the CE philosophy make it possible to do meaningful research on how to bootstrap and regulate an II, but as adaptation of the CE philosophy for the community at large will support all types of II research, engagement with CE is necessary for making the revolution possible and the new paradigm sustainable.

• Øgland, Petter (2018). Getting better at implementing TQM by playing Pac-Man, Making Change: How to Succeed with Information Systems Action Research. Lulu Press. ISSN 9780359258574. p. 195–242. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  It has been argued that playing video games can be useful for learning management skills, but how true is it? How much can we learn about complex decision-making by playing simple video games? This paper looks at a previously published claim that the Pac-Man video game can be useful for understanding how to implement Total Quality Management (TQM). Articulating the study as action research by having the author playing a single game of Pac-Man each day, over a period of several years, while also trying to implement TQM in public administration, the paper argues that video gaming can be helpful for developing intuitive management skills. However, it is noticed that the systematic and longitudinal dedication to one particular game frames the world in a manner that can make it easy to forget that the game-model in use is only one of possibly many models. It is also noticed that the skill at Pac-Man gameplay influences the TQM implementation experience; only after having mastered the game does it become useful. Until then it can cause frustration.

• Øgland, Petter (2018). Making use of science fiction forums in information systems prototyping, Making Change: How to Succeed with Information Systems Action Research. Lulu Press. ISSN 9780359258574. p. 245–262. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Science fiction prototyping (SFP) refers to the idea of using science fiction to describe and explore the implications of futuristic technologies and the social structures enabled by them. Success in SFP consequently depends on expertise on science fiction and expertise on technological innovation and social change. However, expertise in one of these domains does not necessarily imply expertise in the other, so the idea in this paper is to use online SF forums as places for discussing SFP. For the past 20 years, this idea has been explored by the author engaging with SF forums dedicated to the discussion of the television series 'Space: 1999'. The main insights from the experience can be summarised as dilemmas in trying to balance the need for making the forums appreciated by the popular SF community and making them useful for the scholarly SFP community. Without sufficient focus on technological innovation and social change, the discussions lose members from the SFP community. Without sufficient focus on the popular aspects of SF, the discussions lose members from the SF community. A balance that allows both communities to thrive may sometimes be surprisingly difficult to reach.

• Øgland, Petter (2018). Can a critical systems approach compensate for lack of management commitment when implementing TQM? Making Change: How to Succeed with Information Systems Action Research. Lulu Press. ISSN 9780359258574. p. 171–192. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Although it is almost 25 years since critical systems thinking (CST) was suggested as a basis for implementing total quality management (TQM), by focusing on power and politics, there are still few longitudinal studies illustrating the approach and evaluating results. In one such study, however, covering two decades of CST-based TQM implementation in three different organisational settings, it is argued that a CST-based approach using bootstrapping and the EFQM assessment model might compensate for lack of management commitment to TQM, but the study fails to comment on how this fits with management commitment being one of the focal areas within the EFQM model. By using previously unpublished data from this particular study, this paper shows how the logic of the EFQM model can be used to support bottom-up implementation of TQM in organisations. As the overall statistical analysis fits with the claim that a good CST approach can compensate for lack of management commitment, it is suggested that management commitment is something that can be cultivated as part of the TQM implementation process rather than a premise needed for getting the process started.

• Øgland, Petter (2018). Reflections on the 50th Anniversary of Living Theory Research, Making Change: How to Succeed with Information Systems Action Research. Lulu Press. ISSN 9780359258574. p. 149–168. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  One way of thinking about the history of Living Educational Theory research is to say that it was born out of the experiences of a young school teacher in 1967, particularly the observation of how intuitive thought and action can sometimes be more useful than philosophical elaborations when dealing with thugs threatening to slit your throat. Although I was around in 1967, I am not old enough to say that the political and cultural events of the sixties made an immediate impact on my life. What I find more relevant for developing my own living-theories of improving my practices is how to learn from those who were part of the 1960s counterculture and try to understand how the values espoused during the "Summer of Love" could be used for turning Living Theory into a social movement to deal with present issues. In this article I explore this idea by giving an account of my efforts in trying to become a productive part of the Living Theory community.

