Stafford Beer's contribution to management science - Renewal and development

Purpose - This paper sets out to draw on the insights of "Stafford Beer, the whole man" as portrayed within the Stafford Beer Archive at Liverpool John Moores University. Design/methodology/approach - After reviewing these seminal contributions, the authors seek to use evidence from published texts, restricted documents, and from personal conversations to present how he operated as a practitioner, reflecting on the craft of how he explored the nature of novel situations, performing the simultaneous roles of guide, philosopher and friend. Findings - The authors attempt to present a perspective of Stafford Beer's (SB) particular contributions to the discipline of management science as an opportunity to the profession for renewal and development, in particular, around managerial cybernetics. Practical implications - The final section presents the passion of the authors that the archive should be dedicated to a "living connection" as Stafford had wished. Originality/value - This study articulately flags up SB's contribution to management science.