Showing papers in "Systems Research and Behavioral Science in 2003"

Integrating science and management through collaborative learning and better information management

Abstract: Achieving more sustainable land and water use depends on high-quality information and its improved use. In other words, better linkages are needed between science and management. Since many stakeholders with different relationships to the natural resources are inevitably involved, we suggest that collaborative learning environments and improved information management are prerequisites for integrating science and management. Case studies that deal with resource management issues are presented that illustrate the creation of collaborative learning environments through systems analyses with communities, and an integration of scientific and experiential knowledge of components of the system. This new knowledge needs to be captured and made accessible through innovative information management systems designed collaboratively with users, in forms which fit the users' 'mental models' of how their systems work. A model for linking science and resource management more effectively is suggested. This model entails systems thinking in a collaborative learning environment, and processes to help convergence of views and value systems, and make scientists and different kinds of managers aware of their interdependence. Adaptive management provides a mechanism for applying and refining scientists' and managers' knowledge. Copyright (C) 2003 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.

Diversity management in organizational change: towards a systemic framework

Abstract: Change is now a key concern of most business organizations, but the management of change (MOC) appears weak, with research suggesting that, at least in part, the methodologies used are responsible for this weakness. By outlining an alternative systemic MOC framework for action, and pointing to how this might be applied, this paper recommends an approach to MOC which seeks to address some of these current methodological shortcomings. A critical examination and classification of organizational change are conducted, leading to a categorization of approaches to change, and allowing critical assessment of the benefits and limitations of current approaches. Systems perspectives and their relevance to MOC are discussed, and by combining MOC and systems perspectives a systemic MOC framework is developed. This study suggests that MOC is characterized by diversity and interaction, for which systemic perspectives are more appropriate than the approaches currently applied. The systemic framework developed is thus seen to be a useful way of helping understand and manage organizational change more effectively

Paradigmatic metamorphosis and organizational development

Abstract: Paradigms metamorphose when they develop a new frame of reference. Two examples of paradigmatic metamorphosis are examined that together can be argued to formulate an evolutionary approach to managerial cybernetics. Organization Development (OD) is a well-established soft methodology used extensively to engineer cultural change in organizations. OD can be set within Viable Systems Theory (VST), itself a conceptual development of the managerial cybernetic theory that underlies the Viable Systems Model (VSM). To illustrate this, a frame of reference is created that looks at systemic transformational processes. VST can operate as a general framework for this within which OD, VSM, and indeed the principles of Habermas's theory of communicative action can be embedded. A result of this exploration is to show how a managerial cybernetic form of OD can be developed to improve the way organizations can be diagnosed in complex change situations that must be managed. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A proposal for systems science

Abstract: Systems science is not entirely characterized by a unique conception. Since it seems still to be in a formative stage, a proposal that looks to its future may be appropriate. Because systems science is commonly perceived to be very broad in its scope and far reaching in its implications for practitioners, it is not unreasonable to suppose that systems science can be seen as filling multiple scientific roles. In order to fulfill this common perspective, systems science ought to be able to appear in at least five roles: as a science of description—in which the original role of science, to describe the physical world and portray interactions among a few of its components, is enlarged to enable description of problematic situations, whatever the nature of these situations; as a science of generic design—in which those aspects of system design often left to intuition are no longer the prisoner of intuitive thought only, but rather become identifiable beneficiaries of methods that do not rely on specific disciplines, but rather stem from neutral sources that are clearly essential for the development of any science, thus serving a broad universe of design situations; as a science of complexity—in which systems science is extendible to the far reaches of human competence, enlarging the domain of demonstrable results in the service of humanity, relying on high discursivity and careful quality control; as a science of action—in which clear patterns of behavior essential to resolve problematic situations are identified, and the linguistic and infrastructure needs for carrying out such actions are clearly specified; as a science that is open to imports from other disciplines and incorporates means of identifying and integrating essential components of those disciplines, when clearly required in a problematic situation. It is proposed that systems science will fill all of these roles, being perceived by means of a hierarchical inclusion structure in which general concepts are applied to well-specified purposes, reserving importation of methods from the specific disciplines to its applications arena. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The measurement of environmental performance: an application of Ashby's law

Abstract: Ashby's law of requisite variety is a fundamental law of organizations An implication of the law for business organizations is that they must develop sufficient information management and decision-making capacity to cope with the complexity in the environment in which they operate The law has the major limitation that, for all practical purposes, variety cannot be measured; the number of states of anything other than the simplest ‘controller’ is a vast, incomputable value However, it is possible to carry out relative studies—comparing organizations and, in this case, comparing effectiveness in different contexts To do this, a questionnaire was used to gauge managers' perceptions of business context complexity and organizational capacity The paper describes a study of the UK textile industry and, in particular, the response of that industry to environmental (ie, green) pressures and opportunities The study was undertaken both at the level of individual companies and of the industry itself Comparisons of performance are made between the organizations' responsiveness to their natural and commercial environments Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

So what's new about complexity?