• Øgland, Petter (2017). How game models can be used within Living Educational Theory research, A Pac-Man Perspective on Organisational Change. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781387398218. p. 257–280. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  While the reading and writing of Living Educational Theory (LET) accounts and taking part in EJOLTS discussions have been transformative for some of us, it can sometimes be a challenge finding out how to translate insights from one LET setting to another. To deal with this challenge, some LET scholars have tried using fictional stories for communicating insights, but the loose structure of such translations can make it difficult to code and decode the dilemmas they want to articulate. In this theoretical paper I suggest a way of addressing this challenge by turning fictional stories into mathematical game models, as means for translating insights. I do this by engaging with the philosophy of science, through the position known as constructive empiricism (CE), for showing how game theory and systems thinking can be seen as a natural and practical way of doing LET research. Not only can this way of organising value-driven self-improvement action research make it easier to communicate central findings between individual LET researchers, but the approach should also make it easier to communicate insights from LET research to the scientific community at large, and thus function as an important building block for making LET research into a social movement.

• Øgland, Petter (2017). Surely, not all Living Theory research has to be written as a living-theory account? A Pac-Man Perspective on Organisational Change. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781387398218. p. 229–254. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Like many people who contribute to the EJOLTS journal, my values are based on ideas like freedom, compassion and justice, but I also believe strongly in values that are intrinsically associated with science and engineering, such as the need to understand and predict the behaviour of systems by means of models. Even though these latter values are fundamental to how I understand myself as a scientist, and are values that I want to emphasis when writing Living Theory accounts, I have experienced difficulties in getting published by EJOLTS. This dilemma has made me ask the question ‘how can I improve my way of making contributions to the EJOLTS community without corrupting my own values?’ As a means for exploring this question, I will comment on a failed effort in getting published at EJOLTS, and then try to explain the failure by means of what I take to be differences in epistemological positioning. I then try to explain my learning in terms of suggesting a way of bridging the two positions by means of engaging with the philosophy of constructive empiricism. In addition to making a contribution to my own Living Theory on how to succeed with systems research, I hope the paper can also be seen as a contribution to ongoing debates within the EJOLTS community on how to make Living Theory into a social movement.

• Øgland, Petter (2017). A value-based account of how skills in Pac-Man gaming can be useful for implementing total quality management in public administration, A Pac-Man Perspective on Organisational Change. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781387398218. p. 297–318. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  As a research scientist employed in public administration, working on how to implement total quality management (TQM), I experience myself as a living contradiction in the sense that my values, beliefs and expectations as a researcher are difficult to implement in practice. In this account I will explain the basis of this dilemma, and I will explain how I believe skills in Pac-Man gaming can be useful for applying action research on TQM implementation in a manner that resolves the dilemma. I will then explain how I have put the idea to work by reciting my experiences, focusing on how this has led me to look at the organisation in a particular way and how Pac-Man skills inspire me to improve my own practice and influence the practice of others. Finally I discuss the story from the viewpoint of how my living theory on TQM implementation fits in with theories developed by other Living Theory researchers, explaining how the Pac-Man idea has produced learning for me, and suggesting how it might also be of value for others.

• Øgland, Petter (2017). What are the benefits of critical realism in information systems research? Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  There are various reasons for doing research. One reason is to develop real knowledge by trying to solve real problems. Another reason is to get publish, cited and succeed as an academic. The argument in this paper is that Critical Realism (CR), as a philosophy for doing information systems research, may be helpful for achieving academic success but is useless and even harmful for doing real science. Still, the reason for the current popularity of CR could be seen as a response to the recent downfall of Postmodernism from its hegemonic position within social research, and while CR is not a good response to this crisis, the paper concludes by suggesting how the illness that CR proposes to remedy can be cured by selecting a sound philosophy of science.

