Metaphorum 2026 · Emerging Methods and Tools, and Contemporary Practice

The Art of Boundary-Making: Deepening the VSM through Cognitive-Developmental Science

The Art of Boundary-Making deepens the practical value of the Viable System Model by showing that organizational viability is not only a matter of structure, governance, or recursion but also of the developmental capacity of the people who apply and inhabit those structures. The essay argues that VSM practitioners draw different system boundaries because they differ in cognitive depth and breadth of thought, as well as in social-emotional maturity. These developmental differences shape what they perceive, how they interpret tensions, and whether they treat boundaries as fixed design choices or as living distinctions to be explored through dialogue. Its added value lies in making this invisible dimension explicit. By integrating Otto Laske’s Constructive Developmental Framework, the essay offers a richer way to diagnose why organizations struggle with coordination, ownership, strategic alignment, and change. It introduces the concept of “requisite development”: the capacity leaders and practitioners need to process the complexity of their roles. In doing so, it reframes the VSM as more than a diagnostic model. It becomes a developmental and dialogical practice that helps organizations redesign structures, strengthen leadership capacity, and foster more adaptive forms of collaboration across boundaries. Speaker: Jan De Visch — Connect & Transform

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