Details

Critical Systems Thinking and the Management of Complexity


Critical Systems Thinking and the Management of Complexity


1. Aufl.

von: Michael C. Jackson

61,99 €

Verlag: Wiley
Format: EPUB
Veröffentl.: 15.03.2019
ISBN/EAN: 9781119118398
Sprache: englisch
Anzahl Seiten: 736

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Beschreibungen

<p><b>From the winner of the INCOSE Pioneer Award 2022</b><br /><br />The world has become increasingly networked and unpredictable. Decision makers at all levels are required to manage the consequences of complexity every day. They must deal with problems that arise unexpectedly, generate uncertainty, are characterised by interconnectivity, and spread across traditional boundaries. Simple solutions to complex problems are usually inadequate and risk exacerbating the original issues.</p> <p>Leaders of international bodies such as the UN, OECD, UNESCO and WHO — and of major business, public sector, charitable, and professional organizations — have all declared that systems thinking is an essential leadership skill for managing the complexity of the economic, social and environmental issues that confront decision makers. Systems thinking must be implemented more generally, and on a wider scale, to address these issues.</p> <p>An evaluation of different systems methodologies suggests that they concentrate on different aspects of complexity. To be in the best position to deal with complexity, decision makers must understand the strengths and weaknesses of the various approaches and learn how to employ them in combination. This is called critical systems thinking. Making use of over 25 case studies, the book offers an account of the development of systems thinking and of major efforts to apply the approach in real-world interventions. Further, it encourages the widespread use of critical systems practice as a means of ensuring responsible leadership in a complex world.<br /><br /><i>The INCOSE Pioneer Award is presented to someone who, by their achievements in the engineering of systems, has contributed uniquely to major products or outcomes enhancing society or meeting its needs. The criteria may apply to a single outstanding outcome or a lifetime of significant achievements in effecting successful systems.</i></p> <p>Comments on a previous version of the book:</p> <p>Russ Ackoff: ‘the book is the best overview of the field I have seen’</p> <p>JP van Gigch: ‘Jackson does a masterful job. The book is lucid ...well written and eminently readable’</p> <p>Professional Manager (Journal of the Chartered Management Institute): ‘Provides an excellent guide and introduction to systems thinking for students of management’</p>
<p>Preface xvii</p> <p>Introduction xxv</p> <p><b>Part I Systems Thinking in the Disciplines 1</b></p> <p>1 Philosophy 3</p> <p>1.1 Introduction 3</p> <p>1.2 Kant 4</p> <p>1.3 Hegel 8</p> <p>1.4 Pragmatism 9</p> <p>1.5 Husserl and Phenomenology 10</p> <p>1.6 Radical Constructivism 11</p> <p>1.7 Conclusion 12</p> <p><b>2 The Physical Sciences and the Scientific Method 15</b></p> <p>2.1 Introduction 15</p> <p>2.2 The Scientific Method and the Scientific Revolution 16</p> <p>2.3 The Physical Sciences in the Modern Era 19</p> <p>2.4 The Scientific Method in the Modern Era 21</p> <p>2.5 Extending the Scientific Method to Other Disciplines 24</p> <p>2.6 Conclusion 25</p> <p><b>3 The Life Sciences 27</b></p> <p>3.1 Introduction 27</p> <p>3.2 Biology 27</p> <p>3.3 Ecology 35</p> <p>3.4 Conclusion 40</p> <p><b>4 The Social Sciences 43</b></p> <p>4.1 Introduction 43</p> <p>4.2 Functionalism 44</p> <p>4.3 Interpretive Social Theory 49</p> <p>4.4 The Sociology of Radical Change 52</p> <p>4.5 Postmodernism and Poststructuralism 56</p> <p>4.6 Integrationist Social Theory 59</p> <p>4.7 Luhmann’s Social Systems Theory 62</p> <p>4.8 Action Research 67</p> <p>4.9 Conclusion 68</p> <p><b>Part II The Systems Sciences 71</b></p> <p><b>5 General Systems Theory 75</b></p> <p>5.1 Introduction 75</p> <p>5.2 von Bertalanffy and