• Øgland, Petter (2017). Evaluation of the Pac-Man game as a tool for extracting structural insights from Living Theory accounts, A Pac-Man Perspective on Organisational Change. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781387398218. p. 189–226. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Living Theory accounts can be useful for getting rich and deep understanding of social problems from the viewpoint of an engaged insider, but for readers who do not share the same institutional background it may not always be obvious how to identify and translate insights from an interesting Living Theory account into their own situation. When educational gaming scholars have addressed this problem, they claim that it can be solved by using game models as translation tools. However, as there has been no experience with this approach within the Living Theory community, this study looks into a particular case of using the Pac-Man game for translating insights from an educator’s autobiographical study into an unrelated study on how to implement total quality management (TQM) in government agencies. The focus of the research is to investigate how much time and effort is needed for making the Pac-Man model practically relevant by means of becoming proficient at Pac-Man through use of a WikiHow strategy. The paper is thus concerned with Pac-Man strategy and gaming theory, and it contains detailed accounts on the progress of the author as he develops Pac-Man skills at levels of mastering the controls, understanding the rules, learning strategy, understanding the game from the designer perspective and making it into a model for representing social reality. The outcome is that of confirming the relevance of Pac-Man as a translation tool, with possible implications on how to turn Living Theory into a social movement, although the usefulness of the Pac-Man model comes at the cost of having to spend a significant amount of time and effort on learning how to master the Pac-Man game.

• Øgland, Petter (2017). Foreword. In Balor, John K. (Eds.), COSMOS 1999 - The Third Year of SPACE 1999. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781365683558. p. ix–x. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  What does Gerry Anderson's television drama Space 1999 have in common with Carl Sagan's award-winning documentary series Cosmos? Not very much one might expect, but this book documents an Online Alpha discussion where fans of the science fiction series discuss and debate differences and similarities from a wide range of perspectives, some of them arguing that two series may be so closely connected that it might be natural to think of Cosmos as the third year of Space 1999.

• Øgland, Petter (2016). Foreword. In Balor, John K. (Eds.), An exploration of "SPACE: 1999" through the lens of fan fiction. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781365113291. p. ix–xi. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  An essential introduction to a rapidly growing field of study, AN EXPLORATION OF “SPACE: 1999” THROUGH THE LENS OF FAN FICTION gathers in one place the complete 2015-16 Online Alpha discussion of the SPACE: 1999 fan fiction corpus, with a focus on the FOREVER ALPHA fan fiction series. Collected here are central viewpoints and arguments by Online Alpha discussants that have dominated Online Alpha debates in recent years. Editor John K. Balor provides a cogent introduction that places each piece in its historical and intellectual context, mapping the discussion and suggesting future trajectories.

• Øgland, Petter (2016). Could constructive empiricism be more useful than critical realism as a foundation for action research on information infrastructure development? Implementing IT governance in the public sector by use of bootstrap algorithms. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781365380464. p. 221–224. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The process of information infrastructures development is sometimes referred to as bootstrapping. Because of the complex nature of information infrastructures, special action research designs such as Networks of Action (NoA) are needed for investigating a bootstrap strategy in practice. As NoA is typically used when action research is conducted in alignment with interpretivist paradigms, some scholars believe it is effective for diagnosing problematic situations but less effective for testing the treatments. There are other action research approaches with positivist leanings and thus providing reverse benefits, but with the growing popularity of critical realism (CR) in information systems research there are those who suggest that CR could be used for improving the effectiveness of action research by harnessing the individual strengths and benefits of both the positivist and interpretivist traditions. In this paper, however, it is argued that there are problems with CR for doing NoA that could be avoided by focusing on the rival philosophy of constructive empiricism (CE).

