Proceedings of the 61st Annual Meeting of the ISSS - 2017 Vienna, Austria

ASSOCIATIVE SYSTEM TO PREDICT STRUCTURES IN THE IONOSPHERE

2019-09-01T14:49:17-07:00

Communications are the most important part of our daily life. The ionosphere play an important role in communications due to the conditions of the ionosphere can affect severely the transmitting and receiving information. Therefore, we propose an intelligent system that can predict accurately structures in the ionosphere. We use a morphological associative model. The obtained results of effectiveness from the Leave One out, Hold Out and Ten-Fold Cross validation test were: 89.45%, 97.77% and 95.83%, respectively, when we use only the max memory because min memory showed a bad performance.

Systemic Construction of a Space Launching Base in Mexico

2019-09-01T14:49:18-07:00

The Mexican State, educational institutions and research centers have made efforts to found organisms, programs and projects, in order to promote spatial technological development, which appear and disappear without reaching the objective for which they were founded.

In order to achieve technological development, it is necessary to integrate government-academia-industry, and it is the Mexican Space Agency, an agency of the Mexican State which is responsible for carrying out this activity; Nevertheless the Agency establishes what must be done to reach the technological development but does not mentioned how to achieve it. For this reason, designing a systemic model was proposed which allows the integration of scientific research in companies based on market goals, objectives and strategies.

The systemic model has three stages within which are five phases and within them are eight subphases: The three stages are: input (I); Box (B); Output (O); O = IB, that is, I and B can be adjusted to achieve O. Holding fixed I and O. B will have infinite solutions. Ideally B = O / I = 1 in practice will be less than 1. Therefore the systemic model for the development of the Mexican special system has infinite solutions.

It is proposed that spatial technological development begins with the construction of a spatial launch base as ground conditions exist for space launches and would attract different companies such as satellite constructors, space launchers, fuel producers, tourism services, etc.

STATE POLICIES FOR THE TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE SPACE SYSTEM

2019-09-01T14:49:18-07:00

The Technological Management (TM) is defined as: the decisions that the State adopts on the policies, plans programms, etc. relating to the creation, diffusion, use and transfer of space technology in order to achieve Technological Development (TD).

In Mexico the government, educational institutions and research centers have made efforts to found organisms, programms and projects, in order to foster space DT, which arise and disappear without achieving the objective for which they were founded.

The main purpose of the TM is the TD. To achieve this, integration is necessary concerning government-academia-industry in order to reduce political, economical and social conflicts.

For this reason, a Systemic Model (SM) for the Technological Development of the Mexican Space System (TDMSS) is proposed, allowing the integration of scientific research in companies based on market goals, strategies and objectives.

The MS has three stages: the first is the input (I), consisting of the analysis of the satellite system in the International and National context; The second, box (B), consisting of: diagnosis, proposal, planning to carry out the proposal;

The third relative to the output (O), in this case is the satellite TD. O = IB, ie, I and B can be adjusted to achieve O.

Pilot case study: How two nonprofit education foundations use social media to support systemic engagement

2019-09-01T14:55:37-07:00

Easily available and widely used, social media tools look like a boon for small, nonprofit organizations that need systemic approaches for disseminating information and cultivating networks for donor and member engagement, especially those relying on a few paid staff and many good-hearted volunteers to do the work. This case study examines the experiences of two nonprofit organizations and the complexities, constraints, and contextual challenges that have made adopting social media practices more difficult and less effective than industry advisers, researchers, and examples suggest. Leaders of these two education foundations describe themselves as caught between the demands of tending key person-to-person relationships and the additional duties associated with cultivating interactive relational networks through social media. The experiences described in this instrumental case study align with themes found across trans-disciplinary research on social media and organizations. These themes are social media, organizational capacity, and the changing concept of engagement.