General System Theory 75</p> <p>5.3 von Bertalanffy’s Collaborators and the Society for General Systems Research 79</p> <p>5.4 Miller and the Search for Isomorphisms at Different System Levels 80</p> <p>5.5 Boulding, Emergence and the Centrality of “The Image” 82</p> <p>5.6 The Influence of General Systems Theory 85</p> <p>5.7 Conclusion 86</p> <p><b>6 Cybernetics 89</b></p> <p>6.1 Introduction 89</p> <p>6.2 First‐Order Cybernetics 91</p> <p>6.3 British Cybernetics 95</p> <p>6.4 Second‐Order Cybernetics 102</p> <p>6.5 Conclusion 108</p> <p><b>7 Complexity Theory 111</b></p> <p>7.1 Introduction 111</p> <p>7.2 Chaos Theory 112</p> <p>7.3 Dissipative Structures 117</p> <p>7.4 Complex Adaptive Systems 119</p> <p>7.5 Complexity Theory and Management 125</p> <p>7.6 Complexity Theory and Systems Thinking 136</p> <p>7.7 Conclusion 144</p> <p><b>Part III Systems Practice 147</b></p> <p><b>8 A System of Systems Methodologies 151</b></p> <p>8.1 Introduction 151</p> <p>8.2 Critical or “Second‐Order” Systems Thinking 152</p> <p>8.3 Toward a System of Systems Methodologies 155</p> <p>8.3.1 Preliminary Considerations 155</p> <p>8.3.2 Beer’s Classification of Systems 155</p> <p>8.3.3 The Original “System of Systems Methodologies” 157</p> <p>8.3.4 Snowden’s Cynefin Framework 160</p> <p>8.3.5 A Revised “System of Systems Methodologies” 162</p> <p>8.4 The Development of Applied Systems Thinking 166</p> <p>8.5 Systems Thinking and the Management of Complexity 169</p> <p>8.6 Conclusion 169</p> <p><b>Type A Systems Approaches for Technical Complexity 171</b></p> <p><b>9 Operational Research, Systems Analysis, Systems Engineering (Hard Systems Thinking) 173</b></p> <p>9.1 Prologue 173</p> <p>9.2 Description of Hard Systems Thinking 175</p> <p>9.2.1 Historical Development 175</p> <p>9.2.2 Philosophy and Theory 177</p> <p>9.2.3 Methodology 179</p> <p>9.2.4 Methods 182</p> <p>9.2.5 Developments in Hard Systems Thinking 184</p> <p>9.3 Hard Systems Thinking in Action 188</p> <p>9.4 Critique of Hard Systems Thinking 191</p> <p>9.5 Comments 196</p> <p>9.6 The Value of Hard Systems Thinking to Managers 197</p> <p>9.7 Conclusion 197</p> <p><b>Type B Systems Approaches for Process Complexity 199</b></p> <p><b>10 The Vanguard Method 201</b></p> <p>10.1 Prologue 201</p> <p>10.2 Description of the Vanguard Method 203</p> <p>10.2.1 Historical Development 203</p> <p>10.2.2 Philosophy and Theory 206</p> <p>10.2.3 Methodology 209</p> <p>10.2.4 Methods 211</p> <p>10.3 The Vanguard Method in Action 212</p> <p>10.3.1 Check 213</p> <p>10.3.2 Plan 215</p> <p>10.3.3 Do 216</p> <p>10.4 Critique of the Vanguard Method 220</p> <p>10.5 Comments 224</p> <p>10.6 The Value of the Vanguard Method to Managers 225</p> <p>10.7 Conclusion 226</p> <p><b>Type C Systems Approaches for Structural Complexity 227</b></p> <p><b>11 System Dynamics 229</b></p> <p>11.1 Prologue 229</p> <p>11.2 Description of System Dynamics 231</p> <p>11.2.1 Historical Development 231</p> <p>11.2.2 Philosophy and Theory 233</p> <p>11.2.3 Methodology 241</p> <p>11.2.4 Methods 244</p> <p>11.3 System Dynamics in Action 247</p> <p>11.4 Critique of System Dynamics 249</p> <p>11.5 Comments 258</p> <p>11.6 The Value of System Dynamics to Managers 258</p> <p>11.7 Conclusion 259</p> <p><b>Type D Systems Approaches for Organizational Complexity 261</b></p> <p><b>12 Socio‐Technical Systems Thinking 263</b></p> <p>12.1 Prologue 263</p> <p>12.2 Description of Socio‐Technical Systems Thinking 264</p> <p>12.2.1 Historical Development 264</p> <p>12.2.2 Philosophy and Theory 268</p> <p>12.2.3 Methodology 276</p> <p>12.2.4 Methods 279</p> <p>12.3 Socio‐Technical Systems Thinking in Action 280</p> <p>12.4 Critique of Socio‐Technical Systems Thinking 281</p> <p>12.5 Comments 288</p> <p>12.6 The Value of Socio‐Technical Systems Thinking to Managers 289</p> <p>12.7 Conclusion 289</p> <p><b>13 Organizational Cybernetics and the Viable System Model 291</b></p> <p>13.1 Prologue 291</p> <p>13.2 Description of Organizational Cybernetics 296</p> <p>13.2.1 Historical Development 