• Øgland, Petter (2016). The effect of EFQM self-assessments on action research performance: Lessons on how to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of research on New Public Management, Implementing IT governance in the public sector by use of bootstrap algorithms. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781365380464. p. 185–218. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  New Public Management (NPM) is based on the idea that public sector organisations can be made more effective by adopting management perspectives and methods more similar to those used in the private sector, but the economic and managerial rationality of NPM often conflicts with practitioner rationality, causing challenges in the implementation of NPM. Action research could be relevant for studying NPM implementation by searching for solutions that are seen as satisfying from both for the managerial and the practitioner perspective, but action research is a demanding type of research with high risk of failure. On the other hand, if one believes that NPM will improve organisational performance, then perhaps it will also improve action research performance. The aim of this study is to investigate whether the efficiency and effectiveness of action research can be improved by using the NPM logic of the EFQM self-assessment method. The question is theoretically investigated through the perspective of double-loop learning and empirically tested for eleven months in the context of using canonical action research (CAR) for implementing NPM in a Norwegian public sector organisation. Despite challenges in establishing and sustaining the CAR process, the EFQM approach proves helpful. Contributions to theory and practice is summarised in how the effect of EFQM self-assessments contributes in improving single-loop learning, double-loop learning and deutero-learning in action research.

• Øgland, Petter (2016). The principle of researcher-client agreement in canonical action research, Implementing IT governance in the public sector by use of bootstrap algorithms. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781365380464. p. 103–118. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Canonical Action Research (CAR) is a methodology for developing, testing and learning about information systems strategies through the use of real-world experiments. The methodology is based on five principles to ensure rigor and relevance. The first principle relates to the development of a researcher-client agreement (RCA) that facilitates collaboration between the researcher and the client. The RCA principle has been argued to be of foundational importance for succeeding with action research, but CAR has little to say about how to deal with the complexities and political challenges in RCA development. A strategy that has proved useful for dealing with the politics of action research management is the Networks of Action (NoA) approach used in information infrastructure studies. The purpose of this study is to investigate the consequences of applying a NoA strategy for developing a RCA between a scholarly community and a public sector organisation. By analysing aspects of process success and failure, ideas on how to adjust existing models and strategies for aligning NoA and CAR through the RCA development process are developed. The contribution to theory and practice of CAR consists of outlining how the process of RCA development can be managed through the NoA approach.

• Øgland, Petter (2016). Learning how to implement Total Quality Management through the use of Pac-Man video game simulations, Implementing IT governance in the public sector by use of bootstrap algorithms. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781365380464. p. 149–182. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Transforming a public sector bureaucracy into a learning organisation by means of total quality management (TQM) can be a challenge when the politics of the organisation work against the process of trying to help individuals take responsibility for their own learning. In the TQM literature, a Pac-Man theory of implementing TQM has been suggested for dealing with these kinds of environments. However, as an understanding of the Pac-Man model requires a minimum understanding of how to play the Pac-Man video game, it remains to be known whether an effective learning strategy can be found. In this study an action research approach is used for testing the WikiHow strategy hypothesis on how to get good at video games by using Pac-Man as an example. Although the outcome of the experiment confirms the hypothesis by producing a recognisable learning curve, the learning did not reach a skill level of Pac-Man play needed for turning the video game into a practical simulator for implementing TQM. The contribution to theory and practice consists of confirming the relevance of “living theory” philosophy in the context of TQM while at the same time illustrating how scientific models depending on tacit knowledge may require a significant amount of time and effort to become scientifically useful.

• Øgland, Petter (2016). Using critical systems thinking to compensate for lack of management commitment in the implementation of TQM-based organisational learning, Implementing IT governance in the public sector by use of bootstrap algorithms. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781365380464. p. 121–146. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  There is an 80% failure rate for organisational development programmes like total quality management (TQM). Scholars and practitioners agree that success and failure of TQM and other organisational learning programmes depend on having strong management commitment. As this may not always be possible to obtain, one might ask whether good implementation methods based on systems thinking could compensate for lack of management commitment. An action research study spanning twenty years and three research cycles in different organisational settings has been used for investigating the question. Although the evidence is not conclusive, the findings indicate that implementation methods based on critical systems thinking (CST) may compensate for lack of management commitment by bootstrapping a solution that takes advantage of system complexity and political tension among actors. Key to the bootstrapping method is the development of a network of super users (expert users of quality management systems) whose informal power and authority may compensate for lack of involvement from formal management.

