Critical Systems Thinking and the Management of Complexity: Responsible Leadership for a Complex World

Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Contents
Preface
Introduction
Part I Systems Thinking in the Disciplines
	Chapter 1 Philosophy
		1.1 Introduction
		1.2 Kant
		1.3 Hegel
		1.4 Pragmatism
		1.5 Husserl and Phenomenology
		1.6 Radical Constructivism
		1.7 Conclusion
	Chapter 2 The Physical Sciences and the Scientific Method
		2.1 Introduction
		2.2 The Scientific Method and the Scientific Revolution
		2.3 The Physical Sciences in the Modern Era
		2.4 The Scientific Method in the Modern Era
		2.5 Extending the Scientific Method to Other Disciplines
		2.6 Conclusion
	Chapter 3 The Life Sciences
		3.1 Introduction
		3.2 Biology
		3.3 Ecology
		3.4 Conclusion
	Chapter 4 The Social Sciences
		4.1 Introduction
		4.2 Functionalism
		4.3 Interpretive Social Theory
		4.4 The Sociology of Radical Change
		4.5 Postmodernism and Poststructuralism
		4.6 Integrationist Social Theory
		4.7 Luhmann’s Social Systems Theory
		4.8 Action Research
		4.9 Conclusion
Part II The Systems Sciences
	Chapter 5 General Systems Theory
		5.1 Introduction
		5.2 von Bertalanffy and General System Theory
		5.3 von Bertalanffy’s Collaborators and the Society for General Systems Research
		5.4 Miller and the Search for Isomorphisms at Different System Levels
		5.5 Boulding, Emergence and the Centrality of “The Image”
		5.6 The Influence of General Systems Theory
		5.7 Conclusion
	Chapter 6 Cybernetics
		6.1 Introduction
		6.2 First‐Order Cybernetics
		6.3 British Cybernetics
		6.4 Second‐Order Cybernetics
		6.5 Conclusion
	Chapter 7 Complexity Theory
		7.1 Introduction
		7.2 Chaos Theory
		7.3 Dissipative Structures
		7.4 Complex Adaptive Systems
		7.5 Complexity Theory and Management
		7.6 Complexity Theory and Systems Thinking
		7.7 Conclusion
Part III Systems Practice
	Chapter 8 A System of Systems Methodologies
		8.1 Introduction
		8.2 Critical or “Second‐Order” Systems Thinking
		8.3 Toward a System of Systems Methodologies
			8.3.1 Preliminary Considerations
			8.3.2 Beer’s Classification of Systems
			8.3.3 The Original “System of Systems Methodologies”
			8.3.4 Snowden’s Cynefin Framework
			8.3.5 A Revised “System of Systems Methodologies”
		8.4 The Development of Applied Systems Thinking
		8.5 Systems Thinking and the Management of Complexity
		8.6 Conclusion
Part III Type A Systems Approaches for Technical Complexity
	Chapter 9 Operational Research, Systems Analysis, Systems Engineering (Hard Systems Thinking)
		9.1 Prologue
		9.2 Description of Hard Systems Thinking
			9.2.1 Historical Development
			9.2.2 Philosophy and Theory
			9.2.3 Methodology
			9.2.4 Methods
			9.2.5 Developments in Hard Systems Thinking
		9.3 Hard Systems Thinking in Action
		9.4 Critique of Hard Systems Thinking
		9.5 Comments
		9.6 The Value of Hard Systems Thinking to Managers
		9.7 Conclusion
Part III Type B Systems Approaches for Process Complexity
	Chapter 10 The Vanguard Method
		10.1 Prologue
		10.2 Description of the Vanguard Method
			10.2.1 Historical Development
			10.2.2 Philosophy and Theory
			10.2.3 Methodology
			10.2.4 Methods
		10.3 The Vanguard Method in Action
			10.3.1 Check
			10.3.2 Plan
			10.3.3 Do
		10.4 Critique of the Vanguard Method
		10.5 Comments
		10.6 The Value of the Vanguard Method to Managers
		10.7 Conclusion
Part III Type C Systems Approaches for Structural Complexity
	Chapter 11 System Dynamics
		11.1 Prologue
		11.2 Description of System Dynamics
			11.2.1 Historical Development
			11.2.2 Philosophy and Theory
			11.2.3 Methodology
			11.2.4 Methods
		11.3 System Dynamics in Action
		11.4 Critique of System Dynamics
		11.5 Comments
		11.6 The Value of System Dynamics to Managers
		11.7 Conclusion
Part III Type D Systems Approaches for Organizational Complexity
	Chapter 12 Socio‐Technical Systems Thinking
		12.1 Prologue
		12.2 Description of Socio‐Technical Systems Thinking
			12.2.1 Historical Development
			12.2.2 Philosophy and Theory
			12.2.3 Methodology
