EXTERNALITIES
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 1230 ▶ |
| Object type | General information |
The set of factors that do not seem to influence significantly a system or some of its processes.
This is a very deceitful concept, specially in economics, because externalities are defined according to a set of generally uncriticized principles or rules. Moreover, as systems become wider embracing, more and more externalities should be taken in account as significantly related to them.
There is also a long-term trend aspect. Some factors, for instance the slowly accumulative ones, do not manifest their impact for decades or centuries and thus are classified as externalities… unless suddenly they introduce unexpected disturbances (or offer new opportunities).
According to K. KRIPPENDORFF: “Externalities may also be regarded as the nonanticipated side effects of calculated courses of action” (1986, p.30).
It could be better to speak of ill-calculated courses of action, generally because of a non-systemic partialized view of the situation.