296</p> <p>13.2.2 Philosophy and Theory 299</p> <p>13.2.3 Methodology 311</p> <p>13.2.4 Methods 317</p> <p>13.3 Organizational Cybernetics in Action 320</p> <p>13.4 Critique of Organizational Cybernetics and the Viable System Model 325</p> <p>13.5 Comments 337</p> <p>13.6 The Value of Organizational Cybernetics to Managers 339</p> <p>13.7 Conclusion 340</p> <p><b>Type E Systems Approaches for People Complexity 341</b></p> <p><b>14 Strategic Assumption Surfacing and Testing 343</b></p> <p>14.1 Prologue 343</p> <p>14.2 Description of Strategic Assumption Surfacing and Testing 346</p> <p>14.2.1 Historical Development 346</p> <p>14.2.2 Philosophy and Theory 348</p> <p>14.2.3 Methodology 353</p> <p>14.2.4 Methods 355</p> <p>14.3 Strategic Assumption Surfacing and Testing in Action 357</p> <p>14.4 Critique of Strategic Assumption Surfacing and Testing 360</p> <p>14.5 Comments 365</p> <p>14.6 The Value of Strategic Assumption Surfacing and Testing to Managers 366</p> <p>14.7 Conclusion 367</p> <p><b>15 Interactive Planning 369</b></p> <p>15.1 Prologue 369</p> <p>15.2 Description of Interactive Planning 371</p> <p>15.2.1 Historical Development 371</p> <p>15.2.2 Philosophy and Theory 375</p> <p>15.2.3 Methodology 379</p> <p>15.2.4 Methods 382</p> <p>15.3 Interactive Planning in Action 384</p> <p>15.4 Critique of Interactive Planning 388</p> <p>15.5 Comments 394</p> <p>15.6 The Value of Interactive Planning to Managers 395</p> <p>15.7 Conclusion 395</p> <p><b>16 Soft Systems Methodology 397</b></p> <p>16.1 Prologue 397</p> <p>16.2 Description of Soft Systems Methodology 401</p> <p>16.2.1 Historical Development 401</p> <p>16.2.2 Philosophy and Theory 404</p> <p>16.2.3 Methodology 411</p> <p>16.2.4 Methods 420</p> <p>16.3 Soft Systems Methodology in Action 427</p> <p>16.4 Critique of Soft Systems Methodology 431</p> <p>16.5 Comments 441</p> <p>16.6 The Value of Soft Systems Methodology to Managers 442</p> <p>16.7 Conclusion 443</p> <p><b>Type F Systems Approaches for Coercive Complexity 445</b></p> <p><b>17 Team Syntegrity 447</b></p> <p>17.1 Prologue 447</p> <p>17.2 Description of Team Syntegrity 449</p> <p>17.2.1 Historical Development 449</p> <p>17.2.2 Philosophy and Theory 450</p> <p>17.2.3 Methodology 455</p> <p>17.2.4 Methods 458</p> <p>17.3 Team Syntegrity in Action 459</p> <p>17.4 Critique of Team Syntegrity 462</p> <p>17.5 Comments 468</p> <p>17.6 The Value of Team Syntegrity to Managers 470</p> <p>17.7 Conclusion 470</p> <p><b>18 Critical Systems Heuristics 471</b></p> <p>18.1 Prologue 471</p> <p>18.2 Description of Critical Systems Heuristics 473</p> <p>18.2.1 Historical Development 473</p> <p>18.2.2 Philosophy and Theory 476</p> <p>18.2.3 Methodology 479</p> <p>18.2.4 Methods 484</p> <p>18.3 Critical Systems Heuristics in Action 485</p> <p>18.4 Critique of Critical Systems Heuristics 490</p> <p>18.5 Comments 502</p> <p>18.6 The Value of Critical Systems Heuristics to Managers 508</p> <p>18.7 Conclusion 509</p> <p><b>Part IV Critical Systems Thinking 511</b></p> <p><b>19 Critical Systems Theory 515</b></p> <p>19.1 Introduction 515</p> <p>19.2 The Origins of Critical Systems Theory 516</p> <p>19.2.1 Critical Awareness 517</p> <p>19.2.2 Pluralism 519</p> <p>19.2.3 Emancipation or Improvement 522</p> <p>19.3 Critical Systems Theory and the Management Sciences 524</p> <p>19.4 Conclusion 528</p> <p><b>20 Critical Systems Thinking and Multimethodology 531</b></p> <p>20.1 Introduction 531</p> <p>20.2 Total Systems Intervention 540</p> <p>20.2.1 Background 540</p> <p>20.2.2 Multimethodology 541</p> <p>20.2.3 Case Study 545</p> <p>20.2.4 Critique 553</p> <p>20.3 Systemic Intervention 558</p> <p>20.3.1 Background 558</p> <p>20.3.2 Multimethodology 559</p> <p>20.3.3 Case Study 562</p> <p>20.3.4 Critique 565</p> <p>20.4 Critical Realism and Multimethodology 568</p> <p>20.4.1 Background 568</p> <p>20.4.2 Multimethodology 570</p> <p>20.4.3 Case Study 572</p> <p>20.4.4 Critique 572</p> <p>20.5 Conclusion 576</p> <p><b>21 Critical Systems Practice 577</b></p> <p>21.1 Prologue 