Professor Philip Garnett
Professor of Systems and Organisation

Profile

Biography

Philip Garnett is a Professor in Systems and Organisation. His research focuses on the application of systems theory, complex systems theory, and network analysis to understand organisations and how they operate. He has extensive knowledge of systems theory, complexity theory, and cybernetics. His research is broadly focused on modelling organisational processes and structures, and interactions between organisations and their environment. Theorising organisations as an emergent property of a system of interacting parts.

Philip is also the Society and Ethics Pillar lead at the Institute for Safe Autonomy, and is interested in how algorithms, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, influence decision making within organisations. In particular, how humans and computers work together in decision making processes and the consequences that collaboration has on how organisations work. Related to this theme he is interested in research in cyber and information security practice within organisations, and how organisations manage incidents or leaks.

Currently Philip’s research projects include making interventions in complex social systems, the impact of AI in organisations and society (including industry 4.0), the evolution of the British Banking Sector, and the intersection of cyber security and AI.

Philip is the Society and Ethics Pillar lead at the Institute for Safe Autonomy, he is also a member of the board of the University of York Science and Technology Studies Unit (SATSU, https://www.york.ac.uk/satsu/). He is also an external advisor on a number of funded research projects.

Personal website: http://www.prgarnett.net

Twitter: @prgarnett

Departmental roles

Human futures in the digital transformation Joint Interdisciplinary Cluster Lead

Research

Overview

• Human-computer decision making. Increasingly workplaces will be populated by humans working with artificial intelligence (AI). The consequences of this for how decisions are made within organisations will be significant, particularly where the responsibility lies for decisions, and the role of discretion in decision making.
• The intersection of cyber/information security, and AI. Increasingly AI is being deployed as part of the security infrastructure of organisations. Making and informing decisions about who and what is a threat to an organisation.
• Modelling and simulation of organisational behaviour. How do the interactions of connected organisations shape the development of economic sectors? What are the significance of hidden and explicit connections between businesses, such as shared directorships?
• How can complexity theory inform how interventions are made in complex social systems?
• Business history. Analysis of historical data can often lead to insights into the presence and the future.

Keywords: Complexity Theory, Complex Thinking, Network Analysis, Big Data, Analytics, Artificial Intelligence

Phd Applications

I would be interested in PhD applications in any of the above thematic areas, with a particular interest in AI and Analytics, and Cyber and Information Security.

Funded Research

• Vulnerabilities of UK Food System. Funder: Food Standards Agency, £170,000.
• Global Foresight Review. Royal Academy of Engineering and the Lloyds Foundation, £115k.
• Act Early - making interventions in children’s life chances. Medical Research Council/UKPRP, £6.7 million.
• Mapping and Diagnosing Mental Health in/and the UK University Sector. Wellcome Trust, £52,000.
• GCRF Systemic Failure of Finance Development Projects. GCRF Pump Priming Grant, ~£28,000.

Publications

Full publications list

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