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Soft Systems Methodology in Action

Author: Peter Checkland

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 1999-09-28

Total Pages: 438

ISBN-13: 0471986054

Soft Systems Methodology in Action "Whether by design, accident or merely synchronicity, Checkland appears to have developed a habit of writing seminal publications near the start of each decade which establish the basis and framework for systems methodology research for that decade." Hamish Rennie, Journal of the Operational Research Society, 1992 Thirty years ago Peter Checkland set out to test whether the Systems Engineering (SE) approach, highly successful in technical problems, could be used by managers coping with the unfolding complexities of organizational life. The straightforward transfer of SE to the broader situations of management was not possible, but by insisting on a combination of systems thinking strongly linked to real-world practice Checkland and his collaborators developed an alternative approach - Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) - which enables managers of all kinds and at any level to deal with the subtleties and confusions of the situations they face. This work established the now accepted distinction between 'hard' systems thinking, in which parts of the world are taken to be 'systems' which can be 'engineered', and 'soft' systems thinking in which the focus is on making sure the process of inquiry into real-world complexity is itself a system for learning. Systems Thinking, Systems Practice (1981) and Soft Systems Methodology in Action (1990) together with an earlier paper Towards a Systems-based Methodology for Real-World Problem Solving (1972) have long been recognized as classics in the field. Now-Peter Checkland has looked back over the three decades of SSM development, brought the account of it up to date, and reflected on the whole evolutionary process which has produced a mature SSM. SSM: A 30-Year Retrospective, here included with Soft Systems Methodology in Action closes a chapter on what is undoubtedly the most significant single research programme on the use of systems ideas in problem solving. Now retired from full-time university work, Peter Checkland continues his research as a Leverhulme Emeritus Fellow.

Soft Systems Methodology

Author: Brian Wilson

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2001-06-22

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13:

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Conceptual model building is accepted as a key phase in Soft Systems Methodology. Despite the recognition of the importance of the SSM, students are still experiencing difficulty with the basic process of conceptual model building. This book addresses that issue.

Applications of Soft Systems Methodology for Organizational Change

Author: Maryam Ebrahimi

Publisher:

Published: 2020

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 9781799845041

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Systems thinking is a method of problem solving that deals with various cultural issues including conflict and compromise. In recent years, researchers have begun studying this approach and applying it within several professional fields, specifically organizations and business management. In the modern age of information, professionals are continually looking for new methods to improve traditional practices within their field. Improving organizational practices through the implementation of the soft systems approach is a growing research area that requires in-depth discussion and case studies. Applications of Soft Systems Methodology for Organizational Change is a collection of innovative research on the theories and practices of soft systems and their application within organizational and industrial analysis. While highlighting topics including agent-based modeling, sustainable energy initiatives, and natural resources allocation, this book is ideally designed for researchers, designers, managers, analysts, practitioners, executives, academicians, and students seeking current research on the theories and applications of soft systems design.

Encyclopedia of Operations Research and Management Science

Author: Saul I. Gass

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 774

ISBN-13: 1461304598

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Operations Research: 1934-1941," 35, 1, 143-152; "British The goal of the Encyclopedia of Operations Research and Operational Research in World War II," 35, 3, 453-470; Management Science is to provide to decision makers and "U. S. Operations Research in World War II," 35, 6, 910-925; problem solvers in business, industry, government and and the 1984 article by Harold Lardner that appeared in academia a comprehensive overview of the wide range of Operations Research: "The Origin of Operational Research," ideas, methodologies, and synergistic forces that combine to 32, 2, 465-475. form the preeminent decision-aiding fields of operations re search and management science (OR/MS). To this end, we The Encyclopedia contains no entries that define the fields enlisted a distinguished international group of academics of operations research and management science. OR and MS and practitioners to contribute articles on subjects for are often equated to one another. If one defines them by the which they are renowned. methodologies they employ, the equation would probably The editors, working with the Encyclopedia's Editorial stand inspection. If one defines them by their historical Advisory Board, surveyed and divided OR/MS into specific developments and the classes of problems they encompass, topics that collectively encompass the foundations, applica the equation becomes fuzzy. The formalism OR grew out of tions, and emerging elements of this ever-changing field. We the operational problems of the British and U. s. military also wanted to establish the close associations that OR/MS efforts in World War II.