577</p> <p>21.2 Description of Critical Systems Practice 579</p> <p>21.2.1 Historical Development 579</p> <p>21.2.2 Philosophy and Theory 581</p> <p>21.2.3 Multimethodology 593</p> <p>21.2.4 Methodologies 601</p> <p>21.2.5 Methods 604</p> <p>21.3 Critical Systems Practice in Action 607</p> <p>21.3.1 North Yorkshire Police 607</p> <p>21.3.2 Kingston Gas Turbines 617</p> <p>21.3.3 Hull University Business School 621</p> <p>21.4 Critique of Critical Systems Practice 632</p> <p>21.5 Comments 637</p> <p>21.6 The Value of Critical Systems Practice to Managers 638</p> <p>21.7 Conclusion 638</p> <p>Conclusion 641</p> <p>References 645</p> <p>Index 679</p>
<p><b>MICHAEL C. JACKSON</b> is Emeritus Professor at the University of Hull, editor- in-chief of <i>Systems Research and Behavioral Science,</i> and MD of Systems Research Ltd. He graduated from Oxford University, gained an MA from Lancaster University and a PhD from Hull, and has worked in the civil service, in academia and as a consultant. Between 1999 and 2011, Mike was Dean of Hull University Business School, leading it to triple-crown accreditation. Mike has been President of the International Federation for Systems Research and the International Society for the Systems Sciences. He is a Companion of the Association of Business Schools, a Chartered IT Professional, and a Fellow of the British Computer Society, the Cybernetics Society, the Chartered Management Institute, the Operational Research Society and the International Academy for Systems and Cybernetic Sciences. Mike has received many awards, two honorary degrees, and has been a visiting professor at numerous international universities. In 2011 he was awarded an OBE for services to higher education and business. In 2017 he received the Beale Medal of the UK Operational Research Society for 'a sustained contribution over many years to the theory, practice, or philosophy of Operational Research.' The previous version of this book<i> Systems Thinking: Creative Holism for Managers</i> was translated into four languages.
<p>The world has become increasingly networked and unpredictable. Decision makers at all levels are required to manage the consequences of complexity every day. They must deal with problems that arise unexpectedly, generate uncertainty, are characterised by interconnectivity, and spread across traditional boundaries. Simple solutions to complex problems are usually inadequate and risk exacerbating the original issues. <p>Leaders of international bodies such as the UN, OECD, UNESCO, and WHO — and of major business, public sector, charitable, and professional organizations — have all declared that systems thinking is an essential leadership skill for managing the complexity of the economic, social and environmental issues that confront decision makers. Systems thinking must be implemented more generally, and on a wider scale, to address these issues. <p>An evaluation of different systems methodologies suggests that they concentrate on different aspects of complexity. To be in the best position to deal with complexity, decision makers must understand the strengths and weaknesses of the various approaches and learn how to employ them in combination. This is called critical systems thinking. Making use of over 25 case studies, the book offers an account of the development of systems thinking and of major efforts to apply the approach in real-world interventions. Further, it encourages the widespread use of critical systems practice as a means of ensuring responsible leadership in a complex world. <p><b>Comments on a previous version of the book:</b> <p>Russ Ackoff: 'the book is the best overview of the field I have seen' <p>JP van Gigch: 'Jackson does a masterful job. The book is lucid ...well written and eminently readable' <p>Professional Manager (<i>Journal of the Chartered Management Institute</i>): 'Provides an excellent guide and introduction to systems thinking for students of management'

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