A Cybernetic Approach for Changing Vehicular Circulation from Difficult to Smart in Cities of Developing Countries

2019-09-01T14:57:33-07:00

We describe the partial results of a research in systems engineering for a specific socio-technical situation. It addresses the problem of urban circulation in Latin American cities not so technologically advanced. The rating of their circulation performance is very low, when travel times are considered, which produces big ecological, health and economic impacts. The problem is serious and it is still growing. The city traffic system is complex because of the large number of participants and because of the intricacies of their interrelationships. The difficulty of framing this research is observed in that it touches on five known thematic axes: Governance, Economy, Health, Ecology and Technology. The central idea to communicate is that the solution to the problem must be systemic. No feasible solutions will be obtained if the implemented actions are of trial-and-error nature, only technical or only social reductionist approaches, or copied from solutions designed for cities of different locations. The proposal is to gather the main city stakeholders at the systemic academic approach and to guide them consensually to the improvement process with tested and validated effective actions. Some of the difficulties that have been detected so far concern: describing the unstructured problem; setting up the soft systemic model and finding the feasibility conditions for the solution. After looking at the literature on the subject, outstanding scientific advances are found in the topics of the ecological automobile, the autonomous vehicle or the smart city, with proposals based on electromechanical, communications, and computing fields. They are taken into account for the project, but their expectation for been operative does not make them affordable for this case. Nevertheless, many autonomous vehicle details could be useful under a systemic view: what makes it operational is the information exchange with its environment. The synergetic operation of traffic in a congested city requires a proper information usage. In several studied cases, the urban infrastructure does not inform the driver about the restrictions, the driver does not take advantage of information to execute his actions and the traffic regulation does not profit of information to provide corrective actions. Moreover, punitive measures are privileged over preventive ones. Solving the congestion questions of these cities would only be possible if improving actions are also committed to the physical infrastructure, the traffic regulations and the respectful driving subsystems. For this reason, organizational transformation is imperative. Within the project, coordination between soft and hard system models is analyzed, aiming to carry out simulations of identified noteworthy conflict situations. And feasibility will be particularly taken into account before implementation through the agreement of the administrative, technical and social parties, based on the research work conducted at the systemic academic guide. The paper seeks to present the Systems Sciences as a theoretical and practical interdisciplinary science that enable certain solutions of the problematic situation on traffic congestion.

From hierarchies to networks: changes in organisation of public service delivery

2019-09-01T15:31:58-07:00

Government services slowly enter new and promising era. The traditional way of organising public sector service delivery in western democracies is hierarchical. Hierarchical organisation means functional specialisation. Top layers of the hierarchy specify and specialise different parts of the hierarchy in the bottom to provide rather specific functions – services. Service provision is then fragmented. Citizen in need of long-term help often ends up using many services with low cooperation between them. These conditions lead to high costs and low quality. We currently can identify in Europe promising cases of institutions which are organised as network organisations and sometimes even changed their structures from hierarchal type with great success. In this paper, we discuss what drives hierarchical organisation ineffectiveness when supporting people suffering with complex problems and what are some of the crucial conditions to organise successful network based integrated services. There are four principles discussed that are common to successful network organisations which are very different from the principles of hierarchically organised institutions – holistic service provision, flat organisation structure, high trust and capability measurement. These principles are shown on three cases - Jeugdbescherming Regio Amsterdam (child protection, Netherlands), Karolinska University Hospital (Sweden) and Buurtzorg (health and social services, Netherlands).

PAYING ATTENTION TO THE EMOTIONS IN THE PROCESSES OF CHANGE USING THE VSM

2019-09-01T15:33:55-07:00

The Beer´s Viable System Model (VSM) is a powerful tool for studying organizations as cohesive “wholes” and for evaluating their strategies counter to the complexity of the tasks they must perform. Primarily, it is a tool to diagnose the effectiveness of the structure of the organization, and offers a conceptual model of the information system to the management. It also allows assessing the consequences of organizations' policies.

Social and human actors are not trivial, they pursue ideals, ends, objectives, and have preferences and values, all of which may change. To model that, there are three dimensions to take in account: activities, structure and behavior.