Problem Solving in Business and Management

Author: MICHAEL J. HICKS

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2013-11-27

Total Pages: 345

ISBN-13: 1489971483

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Learning For Action

Author: Peter Checkland

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2007-04-02

Total Pages: 230

ISBN-13: 0470025549

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From the father of Soft Systems Methodology (SSM), Peter Checkland, comes a new, accessible text which clearly and concisely looks at SSM. The book leaves out all of the development detail and historical/intellectual material which can be found in Checkland’s other classic works, but contains the practical essentials that will allow teachers to teach SSM accurately and students to learn it with real understanding. Features: · Short and definitive account of SSM containing the practical essentials. · Written with great clarity and presented in a reader-friendly way. · Contains examples of SSM in action. · Includes cases.

The Emerging Consensus in Social Systems Theory

Author: Kenneth C. Bausch

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 551

ISBN-13: 1461512638

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In The Emerging Consensus of Social Systems Theory Bausch summarizes the works of over 30 major systemic theorists. He then goes on to show the converging areas of consensus among these out-standing thinkers. Bausch categorizes the social aspects of current systemic thinking as falling into five broadly thematic areas: designing social systems, the structure of the social world, communication, cognition and epistemology. These five areas are foundational for a theoretic and practical systemic synthesis. They were topics of contention in a historic debate between Habermas and Luhmann in the early 1970's. They continue to be contentious topics within the study of social philosophy. Since the 1970's, systemic thinking has taken great strides in the areas of mathematics, physics, biology, psychology, and sociology. This book presents a spectrum of those theoretical advances. It synthesizes what various strains of contemporary systems science have to say about social processes and assesses the quality of the resulting integrated explanations. Bausch gives a detailed study of the works of many present-day systems theorists, both in general terms, and with regard to social processes. He then creates and validates integrated representations of their thoughts with respect to his own thematic classifications. He provides a background of systemic thinking from an historical context, as well as detailed studies of developments in sociological, cognitive and evolutionary theory. This book presents a coherent, dynamic model of a self-organizing world. It proposes a creative and ethical method of decision-making and design. It makes explicit the relations between structure and process in the realms of knowledge and being. The new methodology that evolves in this book allows us to deal with enormous complexity, and to relate ideas so as to draw out previously unsuspected conclusions and syntheses. Therein lies the elegance and utility of this model.

Soft Systems Thinking, Methodology and the Management of Change

Author: Brian Wilson

Publisher: Red Globe Press

Published: 2015-06-17

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 1137432683

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"Brian Wilson, one of the originators of Soft Systems Methodology, and Kees van Haperen, a widely experienced SSM consultant, illustrate how this branch of systems engineering is applied to a range of highly complex business scenarios to achieve improved performance. This book will appeal to students of SSM and consultants working in the field"--

Systems

Author: Brian Wilson

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 1991-01-08

Total Pages: 419

ISBN-13: 0471927163

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Systems: Concepts, Methodologies and Applications Second Edition Brian Wilson Department of Systems and Information Management Lancaster University, UK The result of many years' experience, this book, now extensively revised and updated, emphasizes the application of systems concepts and methodologies that have been developed at Lancaster University. In particular the book is about problem solving and the relationship between theory and practice. Complementary to Systems Thinking, Systems Practice by Peter Checkland (Wiley, 1981), which has become a classic in the field, this book shows how systems ideas can be used to cope with real-life problems. Reviews of the first edition-- ... an excellent book which provides a synthesis of the action-research undertaken by the well-known Department of Systems, University of Lancaster ... Wilson's lucid style of writing and the historical perspective of the Lancaster learning experience provide a strong contextural case for the concept of a human activity system to investigate 'badly-defined' [Checkland's 'soft'] systems. Chris Beaumont, Journal of the Operational Research Society, January 1985 ... This volume, expertly compiled by Brian Wilson, is the latest and probably the clearest statement in book form of the philosophy of that department [Department of Systems, University of Lancaster] ... a volume which deserves to be read ... E. R. Carson, Kybernetes, 12, 1985 ... Systems: Concepts, Methodologies and Applications is Wilson's account of his professional life at Lancaster since then (1966). His careful reflection on the work of so many years deserves attention. Trevor Williams, Futures, December 1985

Software Quality and Productivity

Author: M. Lee

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2013-04-17

Total Pages: 400

ISBN-13: 0387348484

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As the world becomes increasingly dependent on the use of computers, the need for quality software which can be produced at reasonable cost increases. This IFIP proceedings brings together the work of leading researchers and practitioners who are concerned with the efficient production of quality software.