Abstract: This paper addresses the extent to which the insights of what is called the New Sciences (Catastrophe, Chaos and Complexity Theory) for organizational life are novel, and to what extent they do not take managers much further forward than other theories which have questioned a classical or reductionist view of management. The link to the conference theme is provided by a new model which sets out to define four levels of complexity (sic), dependent on the system exclusivity (degree of complexity) and endurance (degree of change). The past ten years have seen a growth of interest in the insights which ‘management complexity’ claims to provide for modern management. This author has felt uncomfortable that many of these insights are in fact little different from insights of previous writers, and that the lack of evidence for their applicability in natural science systems, let alone organizational situations, means that they have little proven value beyond (in some cases powerful) metaphors. The paper takes a number of the characteristics of complex systems (the phrase will include catastrophic and chaotic systems), and the insights which are claimed for management complexity, and will relate these to other (non-complexity) writings, in some cases going back over decades. It uses a case study relating to the author's own experience in teaching on MBA programmes to demonstrate the value of complexity ideas, but will evaluate these against alternative insights, again demonstrating the relationships between complexity and change. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The role of systems research and operational research in community involvement: a case study of a health action zone

Abstract: In recent years community involvement and increasingly local partnerships with community groups have become central themes in debates and policies surrounding urban regeneration. The paper attempts to explore the contribution that operational research and systems research could make to these debates. The potential contribution will be illustrated by a case study on developing community involvement in the context of a local area health initiative, namely the Health Action Zone Programme. The case study describes work undertaken over a period of two years, ending in April 2001, and reflects on how community involvement as a strategy was formed through paying attention to local relationships, and institutions. A range of participatory techniques was used as well as methods from operational research and the systems field. A framework for community involvement was developed from the work and will be presented. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Strategic community-based theory of firms: Case study of dialectical management at NTT DoCoMo

Abstract: The greatest issue that leading corporations are facing in the twenty-first century is how they can achieve innovation in a speedy yet reliable manner. For example, on one side of this double-faceted issue is speed in introducing innovative new products and services to market ahead of the competition, while on the other side is expansion of the market for these products and services. To attain success, leading companies need to balance a variety of paradoxes both inside and outside the organization and exercise their practical abilities. In this paper, the author discusses a case of innovation by NTT DoCoMo, Inc. (DoCoMo), in becoming the first leading mobile telecommunications carrier in the world to offer mobile Internet services, and analyzes this case from the viewpoint of the paradox perspective on organizational performance. In this case, a leadership-based strategic community uses the practical method of dialectical management that includes top management to merge and integrate the community competences of an existing traditional community infrastructure with a new, creative community infrastructure and promote an emergent yet deliberate integrative strategy. With the integrative competences generated by this leadership-based strategic community, DoCoMo balances paradoxes such as creativity and efficiency to achieve innovations in creating and propagating new services. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Terrorism: a systemic view

Abstract: Broadly speaking, ‘terrorism’ is regarded as extremely violent behavior by what is normally considered to be a minority subgroup of society. The value system in which terrorism is imbedded is not universally shared within the larger society from which it emanates. Terrorists form a movement that pursues a cause defined by its aims which, in turn, are defined within a value framework that may be political, religious, social or economic. Its objective is to obtain acceptance of its value system and its aims. In pursuit of this objective it applies violence aimed at creating terror and anxiety in one or more target societies. A major factor in the success of terrorism lies in the fear and social paralysis it induces. Through the media, particularly television, the terror produced is rapidly disseminated through a large part of the world. Instantaneous global dissemination by the media, particularly television, of news of terrorist acts promotes the aims of terrorism. Terrorists thrive on exposure of their message. The connections created by the media between most parts of the world directly favor terrorism. There is no better example than CNN and the September 11 attacks on the USA, which allowed a global audience to witness first hand terrorism in progress, in real time. Through violence, terrorism conducts what is primarily a psychological war directed at affecting the mind and the behavior of the public. Those who sympathize with terrorists see them as freedom fighters. They create an environment in which terrorist movements are supported and flourish. In practice there is usually a mixture of political, social, economic and religious values involved in terrorist movements. The Israeli problem is due to a combination of these forms of terrorism, each reinforcing the other. The freedom fighter form of terrorism, as was experienced in South Africa, was motivated by an inability of the majority of its population to deal with the complexity of their ‘oppression’ and quashing of their civil and personal ‘rights.’ The terrorism currently emanating from some Muslim societies is a reaction to the ‘oppression’ or suppression of religious values and ‘rights,’ among other things. Although almost all terrorists are fundamentalists, less than a majority of fundamentalists are terrorists. Therefore, to understand terrorism it is necessary to understand the nature of fundamentalism and its principal manifestations.