• Øgland, Petter (2016). Foreword. In Balor, John K. (Eds.), Space: 1999 and Critical Theory. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781365403026. p. xi–xv. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The television series SPACE: 1999 was in its first series shaped by the late sixties and early seventies counterculture movements, making SPACE: 1999 into an example of how certain SF scholars see a natural alignment between science fiction and critical theory. However, due to changes in the political climate, SPACE: 1999 went through an ideological reversal in its second series. As a result, the schizophrenic nature of the series has ever since caused debate. This book captures some of this debate by means of edited highlights from a decade of Online Alpha discussions. The resulting narrative is a story about the fight for the soul of SPACE: 1999. It starts out in a state of false consciousness, where the second series is described as a masterful improvement. In the second stage, this image cracks as a consequence of critical awareness. Then, in the final stage, a process of emancipation takes place as the original meaning of the series is restored through political activism.

• Øgland, Petter (2015). Foreword. In Balor, John K. (Eds.), SPACE: 1999 - the 40th anniversary celebration. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781329448155. p. ix–xii. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The television series SPACE 1999 got mixed reviews in the UK and US when it was released in 1975. In the rest of the world, however, it was a great success, and later it has been known as a cult series. Why was it so poorly reviewed when released? Why did it become so popular later on? These are some of the themes discussed by Online Alpha in their second Episode by Episode commentary and discussion of SPACE 1999. In contrast to the first ExE commentary and analysis from 1997-98, the discussants now spend more time considering the political environment that shaped the creation of the series and thus make an important step towards discussing and debating ideas and concerns articulated by the growing body of academic and scholarly literature on SPACE 1999.

• Øgland, Petter (2015). Systems, technology and politics. A Festschrift for Anita Mirijamdotter. p. 60–61. Full text in Research Archive
• Øgland, Petter (2014). The principle of researcher-client agreement in canonical action research. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Canonical Action Research (CAR) is a methodology for developing, testing and learning about information systems strategies through the use of real-world experiments. The methodology is based on five principles to ensure rigor and relevance. The first principle relates to the development of a researcher-client agreement (RCA) that facilitates collaboration between the researcher and the client. The RCA principle has been argued to be of foundational importance for succeeding with action research, but CAR has little to say about how to deal with the complexities and political challenges in RCA development. A strategy that has proved useful for dealing with the politics of action research management is the Networks of Action (NoA) approach used in information infrastructure studies. The purpose of this study is to investigate the consequences of applying a NoA strategy for developing a RCA between a scholarly community and a public sector organisation. By analysing aspects of process success and failure, ideas on how to adjust existing models and strategies for aligning NoA and CAR through the RCA development process are developed. The contribution to theory and practice of CAR consists of outlining how the process of RCA development can be managed through the NoA approach.

• Øgland, Petter (2014). The effect of EFQM self-assessments on action research performance: Lessons on how to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of research on New Public Management. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  New Public Management (NPM) is based on the idea that public sector organisations can be made more effective by adopting management perspectives and methods more similar to those used in the private sector, but the economic and managerial rationality of NPM often conflicts with practitioner rationality, causing challenges in the implementation of NPM. Action research could be relevant for studying NPM implementation by searching for solutions that are seen as satisfying from both for the managerial and the practitioner perspective, but action research is a demanding type of research with high risk of failure. On the other hand, if one believes that NPM will improve organisational performance, then perhaps it will also improve action research performance. The aim of this study is to investigate whether the efficiency and effectiveness of action research can be improved by using the NPM logic of the EFQM self-assessment method. The question is theoretically investigated through the perspective of double-loop learning and empirically tested for eleven months in the context of using canonical action research (CAR) for implementing NPM in a Norwegian public sector organisation. Despite challenges in establishing and sustaining the CAR process, the EFQM approach proves helpful. Contributions to theory and practice is summarised in how the effect of EFQM self-assessments contributes in improving single-loop learning, double-loop learning and deutero-learning in action research.

