“we relinquish that unique autonomy to outside entities like the AP and the IB. Then we find ourselves following their systems.”

Yes! Got you know. But at least I got a chance to use interstitial and cite Erik Olin Wright.

Plus we give them $12,000 a year to be constrained by them, and then complain about the constraints that we’ve chosen to design!

But I think I agree, it is improbable if not impossible to create the type of fluid, discontinuous design elements Ackoff talks about when you cede major control of the system to an entity that is not designed to be responsive to frontline concerns.