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High failure rates often observed in practice suggest that collaborative relationships are still not well understood. In this paper we investigate the nature of these relationships from second-order Cybernetics and Social Systems Theory perspectives. Thereby we develop a novel theoretical framework, the Collaborative System, which explains: 1. the organizational function of collaboration; 2. th...

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In this paper we discuss an integration of the Beer cybernetic oriented management theory and Saaty's hierarchical approach to assess management problems in a more quantitative way.