Uncovering system teleology: a case for reading unconscious patterns of purposive intent in organizations

Abstract: Contemporary organizations are teleological—purposive—structures, designed to fulfil myriad societal needs. The purposive efforts of any organization are shaped by knowledge. Organizational knowledge includes both conscious and unconscious dimensions. This paper argues that a similar duality applies to organizational teleology. Organizational behaviour unfolds in service to consciously understood teleological aims (such as corporate strategies and business plans) and also unconscious teleological aims (that are undesigned or emergent), which are subtler to detect. Said differently, organizational behaviour is always purposive. Many of the intentions driving organizational behaviour are publicly understood and sanctioned; others are less well understood and unsanctioned. To the degree that some purposive behaviour in organizations remains unconscious, it may detract resources from managerial objectives and confound organizational change efforts. Drawing from facets of systems theory, this paper briefly discusses collective, purposive, and patterned characteristics of unconscious behaviour that may help practitioners to detect and respond to it. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Chaos and Complexity Theory in Management: An Exploration from a Critical Systems Thinking Perspective

Abstract: This paper presents the theoretical and practical findings emerging from an exploratory study of Chaos and Complexity Theory (C&CT) as an alternative approach to propitiate new understandings about the nature of management in organisations. They show that C&CT is not theoretically coherent enough to be applied in practice.

Identification of normative sources for systems thinking: an inquiry into religious ground‐motives for systems thinking paradigms

Abstract: In celebration of C. West Churchman's work, this article investigates one of the most cherished endeavours of his thinking: to provide a normative meaning for the conduct of human affiars. Churchma ...

A critical systems intervention to improve the implementation of a district health system in KwaZulu–Natal

Abstract: This paper reports on a critical systems inquiry into the complexities of the implementation of a District Health System in the KwaZulu–Natal province of post-Apartheid South Africa. The inquiry process, which was ‘governed’ by Checkland's Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) and followed the four-phase learning cycle developed by Kolb, produced ‘conceptual models’ which enabled participant stakeholders to gain fresh perspectives on the context and, in so doing, to get the implementation process ‘unstuck’. At the theoretical/methodological level the paper contributes to the growing literature on the combination of systems methods by illustrating how conceptual models of purposeful human activity, a method intrinsic to SSM, were constructed from the participatory use of Concept Maps and Sign-graph Diagrams. We also reflect on the interrelationship between methodology/method combination and two other aspects of the intervention that we considered to be important for maintaining the ‘systemicity’ of the intervention, viz., the inquiry context and boundary critique. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Participatory democracy: drawing on C. West Churchman's thinking when making public policy

Abstract: The purpose of the paper is to not to restate or comment on the work of C West Churchman, but to celebrate his contribution by means of an example of the practical, praxis potential of his work The celebration is of an ongoing ‘work in progress’ project to address governance challenges by means of applying theory to practice and ‘learning by doing’ Churchman believed in the need for open systems and multiple viewpoints, in order to achieve better social inquiry outcomes Participatory democracy is based on active, creative participation in policy making, not merely on voting This case study discusses being a ‘facilitator of facilitators’ who together are in the process of developing an integrated model for governance that is defined and owned by an Indigenous public housing association comprising groups of extended families (on 18 town camps) in Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia The paper applies Churchman's thinking to participatory approaches to designing creative, systemic public policy Flinders University and the Indigenous local-level governance organization (a housing association) in Alice Springs are involved in addressing complex development challenges by working together in a community of practice that has been funded in part by a faculty grant and in part by the Centre of Remote Health, based at Flinders University and Northern Territory University This systemic approach is based on iterative learning across disciplinary, cultural and organizational boundaries to strive for ‘good’ development and management outcomes Dialectical thinking techniques are applied by members of a staff action group, called the TUT group, meaning both ‘a tutorial group’ in English and ‘working together’ in Arrernte The praxis techniques applied include: ‘sweeping in’, ‘unfolding’, being mindful of values (‘religious, aesthetic, moral and political’, the so-called ‘enemies within’) and their implications for the way we define and address problems This group forms the community of practice Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Multilevel webs stretched across time: retroactive and proactive inter‐influences