The last dimension mentioned above, behavior, can be of interest at distinct levels: individuals, teams, organizational units, a whole organization, networks, etc. But a mere arrangement and the relationship with behaviors. And when took about behaviors, it´s necessary took about emotions, perceptions and cognition.

The VSM has been adopted by several researchers and practitioners for diagnosing organizational performance, and/or for (re)structuring organizations based on the factors essential and adequate for its long-term viability. In this paper, the scope is to design or change companies to assess and take responsibility for the company's effects on environmental and social wellbeing

What Does Constructor Theory Construct?: Knowledge As a Physical Property

2019-09-01T14:49:17-07:00

“Constructor theory of eigenbehavior” is the most appropriate short way to describe what this paper is about. To those who have encountered the idea of eigenbehavior for the first time through this text, let’s say that it is related to recursions within and emergence of consciousness and information in general. In a back and forth manner between constructor theory of possible tasks and eigenbehavior as a viable (since it passes the test of existence) phenomenon, we shall try to tell something about the fabric of reality. This author uses in an already published paper the metaphor of systems as footprints and wonders what kind of “animal” (constructor) might leave them behind. This text goes further in combining and criticizing constructor theory with the concept of eigenbehavior. Interpretations of quantum mechanics and physical principles are also elaborated.

DESIGNING A POLICY RESPONSE TO POPULISM AND THE ‘WICKED’ ISSUES OF EXCLUSION, UNEMPLOYMENT , POVERTY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

2019-09-01T14:49:17-07:00

Paper number: 001 (Assigned by Journal editor)

This paper scopes out a response to the new populism based on anger and a sense of exclusion by those left behind by a neo-liberal economy resulting in high levels of unemployment or underemployment. Unemployment has been represented as a problem associated with policy representations ranging from the most conservative to more progressive approaches, for example: lack of appropriate skills, lack of motivation, over mechanization, lack of resources, lack of will from government ,lack of capability as a result of lack of vision and imagination, inability to include diverse representations of the so-called problem and the need for transformational systemic thinking and practice to ensure integrated Blue Economy approaches within a Cascade Economy.

The issue has been problematized by the left as too little too late for specific interest groups by critical spectators who no longer demonstrate alternatives, according to Rorty (1999), in ‘Achieving our Country’.

The right has characterized unemployment as a lack of appropriate education or associated with poor management of resources by families, communities, schools or tertiary educators. This paper makes the case that the problem has been misrepresented by populists on the right and on the left for their own political agendas.

The paper discusses wicked problems comprising many, interrelated variables that are perceived differently by different stakeholders who feel strongly about the issues. Paradoxically a solution for some can be the source of problems for others. Thus a human development approach is suggested to enable stakeholders to appreciate the nature of systemic issues and to enhance the capability of global citizens to think about the individual and collective consequences of their everyday choices, in order to protect wellbeing stocks.

The approach to governance addresses the need to include the wide range of groups that are affected by policy making. The idea is that those who are affected by a policy decision should be part of the policy making process shaped by monitoring from below to protect local interests and monitoring from above in post national constellations to protect the global commons.

The approach to representation detailed in ‘Planetary Passport’ is inclusive and based on testing out ideas. The policy silences and the silenced people are placed at the centre of this approach in order to foster their capabilities. The approach enables user-centric policy design based on the perceptions of what works, why and how. In this sense the mixed methods approach is non-linear and participatory. It also honours the policy environment that stresses the need for a sense of ownership of a problem and the way in which it is framed. This needs to be developed to address the challenges faced across the different age cohorts in a range of developed and developing nations to address the convergent social, economic and environmental challenges facing people living in an increasingly divided world where the haves make policy in their own interests at the expense of the majority in this generation and the next.