• Øgland, Petter (2014). Could constructive empiricism be more useful than critical realism as a foundation for action research on information infrastructure development? Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The process of information infrastructures development is sometimes referred to as bootstrapping. Because of the complex nature of information infrastructures, special action research designs such as Networks of Action (NoA) are needed for investigating a bootstrap strategy in practice. As NoA is typically used when action research is conducted in alignment with interpretivist paradigms, some scholars believe it is effective for diagnosing problematic situations but less effective for testing the treatments. There are other action research approaches with positivist leanings and thus providing reverse benefits, but with the growing popularity of critical realism (CR) in information systems research there are those who suggest that CR could be used for improving the effectiveness of action research by harnessing the individual strengths and benefits of both the positivist and interpretivist traditions. In this paper, however, it is argued that there are problems with CR for doing NoA that could be avoided by focusing on the rival philosophy of constructive empiricism (CE).

• Øgland, Petter (2014). Introduction. In Øgland, Petter (Eds.), Space: 1999 - Episode by Episode. Lulu Press. ISSN 9781312585935. p. xi–xvii. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In his groundbreaking book from 1996, Pierre Fageolle articulates an understanding of Gerry Anderson’s SPACE 1999 based on Michel Butor's comments about science fiction being the mythology of today and by explaining why SPACE 1999 is particularly relevant in this context. In 2012 Henry Keazor made further progress on Fageolle’s programme by contextualising SPACE 1999 through the use of Marxist historian Eric Hobsbawn’s analysis of the 20th century. Keazor also extends Fageolle’s theory of SPACE 1999 by adding insights collected by members of the Online Alpha community, although making no mention of the important 1997-98 episode by episode discussion. When currently publishing a book-based edit of the 1997-98 discussion, the aim is to contribute to the scholarly understanding of SPACE 1999 in the way suggested by Fageolle and Keazor, both by filling old gaps of knowledge and by identifying new ones in terms of how the discussion dealt with various philosophical and political aspects of the series.

• Øgland, Petter (2009). Using game theory for producing quality plans: A Pac-Man simulation experiment. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Organizational development frameworks like total quality management (TQM) are known for creating conflicts between change agents and managers. Some researchers believe that playing video games has an impact on how people make decisions and handle conflicts. The purpose of this paper is to identify and investigate a Pac-Man model for developing optimal TQM strategies. An empirical study has been carried out as discourse analysis in terms of using the video game of Pac-Man as a theoretical lens for describing conflicts and progress in a five year TQM development project. The results are presented as simulations of game play, suggesting how Pac-Man strategies can be used as TQM strategies. Three strategies are identified as (1) finding and following the “patterns” in the organizational maze that can be audited without upsetting management, (2) eating “power pellets” when the organization is in a receptive mode, and (3) eating “bonus fruits” of management appreciation whenever it appears.

• Øgland, Petter (2009). In search of a Ciborra strategy for CMM-based software process improvement. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Many organizations fail in implementing software process improvement by use of Capability Maturity Model (CMM) frameworks. Ciborra has argued that frameworks of this kind make managers confuse the real with the ideal, suggesting an alternative path towards improvement based on phenomenology, emphasising values like care, hospitality and cultivation. The hypothesis in this research is that there is not necessarily a conflict between CMM-based process improvement and a phenomenological approach. The hypothesis is tested by a literature review that looks at the philosophical foundations of CMM and phenomenology, identifying common foundations. The hypothesis is also tested empirically through a type of action research that is implied by the CMM framework, using academic culture as a representation of the values care, hospitality and cultivation, and showing how academic culture and practical success of CMM-like process improvement are mutually related in a series of case studies. The implication of the study is that developing an “academic culture” within industry is expected to have a positive impact on successful CMM implementation.

