Research
John Beckford has a powerful CV. He holds a PhD in Management Systems and Sciences from the University of Hull, is a Fellow of the Cybernetics Society, a Member of The Institute of Management Services and is Visiting Professor in the Department of Information Science at Loughborough University.
John has two principal areas of research interest:
- the total viability of organisations – considering service and product quality, provision of effective information Management decisions, performance measurement, monitoring and evaluation, executive and management information systems;
- the development and application of problem solving tools and consulting interventions based on the principles of organisational cybernetics and adaptive systems and designed to address the issue of total viability.
All research is funded through commercial consulting activity or undertaken on a pro-bono basis where appropriate. His recent research projects include
| National Cancer Research Network: | Productivity in Clinical Trials. |
|---|---|
| The Under 17 Car Club | Measuring Sustained Success |
| House of Commons Select Transport Committee | Novice Driver Enquiry |
| Under 17 Drivers Pathfinder Limited: | Experimental Novice Driver Training |
The focus of John’s research is the application of the theories of Management, Organisational and Informational Cybernetics – and he believes that practice and theory must be linked together in such a manner that each informs the other. Having a foot in both the practical and academic worlds enables John to understand theory in practice, and practice in theory blending leading edge, original thinking with extensive practical experience to combine pragmatism with innovation and invention. He is certain that the best answers will come not from the things that have been done in the past but from new insights available through experimental research. “Continuing to use a screwdriver to hammer in a nail is not any more sustainable than it ever was,” he says, “If what we’ve got isn’t working, we’d better go and invent something new.” John achieves this by rooting his practical work in the application of new thinking to problems – and by challenging theory with the practical problems that arise from its application – creating a virtuous learning cycle.
John has recently finished writing the 3rd edition of his best selling book on Quality (2nd Edition Routledge 2002). The current edition provides a complete knowledge platform for anyone interested in understanding the practice and theory of Quality and places the TQM movement in the context of management thinking – including developments such as learning organisations.
His work is further supported by more than 50 academic papers and innumerable presentations to a wide variety of audiences.