Key words: anger, elitism, inequality, reframing, governance, economics, wellbeing stocks

WHAT IS PROBLEM REPRESENTED TO BE: WATER SCARCITY, WATER MISMANAGEMENT OR MISDIRECTING THE SYSTEMS? THE WICKED PROBLEM OF WATER MANAGEMENT IN NAULI CITY – INDONESIA

2019-09-01T16:02:29-07:00

The paper delves into the area of concern of water scarcity in an area in Indonesia that we will call Nauli. The central and regional governments have misused the water provision function to commodify drinking water, and the government regards water as a commercial good and prefers to sell it to the people rather than provide it as a common good. The paper applies a critical analysis to address the social, cultural, political, economic and environmental context of the problem which reveals that the root of the problem is a misdirected system of managing water in the interests of profit for some at the expense of the majority and the environment. Data collected from a fieldwork shows that conflicts between governments occurred and water companies commodified water while neglecting to maintain water quality and to provide services that also support and preserve the environment.

This paper will examine the wicked problem of how to address the challenges of decentralization by ensuring that the needs of people are met by those who are elected and that the constitutional requirements of providing water are indeed addressed.

The WPRB approach is used to produce a map of the different ways in which the problem is represented, and propose a shift in the paradigm to address the water management problem through Ulrich’s Critical Systems Heuristics (CSH).

TAOISM: SCIENCE-BASED CONCEPTS FOR A MORE SUSTAINABLE GLOBAL ECO-SYSTEM

2019-09-01T14:51:34-07:00

Increasing wealth disparity, polarization of discourses, move into the Anthropocene epoch, people’s migration, terrorism…are all pieces of evidence that our worldview ought to evolve quickly if we want our eco-system, our humanity to survive and to keep claiming we are the smartest species on earth.

The elements of ancient Chinese wisdom like wu-wei, the power of de, and practicing meditation, echo many of the principles which have emerged in recent years, such as spiritual leadership, and are also expressed in organizational models such as Holocracy, Sociocracy, or Teal, and in economic concepts, such as enlightened capitalism, all seeking at making our world more sustainable. So, what can we learn from the school of thoughts of the Warring State period, 2,500 years old, and can this help us address the wicked problems we are facing both in the West and the East?

In this article I will look specifically at Taoism through the lens of Clare Graves’s human development model. Graves defined eight levels of human consciousness, six defined as needs-based systems and two as being systems. According to Graves’s research, only when thinking at the latter two levels can we develop sustainable systems. When analyzing some key Taoists concepts through that lens, looking also through Ken Wilber’s trans fallacy concept, it is hard not to conclude that the Taoist philosophy operates at Tier 2 level and offers many keys to develop a more functional eco-system.

Yet, are these Taoists assumptions and concepts plausible and viable in today’s world? Can they really support the development of a more sustainable society? To answer these questions I will look at the latest research in neuroscience and social science. Focusing on Taoism, I will look at three principles.

First, the cycle of reversion, that is nothing should be taken to extremes or it will turn back to its original state, causing the opposite effect, a concept illustrated by the design of the Yin and Yang symbol. I will explore this principle through the work of Wegner on the ironic effect of conscious efforts and of Frankl on paradoxical intention therapy. Both showed that conscious pursuit of a goal often leads to missing that goal and it is what the Daodejing refers to as the quests of opposites. In any dyad, Laozi wants one to pursue the part one does not want: choose weakness rather than strength, darkness over brightness.

I will then look at the research on downregulation of the prefrontal cortex to explore the validity of the state of wu-wei. The state that Laozi wants one to enter into is similar to what cognitive neuroscientist Arne Dietrich referred to as transient hypofrontality, that is, the downregulation of our prefrontal cortex. His work on the physiology of athletes being in the zone, that is, in wu-wei, showed that due to the intensity of the exercise the prefrontal cortex is literally shut down for a while, giving a sense of peacefulness, of living in the present, of flow, of oneness with nature and the universe. Reaching this state allows one to be more authentic, spontaneous.