• Øgland, Petter (2009). Implementing continuous improvement using genetic algorithms. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Purpose – On the metaphoric level, much as been written about complex adaptive systems (CAS) for implementing total quality management (TQM) and organizational learning (OL) in turbulent or unpredictable environments. The aim of this paper is to add practical insights on how a specific CAS-technique called genetic algorithms (GA) can be used for designing quality management systems for keeping the organization in a constant state of continuous improvement in unpredictable environments. Methodology/Approach – The paper describes design, implementation and evaluation of a GA method for a TQM program in the context of the climate department of a Scandinavian meteorological institute. The author was at the time working as a quality engineer responsible for designing the genetic algorithm as a change intervention for improving inflow, quality control and computer-generated statistical use of meteorological observations. Findings – In the given organizational context, a genetic algorithm was easy to implement using elementary quality management tools such as statistical process control (SPC), Pareto Analysis and Business Model Assessment. Rather than going through conventional change management steps of unfreeze-change-freeze, the double loop structure of the chosen GA method made it possible to maintain “edge of chaos” stasis of continuous change. As expected from CAS theory, however, the algorithm caused stable improvement in unpredictable environment at the cost of producing redundancy, complexity and less than optimal efficiency. Originality/Value of paper – Although the idea of applying GA to TQM is not new, this paper appears to be the first attempt to go beyond metaphorical ideas and computer simulations in order to actually define, implement and evaluate a GA method for TQM implementation.

• Øgland, Petter (2008). Improving the way Total Systems Interventions are used in Total Qualtiy Management. Full text in Research Archive
• Øgland, Petter (2008). Software Process Improvement: What gets measured gets done. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  A software quality management system (QMS) has been designed in a democratic fashion by programmers and has been approved by management. In order to motivate the programmers in following their own standards, measurement feedback is used for creating social pressure (peer pressure and management pressure). In nine out of ten cases this approach has been successful. Could the failure of the tenth case be an indication of the statement “what gets measured gets done” not being as obviously true as it is sometimes assumed to be in management literature? Trying to investigate this by reflecting on seven years of conversations with programmers and managers, various explanations are presented. Few seem to have any validity. The most likely explanation seems to be that “what gets measured gets done” is a statement about group behaviour. When it comes to individuals or very small groups, special predicaments may make behaviour less predictable. The theoretical insights for QMS design, provided by this case study, is that the “what gets measured gets done” design approach might prove more efficient if one manages to conceptualize lumps of individuals as self-managing teams or groups.

• Øgland, Petter (2008). Resilience as a goal for quality management systems design. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In organizations with lack of quality culture and limited management commitment to quality improvement, a traditional top-down approach for designing ISO 9000 quality management systems may prove difficult. An alternative design approach may be to think of the organization as being in constant turbulence, and design the quality management system to take advantage the unpredictability of the situation. A story of fifteen years of designing quality management systems is used to discuss design issues, focusing on the theory of complex adaptive systems in terms of how quality management people might combine a mixture or myopic attention to the behaviour of the nearest manager while also maintaining a long-term vision towards the goals of the international quality standards and excellence models.

• Øgland, Petter (2007). Improving Research Methodology as a part of doing Software Process Improvement. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The writer of this paper has been working as a software process improvement (SPI) practitioner, and although standard SPI methods have given good results, the writer proposes that even better results may be achieved if the SPI practitioner focuses on systematically improving his own work processes. Building on previous SPI action research (AR) on “how to improve the improvers”, research questions are formulated in terms of (a) how AR may contribute to SPI theory in terms of providing structure for controlling and improving the management processes for running the SPI project, and (b) how the SPI framework may contribute for controlling and improving how AR projects are being run. A design research approach is used for analysing a simple AR/SPI model that has been used for seven years, looking at AR/SPI through the language of the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) and the ISO 9004 quality management system assessment model. Two specific contributions for AR/SPI design are formulated: (1) SPI can be used as a simple “plug-in” theory for doing AR on SPI-related problems, and (2) AR can be used as an easy “plug-in” method for doing SPI when the aim is to reach CMM level 5 or beyond.

