A Relational Paradigm..... Patterns for Change

About the Book

A Relational Paradigm..... Patterns for Change contains the basic axioms or premises of a world view. This relational world view can reconcile the differences in conflicting views that exist in our world (between East and West, Democrat and Republican, science and religion).

The book provides the basic patterns of how these twofold axioms manifest themselves through the threefold, fourfold, and fifth business into reality.

These axioms and patterns are then applied to the real world. The book contains theory and application of the relational paradigm to organizations and computers. In the application to computers RS (Relational Structure) is a theory and technology to handle the storage of data. RL (Root Language) is the generic patterns of language and can be used to handle computer code.

A fundamental shift in orientation of the relational paradigm from the existing paradigm is in the relationship between people and systems. In our existing paradigm, systems take precedence over people. We are taught how the system operates, and we learn to adapt.

In the relational paradigm, the system can adapt to the individual as well as the individual to the system. The users of the system are in a position to control rather than simply respond to the system. Systems are to be used rather than to be served.

In the relational paradigm the injunction changes from, "If you want to know this, do this," to "If you want to understand this, use these."

About the Author

Dan M. Epp was born in 1942 and raised in a small town in Western Kansas. He received a B.A. degree in Mathematics and a M.B.A. from Kansas University. After spending three years as an analyst and programmer for AT&T, he worked as a systems analyst for Midwest Research Institute, a nonprofit organization in Kansas City, MO, where he conducted research for various types of industrial, educational and governmental organizations.

In 1979 he began a personal journey to find the basic premises of the Western world view. This journey evolved into the development of axioms of a world view and the extension of these axioms into theories and technologies. Finding no institution that would support this type of research, he independently developed the axioms and applications of the relational paradigm. The axioms were complete in 1984 and the applications to computers were ready for implementation in 1986. But timing is a critical factor in the introduction of a new paradigm or of jump technologies that produce more than a 100 to 1 productivity improvement and he was unable to find economic support in the late 1980s.

In 1987 Mr. Epp moved with his wife Janalie and children Aaron and Meagan to his home town where he has published a weekly newspaper and supported his parents during the last years of their 61-year newspaper career. Mr. Epp and his wife currently own and operate the newspaper, a printing shop and an office supply store.

Mr. Epp is working on a revision of his book, elaborating on the description of the axioms, expanding the RL (Root Language) portion of computer applications which would allow mapping of our complex mental models, and extending the application of the axioms to the economy. He may be reached at danepp@relational-paradigm.com.