Next, I will look at the notion of categorical rigidity. Zhuangzi was very concerned by the risk presented by language. This categorical inflexibility hinders what is often referred to as divergent creativity. This human limitation has now been proven scientifically, for instance, by the work of Guilford on the development of unusual alternative task.

I will finally present an environmental project showing how Taoists principles, based on system thinking, can enhance biodiversity.

I will conclude that Ancient Chinese wisdom, Taoism in particular, provides very valuable elements to help humanity develop a more sustainable world.

Passive Energy Conservation for Sustainable Buildings

2019-09-01T14:49:17-07:00

The increasing demand for air conditioning especially in developing countries is a time bomb for the global climate warming. The supplementary electrical energy demand is on the way to be satisfied by means of CO₂ emissive energy sources mainly fossil.

The passive solutions must be used where it is possible; to decrease at least the energy load and it can be done for a low additional cost especially if it is implemented at the construction initial design stage. Some other promising passives means can be used for existing houses which are the weak point of all energy conservation policies.

A passive house uses mainly passive systems to provide the ambient atmosphere treatment (lighting, heating, refreshment, renewal of air) and the associated comfort. A passive system uses and controls the natural energy streams surround the building such as the solar radiation and the wind. The active components of low energy consumption (such as ventilators and pumps) can be associated there and can be powered by renewable energy sources such as photo-voltaic.

In fact, traditional architecture has always tried to adapt itself to the climate. The use of massive walls associated with white paint, small windows and narrow alleys in warm countries are a good example. Besides, architecture being a local feature, the original solutions of climate adaptation developed on a giving site on the earth can be unknown somewhere else. There is then the need for globalization to help us to benefit from others experience.

If some well known passive techniques have shown a real efficiency in the reduction of the energy needs of the new buildings where they were integrated with the design and the construction, It is not the same case for the existing housing where these passive practices are rarely applicable. An insulation to be really efficient must be made on the outside of the house envelope. This is impractical in buildings already integrated into the urban architecture. It's the same for the thermal mass, the permanent solar protections or the orientation of the housing that are generally an inheritance of several decades of urban development. But recent improvements on some techniques well known by the past but suffering from some inconveniences, make them very promising especially on the adaptation to the existing house. It is the case of using phase change materials, reflecting paints and adapted ventilation strategies.

In fact, the reduction of the energy consumption remains the best mean to limit the resort to fossil fuels and make economically viable the use of the renewable energies. It also gives time to the research in this field to succeed and to reach the phase of industrial maturation.

Maturity Models in Systems Research and Practice

2019-09-01T14:49:17-07:00

In 2016, a team of scholars met at a gathering sponsored by the International Federation for Systems Research (IFSR), to discuss how systems research could support the increase of systems literacy worldwide. Members of this team developed a conceptual model of the role of systems research in developing such literacy. One consideration this model identified was that people engage with the “systems world” from the vantage point of numerous roles: systems scientist, systems researcher, system engineer, systems philosopher, etc.. Each of these roles demands particular competence with respect to systems theory and practice. Future research must be done to identify a maturity profile for each role – how we can assess the degree to which a person is effectively executing the competencies required to do good systems work.

Maturity models are utilized in several industries, in the attempt to cultivate and evaluate people’s ability to effectively execute complex tasks. This paper will examine current thought about the value and pitfalls of maturity models. To further the IFSR’s work of promoting world-class systems research, it will identify principles and exemplars that can guide the development of maturity models for the varied roles people take in the systems world.

A systems view of violence and some paradoxes in working with violent abusers

2019-09-01T14:49:17-07:00

This paper commences with a theoretical underpinning of the nature of violence from a systems perspective, exploring the interactions between parts and wholes where boundaries are transgressed or vital flows are disrupted. A case study of Rangi, a perpetrator of family violence, who is a composite of people the author has worked with over the years, is then used to demonstrate how systems principles can be used to understand the nature of human violence on an individual level and to inform ways of working with clients aiming to reduce the frequency and severity of violence in their lives and the people around them. The focus then shifts to structural violence imposed on the parts of the system by the whole. First, this is examined at a societal level, then returning to the case study of Rangi, there is an exploration of structural violence within the criminal justice system revealing paradoxes to be confronted in working with violent clients.

