Requisite variety and intercultural teams: to what extent is Ashby's law useful ?

A. Bartel-Radic (1) , N. Lesca (2)

1 IREGE - Institut de Recherche en Gestion et en Economie
2 CERAG - Centre d'études et de recherches appliquées à la gestion

Requisite variety and intercultural teams: To what extent is Ashby's law useful? The “Law of Requisite Variety” (LRV) is frequently evoked to explain the design, functioning and performance of intercultural teams. But to what extent does the law really enhance understanding in this particular field? The authors consider that LRV has rarely been questioned in-depth in management studies. The paper briefly details LRV in the cybernetics context before “translating” it to social systems, organizations and intercultural teams. Using a qualitative case-study method, the case of an intercultural team is analysed and questioned from the perspective of LRV. The results show that LRV superficially fits the composition of this team, but is unable to explain the human and social dynamics that evolve during the work process.

Mots clés: law of requisite variety; requisite variety; intercultural teams; complexity; diversity; systems; case study

Domaines: Gestion et management

A. Bartel-Radic, N. Lesca. Requisite variety and intercultural teams: to what extent is Ashby's law useful ?. 2009. ⟨halshs-00516674⟩