Abstract: Semantic Fields Theory (SFT) poses that the mind works through semantic network dynamics (i.e. knowledge acquisition) and specific semantic parameters. Consequently, the mind is intrinsically non-dependent on space-time and yet its dynamics crisscross it. Personal and collective anticipations and projections create a Multilevel Web (semantic forces coupled with their environment) which has the specificity of being conjointly tied to the present and future time of implementation. The resulting system, or Sygma-Web, instantiates proactive and retroactive properties, such as informing both the project's present context and its future context, and the trajectory in between. Using as an example the development of a new product, I argue that classical causality accounts for only a local effect of the future product (once released) on the future market. By contrast, the Sygma-Web formalization posits that collective expectations about a future shift in the market and consumer behaviours are specifically the force that changes the market in the direction of the expectations. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Factors that induce change in information systems

Abstract: Change cannot effectively be dealt with unless the nature of change is understood. This attitude to handling change is a point of departure for this work. Society changes, and conditions for organizations change. This will have a critical effect on the conditions for information systems. If necessary corrections are not made to the information system due to new conditions based on new demands on the information system, the information system will eventually be a system that no one will ask for. The purpose of this work is to specify the basis for making adequate corrections on information systems due to new conditions. Change factors, which will influence the conditions for an information system, have been identified by analysing studies in the literature where change factors that induce change to organizations are dealt with. A synthesis of change factors on the level of the organization has been transformed to the level of the individual, where the actual interaction between the information system and its context takes place. Furthermore, an empirical study based on approximately 150 interviews considering users' information needs in three Swedish government authorities has been considered in a synthesis. Based on that the following change factors have been found: external factors: type of work performed, working climate, time at disposal, competition, technology, laws and regulations, economy, feedback, environmental demands and expectations, culture, conflicts; internal factors: stress, experience, habits and motivation. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Economy of communion: systemic factors in the rise of a new entrepreneurship

Abstract: The Economy of Communion is an experience of social economy sprung from the praxis of the Focolare Movement, an ecumenical and inter-religious organization with roots in the Catholic Church. This radical social phenomenon is played out in intersecting local and global networks. Businesses operating within the paradigm form communications and ‘thought networks’ spanning the globe, but function typically within local markets. Within a decade this ideal has spread to 100 countries, attracted some 800 firms, generated almost 100 academic theses, and been accorded significant international recognition through UNESCO and the Council of Europe and through the award of various honorary doctorates by prestigious universities. This paper examines the systemic philosophical, cultural and organizational factors associated with its dissemination. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The legacy of C. West Churchman: a framework for social systems assessments

Abstract: This paper is an overview of a framework for social systems assessment based on my study and work with C. West Churchman. The framework is an outgrowth of the systems categories developed by Churchman as part of his definition of teleological systems. It is an expansion of the methodologies used for socio-economic impact assessments that has evolved out of the value distribution assessment process first used in my graduate studies of the impact of geothermal energy development on rural communities in northern California. This social systems assessment framework is inclusive of social systems analysis, social systems intervention and social systems redesign and provides an organizing structure for relating the diverse theories, methods and experiences of systems scholars and practitioners. This framework is part of the rich legacy of systems approaches that continue to be developed from the seminal work of C. West Churchman. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The paradigm of the science of management and of the management science disciplines

Abstract: This essay explores C. West Churchman's contributions to the development of the paradigm of the science of management and of management science. No other contemporary thinker has contributed more than Churchman to the elaboration of the management paradigm. In his unique way, and throughout his professional life, he has raised our level of consciousness concerning the unfinished business of the discipline. Given the eclectic nature of Churchman's mind, it would be impossible to do him justice and make a complete list of the methodological and epistemological issues that he has studied. In this essay, we illustrate the ideas that, to our mind, will have the greatest impact on the future direction of the discipline. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Measuring the effect of highly cited papers in OR/systems journals: a survey of articles citing the work of Checkland and Jackson