Systemic Innovation in a World of Uncertainty

2019-09-01T14:49:17-07:00

Systemic Innovation is a field of praxis that is rapidly taking shape as a key driver in R&D initiatives focused on integral sustainability the world over. This field curates the exploration of socio-technical systems design, implementation and insertion in society in ways that foster planetary thrivability at local and global (aka ‘glocal’) levels. To do so, it adopts a transformative approach to characteristically “wicked” societal problems through the transdisciplinary study of ways in which pragmatic socio-technical systems innovation can dissolve VUCA challenges (i.e., those that are characteristically volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous). This paper explores how insights from the systems sciences can directly influence real-world socio-technical systems change. By considering both the systemic leverage points and systemic nurturance spaces that foster the emergence of innovations for thrivability, the field of systemic innovation is developing new methods, models and means of emerging ecosystems of R&D+i (research and development plus innovation). Results include the generation of socio-technical solutions that are synergetic with each other (thereby forming collective incubators or innovation greenhouses based on the application of collective intelligence). The emergence of such innovation ecosystems requires leadership and systemic innovation that incorporates social values, technological creativity, economic opportunity and environmental integrity. This paper considers themes of innovation, leadership, connective intelligence, collective intelligence, collective creativity, design thinking, systems practice, entrepreneurial experimentation and other considerations related to the emerging field of leadership and systemic innovation.

Theoretical proposal from Systems’ Thinking for the Intelligent Tourism System

2019-09-01T14:49:17-07:00

Intelligent tourism is difficult to define not only because there are different interpretations according to the researcher focus and the resources target but also because it is a newly topic with difficulty for its practical application. However, lately, some authors have been working on the generation of general elements that characterize this kind of tourism activity, such as the technological utilization, social benefits, sustainability relevance, and products design. This study constitutes a theoretical approach from the systems thinking to analyze the scope of the system of intelligent tourism in order to identify some of the elements and relations through the purpose of a holistic interpretation.

A Policy Compass for Ecological Economics in the Digital Age

2019-09-01T15:51:53-07:00

A policy compass indicates the direction and degree of success of a policy in both very general qualitative terms and in robust statistical terms. I propose to modify the compass to reflect the underlying suppositions of ecological economics: that society is dependent on the environment, and that economic activity is dependent on society. We can think of this as three concentric circles, the economy being the smallest.

Any formal institution[1] can develop a policy compass to examine the discrepancy between what the institution would like to do (its mandate) and the actual performance and situation it finds itself in, where the latter is determined through an aggregation of statistical data and facts. These are made robust and stable using meta-requirements[2] of convergence. They can be aligned with some of the fundamental conceptual and normative thinking of ecological economics with this new adaptation of the compass.

In this paper, the general policy compass is explained, followed by an adaptation for ecological economics. The policy compass is original, and so is the adaptation. The compass is inspired by the work of Satish Kumar, Stanislav Schmelev, Anthony Friend, Georgescu-Roegen and Rob Hoffman. In the conclusion, I discuss the accompanying conception of sustainability.

[1] An institution is any of: a convention or habit, a norm or valued social practice and a formal institution. The latter has a formal structure and distinguishes itself from the other two by including explicit rules and a mechanism for re-enforcement or correction. The legal system, universities, banks, city councils, hospitals, libraries and so on are all formal institutions.

