Hull University Business School

BSc (Los Andes, Colombia), PhD (Aston)

Angela was borned in Bogota, Colombia and graduated as a computer and systems engineer in 1981. She worked originally as an Information Systems Manager, in private and public enterprises, and then as the Director of the Secretariat of Information and Systems of the Colombian President's Office (1990 – 1992). From 1993 to 2002, she taught systems and cybernetics in Los Andes University and provided consultancy for both the private and public sectors.

She led projects involving the restructuring of national auditing practices, the application of systems tools to national educational and environmental policies, and the introduction of participation in political systems. In 2002 her work on cybernetics was recognised when Vienna University and the International Federation of Systems Sciences awarded her the prestigious Ashby Lecture. Marquis Who's Who in the World is including her biography in the forthcoming 2007 edition.

Since 2002 she has been researching and teaching within the Scarborough Management Centre of the Hull Business School and acting as its research co-ordinator.

• Management of Change
• Business Technology Management
• Systems Thinking
• Dissertations and Research Methods

• Organisational Change.
  Democratic and Co-operative Organisations and Networks.
  Sustainable Development
  Performance and Monitoring Systems
  Angela has co-edited several books, supervised hundreds of MSc and several PhD dissertations and published many papers on the application of cybernetics and systems thinking in recognised world journals. She is also been a reviewer in prestigious journals (Systems Research and Behavioral Sciences, European Journal of Operational Research, Academy of Management Review).

• Since 2007 she has been a principal investigator in two EPSRC funded project on Emergence and Complexity, focusing on research on self-organisation and sustainable communities. She is also co-founder of two research groups developing theory and practice in organisational cybernetics: SCIO and Metaphorum.

Selected publications

Andrade, G., Espinosa, A., Guzman, D., Wills, E. (2012). Towards a framework for the observation, understanding and management of socio-ecological systems: Insights from socio-ecological, institutional and complexity theory.. Emergence and Complexity. 1*

Espinosa A, Cardoso PP, Arcaute E, Christensen K.(2011), ‘How self-organiation works in social systems: A case study in an Irish eco-village’. Kybernetes: The International Journal of Systems and Cybernetics, Vol 3/4, pp 533-558. ISSN 0368-492X

Espinosa A, Porter T, (2011), ‘Sustainability, Compelxity and Learning: Insights from Complex Systems Approaches’. The Learning Organisation, Vol 18, pp 54-72, ISSN 0969-6474

Paucar-Caceres A, Espinosa A ( 2011) Management science methodologies in environmental and sustainability: discourses and applications, Journal of the Operational Research Society (available online), Vol 62 pp 1601-1620, ISSN 0160-5682

Espinosa A, Leonard A (2009) Action research in organisational cybernetics (vol 22, pp 219-221) Systemic Practice and Action Research

Espinosa A, Al-Maimani A (2009) A holistic approach to an e-government strategy: ongoing research in Oman in Cordoba-Pachon, J R, Ochoa, A, Al-Maimani, A (ed) Systems Thinking and E-Participation: ICT in the Governance of Society (pp 109-134)

Espinosa A, Arcaute E, Christensen K, Sendova A, Dahl T (2009) Division of labour in ant colonies in terms of attractive fields (vol 6, pp 392-402) Ecological Complexity

Espinosa A, Knowles K (2009) Towards an holistic framework for environmental change: the role of normative behaviour and informal networking to enhance sustainable business practices (vol 22, pp 275-291) Systemic Practice and Action Research

A. Espinosa, R. Harnden, J. Walker, (2008) A Complexity Approach to Sustainability - Stafford Beer Revisited, European Journal of Operational Research , Vol 187(2): pp. 636-651, 0377-2217.

A. Espinosa, R. Harnden, J. Walker, (2004) Cybernetics and Participation: From Theory to Practice, 2004 Vol 17 (6) pp573-589, Systemic Practice and Action Research, 1094-429x.

A. Espinosa, (2006) A cybernetic re-evaluation of socio-economic development programs, 2006 Vol 35 No 1/2 pp 30-44, Kybernetes, 0368-492X.

A. Espinosa, R. Harden, (2006) Team Syntegrity and Democratic Group Decision Making: Theory and Practice, Vol 15, Journal of the Operational Research Society, 0160-5682.