Abstract: The UK OR/systems community has been actively promoting the development and the use of management science methodologies (MSM) over the last decades. A number of systems thinkers have been influential in promoting them. To understand this development, this paper proposes a general framework in which four paradigms/stages are identified. To assess the influence of individuals in this development a model that attempts to 'measure’ the effects of cited work is advanced. Using the ISI database citation index for the period 1981–2000 a survey on articles citing the work of two authors representative of two stages of MSM development is conducted. The paper reports on the number of articles citing Checkland’s and Jackson’s most cited papers. The journals surveyed were a sample of OR, systems and IT refereed journals. The results suggest that, judging from the number of citations to their work, the two mentioned authors have been influential at different points of the UK OR/systems movement.

Systems thinking and the disclosure of a technological society: some philosophical reflections

Abstract: This paper resulted from an interdisciplinary research project named ‘Disclosive Systems Thinking’ that aimed at stimulating cooperation and exchange between research in systems methodology on the one hand and philosophy, particularly philosophy of technology, on the other. Against the background of the history of the philosophy of technology, a proposal is made for an ‘integrative’ approach to technology. Two ideas are introduced that are fundamental to an integrative philosophy of technology. First, emphasis is laid on the systems dimensions of modern technology. Sociotechnical systems are identified as the environment of our lives in a modern ‘technological’ society. Second, the idea of the ‘disclosure’ of a technological society is advanced as implying a process of structuring and restructuring the variety of systems in our technological society in a way that contributes to the opening up of human life. Finally, ‘disclosive systems thinking’ is proposed as a practice-oriented systems methodology that differs fundamentally both from ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ systems thinking in its view on normativity and human values. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Self-guided/conscious evolution

Abstract: I start out by mapping the evolutionary journey of our species. I focus on the cultural evolution of the last 50,000 years of our seven million year journey. Studying the journey I have learned how evolution has worked in the evolutionary design space and what its principles and rules are. This led me to attain evolutionary consciousness. Evolutionary consciousness became the springboard to leap into conscious evolution and propose ways and means by which to engage in self-guided evolution. In closing, I introduce an evolutionary design process, metaphorically called the Agora Project: building new agoras in the 21st century. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Study on the chaos model of liquidity in the stock market

Abstract: For a Stock Market, the critical problem is the maintenance of its liquidity. Market liquidity can be described in various ways, in particular, in terms of the bid/offer spread and the market depth. Model of market liquidity dynamics has been proposed in Schmidt, A.B.' literate. In our study, we improve his model. On one hand, we think that trading volume is determined by the total number of traders, as well as the relations between the numbers of buyers and sellers, while the model of Schmidt only considers the first, item. On the other hand, Schmidt assumes that the number of \"newcomers\" in the market is in proportion to the current number of trades. However, we all know that the continual rise or fall of the price will also attract more buyers or sellers, that, is, \"newcomers\", into the market, which he has not taken for granted. We also prove it, to be a chaos model through analysis of Lyapunov exponent. On the assumption that price variation can be neglected, we discuss the conditions in which chaos will emerge. Finally, we implement a computer simulation of the model in MATLAB, and get more interesting results.

Living systems science methodology for managing complexity and change

Abstract: Methodologies for managing complexity and change based on living systems science are presented. Managing complexity and change requires an understanding of complex systems and their environments. Living systems science provides a means for understanding both the static and dynamic characteristics of living systems. This understanding is based on identification of the determinants of a system's behaviors and on the relationship between these behaviors and the determinants of behavior. Managing complex systems and their changes requires identification of those determinants that can be changed (managed) and the development of methodologies for analyzing systems' behaviors when the determinants are varied. The determinants of complex systems' behaviors are identified and methodologies for managing complex systems are provided. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A three-phase design methodology for complex social systems

Abstract: The complexity of a theory must adapt to the complexity of the corresponding reality. According to classical systems theory, it is the structure that characterizes the organizing status of an organization or a system. This paper discusses the complexity of social systems, especially from the perspective of China's transformation, and argues that the organizing status of social systems can be conceived at three levels: institutional tizhi, organizational structure and operational guifan. To meet the needs of tackling complex social system issues, the paper further proposes a three-phase design methodology which has made differences in the context of China's recent transition. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.