			12.2.4 Methods
		12.3 Socio‐Technical Systems Thinking in Action
		12.4 Critique of Socio‐Technical Systems Thinking
		12.5 Comments
		12.6 The Value of Socio‐Technical Systems Thinking to Managers
		12.7 Conclusion
	Chapter 13 Organizational Cybernetics and the Viable System Model
		13.1 Prologue
		13.2 Description of Organizational Cybernetics
			13.2.1 Historical Development
			13.2.2 Philosophy and Theory
			13.2.3 Methodology
			13.2.4 Methods
		13.3 Organizational Cybernetics in Action
		13.4 Critique of Organizational Cybernetics andthe Viable System Model
		13.5 Comments
		13.6 The Value of Organizational Cybernetics to Managers
		13.7 Conclusion
Part III Type E Systems Approaches for People Complexity
	Chapter 14 Strategic Assumption Surfacing and Testing
		14.1 Prologue
		14.2 Description of Strategic Assumption Surfacing and Testing
			14.2.1 Historical Development
			14.2.2 Philosophy and Theory
			14.2.3 Methodology
			14.2.4 Methods
		14.3 Strategic Assumption Surfacing and Testing in Action
		14.4 Critique of Strategic Assumption Surfacing and Testing
		14.5 Comments
		14.6 The Value of Strategic Assumption Surfacing and Testing to Managers
		14.7 Conclusion
	Chapter 15 Interactive Planning
		15.1 Prologue
		15.2 Description of Interactive Planning
			15.2.1 Historical Development
			15.2.2 Philosophy and Theory
			15.2.3 Methodology
			15.2.4 Methods
		15.3 Interactive Planning in Action
		15.4 Critique of Interactive Planning
		15.5 Comments
		15.6 The Value of Interactive Planning to Managers
		15.7 Conclusion
	Chapter 16 Soft Systems Methodology
		16.1 Prologue
		16.2 Description of Soft Systems Methodology
			16.2.1 Historical Development
			16.2.2 Philosophy and Theory
			16.2.3 Methodology
			16.2.4 Methods
		16.3 Soft Systems Methodology in Action
		16.4 Critique of Soft Systems Methodology
		16.5 Comments
		16.6 The Value of Soft Systems Methodology to Managers
		16.7 Conclusion
Part III Type F Systems Approaches for Coercive Complexity
	Chapter 17 Team Syntegrity
		17.1 Prologue
		17.2 Description of Team Syntegrity
			17.2.1 Historical Development
			17.2.2 Philosophy and Theory
			17.2.3 Methodology
			17.2.4 Methods
		17.3 Team Syntegrity in Action
		17.4 Critique of Team Syntegrity
		17.5 Comments
		17.6 The Value of Team Syntegrity to Managers
		17.7 Conclusion
	Chapter 18 Critical Systems Heuristics
		18.1 Prologue
		18.2 Description of Critical Systems Heuristics
			18.2.1 Historical Development
			18.2.2 Philosophy and Theory
			18.2.3 Methodology
			18.2.4 Methods
		18.3 Critical Systems Heuristics in Action
		18.4 Critique of Critical Systems Heuristics
		18.5 Comments
		18.6 The Value of Critical Systems Heuristics to Managers
		18.7 Conclusion
Part IV Critical Systems Thinking
	Chapter 19 Critical Systems Theory
		19.1 Introduction
		19.2 The Origins of Critical Systems Theory
			19.2.1 Critical Awareness
			19.2.2 Pluralism
			19.2.3 Emancipation or Improvement
		19.3 Critical Systems Theory and the Management Sciences
		19.4 Conclusion
	Chapter 20 Critical Systems Thinking and Multimethodology
		20.1 Introduction
		20.2 Total Systems Intervention
			20.2.1 Background
			20.2.2 Multimethodology
			20.2.3 Case Study
			20.2.4 Critique
		20.3 Systemic Intervention
			20.3.1 Background
			20.3.2 Multimethodology
			20.3.3 Case Study
			20.3.4 Critique
		20.4 Critical Realism and Multimethodology
			20.4.1 Background
			20.4.2 Multimethodology
			20.4.3 Case Study
			20.4.4 Critique
		20.5 Conclusion
	Chapter 21 Critical Systems Practice
		21.1 Prologue
		21.2 Description of Critical Systems Practice
			21.2.1 Historical Development
			21.2.2 Philosophy and Theory
			21.2.3 Multimethodology
			21.2.4 Methodologies
			21.2.5 Methods
		21.3 Critical Systems Practice in Action
			21.3.1 North Yorkshire Police
			21.3.2 Kingston Gas Turbines
			21.3.3 Hull University Business School
		21.4 Critique of Critical Systems Practice
		21.5 Comments
		21.6 The Value of Critical Systems Practice To Managers
		21.7 Conclusion
Conclusion
References
Index
EULA