• Øgland, Petter (2007). Designing Quality Management Systems With Minimal Commitment. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In literature on quality management design it is “common knowledge” that quality management will not work without management commitment. But, not always is it possible to achieve management commitment, so what to do then? Based on a longi-tudinal study of quality management design in a software development organisation, a systems thinking approach is presented and discussed. The main idea is that man-agement commitment is observed through the eyes of the people being managed, and may thus be created as an illusion to compensate for a lack of the real thing. The case study shows how this can be done in a way easy to replicate.

• Øgland, Petter (2006). Using internal benchmarking as strategy for cultivation: A case of improving COBOL software maintenability. Full text in Research Archive
• Øgland, Petter (2002). Kvalitetsfunksjonen i IT-avdelingen. Skattebladet. 31(5), p. 18–19. Full text in Research Archive
• Øgland, Petter (2002). Kvalitet og verdier. Skattebladet. 31(4), p. 18–19. Full text in Research Archive
• Øgland, Petter; Kaasbøll, Jens; Henfridsson, Ola & Bratthall, Lars (2013). Mechanism design for total quality management: Using the bootstrap algorithm for changing the control game. Akademika forlag. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  As society continues to develop in technological ways, side-effects of yesterday’s solutions are becoming today’s problems and systems tend to fail in increasingly spectacular ways. The more severe the consequences of organisational failure are, the greater is the need for approaches like total quality management (TQM) to control the organisation from a holistic perspective, but to design and implement optimal control can be difficult, and about 80% of all TQM implementation projects tend to fail. High failure rates in environments characterised by technological complexity and social distrust can be understood through game theory. Management and workforce are involved in a control game, and the TQM designer is playing a game with the organisation as a whole in trying to change the economic mechanisms that define the control game. The goal is to design mechanisms that make the control game align with TQM philosophy, but the easiest and most stable solution to this game often end up being both TQM designer and organisation developing policies and quality systems while forgetting to implement or only pretending to do so. By thinking more widely about the quality management system supporting the TQM policy as information infrastructure (II), however, and making use of the Monopoly game model for understanding the growth and development of II, the II design strategy known as the bootstrap algorithm (BA) becomes an interesting option to explore. The hypothesis in this study is that the BA is an optimal strategy for gradually changing the game in a manner that will lead to sustainable TQM at the highest level of excellence. The claim is analysed by looking at twenty years of information systems action research that involves three Norwegian public sector organisations. The outcome of research reports experiences in BA design using Total Systems Intervention (TSI) implementation methodology. Although the research focuses on challenges and weaknesses in the practical BA designs, resulting in problems and partial failures in TQM implementation, the outcome supports the BA hypothesis. The analysis is based on considering three levels of gameplay. On the shop floor level, an audit game is played out between the TQM auditor and IT personnel. The “what gets measured gets done” motivational theory is a key to success for TQM implementation on this level, but depends on having established management commitment by winning the trust game on higher organisational levels. As the trust game is not a single-shot game, various techniques have to be used to gain trust in various situations for various elapses of time. Different game models are introduced and discussed for elaborating useful ways of thinking about different conflicts and challenges. The highest level of gameplay is the mechanism design game where the TQM designer fights the resistance of the organisation by trying to change the strategy sets and payoffs of the trust game and audit game in order to increase the basis of attraction for the game equilibrium that suggests walking the TQM talk and reducing the basis of attraction for TQM talk without walk. The research makes contributions to II/BA and TSI theory through the Monopoly model of II dynamics, the reformulation of the BA as a genetic algorithm, and by suggesting game theory as an overall theoretical framework for TSI action research. The implications for practice are reduced failure rates for TQM implementation.

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