TOURIST BEACH MANAGEMENT, A PERSPECTIVE FORM THE SYSTEMS THINKING

2019-09-01T14:49:17-07:00

The development of buildings and massive tourism activities in tourist beaches have affected the natural value of these areas as well as their natural processes. In this regard, it is important to propose alternatives from the Systems Science that grant to design strategies to handle appropriately these spaces. This paper presents an option, from the systemic perspective, to strengthen the beach management process through the integration of relevant actors in order to protect it. The methodological approach was made through the Soft Systems Methodology and the Viable System Model. As a result, a diagnostic was generated that allowed to characterize the system under study and elucidate the interrelations among the actors involved in the problematic situation, for later determine an administrative structure that considers mechanisms of control, coordination and monitoring of the coast area in order to harmonize the different dimensions of the beach.

SOCIAL INCLUSION AND COMPETITIVENESS IN SMART TOURISM DESTINATIONS: A SYSTEMIC PERSPECTIVE

2019-09-01T14:49:17-07:00

The development of smart cities is considered an alternative to face urban problems; one of them is the growth of population with disabilities and senior citizens, which will lead to sustainability issues particularly those dealing with services and infrastructure. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the need for innovation in the tourism sector, considering the Triple Helix model to achieve competitiveness in urban tourism destinations.

This research presents a literature review of the smart cities characteristics, challenges, and opportunities that bring technological development in social inclusion. The Soft Systems Methodology is applied to show how the smart tourism destination can be modeled. This review shows that smart cities can make more competitive and inclusive the tourism destinations, considering the cultural, economic, politic and social context and how the Triple Helix model of innovation is capable of building strategies and public politics that bring social inclusion for people with disabilities and senior citizens, making the city a more competitive destination.

TOWARDS A VIABLE SYSTEM MODEL FOR MICE TOURISM IN MEXICO

2019-09-01T14:49:17-07:00

MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) Tourism in Mexico generates more than 501 thousand jobs and contributes 1.43% to the national GDP. According to the World Ranking of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) Mexico is increasingly positioned as a destination for this tourism market, becoming a key driver in the economy.

This tourism activity is characterized to be a large-scale phenomenon, in which an interdependence is generated between the various agents involved creating positive and negative impacts and repercussions on the hosting destinations of the events. That is why is relevant manage this activity as a complex system identifying the relationships of its elements to generate solutions considering its economic, social, cultural, and environmental reality.

In this research is presented the current situation of MICE Tourism in Mexico through the Soft Systems Methodology. In the end, all those components and external agents that make up this tourist segment in Mexico can be identified, as well as the problem situations existing in the system and its environment. This diagnosis guides to the generation of a Viable System Model that allows the system to persist over the time despite the changes that occur in the environment, this by the realization of sustainable events.

COMPLEMENTARITY MODEL OF THE ORGANIZATIVE SYSTEM AMONG MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED TOURIST ENTERPRISES OF MEXICO, IN A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT

2019-09-01T15:43:45-07:00

The performance of tourist micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), in Mexican tourist destinations, tend to be slightly efficient before disturbances of the environment. In a globalized context, these organizations are not on equal terms with respect to large companies, what puts at risk their life cycle. This idea allows to address a local problem with high implications in the Mexican context through the Systemic method in order to propose effective and adaptive actions. This paper presents the design of a model based on the beneficial adaptation of heterogeneous attributes among MSMEs. The Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) allowed to integrate factors and actors involved in the problem situation and subsequently generate a construct, which was contrasted using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). As a result, it was obtained that systemic complementarity is a framework that allows to integrate local collaboration opportunities and increase responsiveness to the environment and extend the permanence of the companies. In addition, relations raised in the construct could improve gaps among these organizations from collective learning without neglecting the development of individual capacities.

SOFT SYSTEMS METHODOLOGY AND AHP TO DEVELOP A CONCEPTUAL MODEL FOR HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGAMENT IN MEXICAN LODGING SMEs

2019-09-01T15:46:14-07:00

The lodging SMEs operate in a dynamic environment where aspects such as turbulence and information asymmetry undermine them compared to large enterprises. On this matter, it is considered that Human Capital Management is relevant to overcome deficiencies, delays in operations and to ensure the permanence of the organisation. However, these human activity systems (HAS) lack of a systemic model that contributes to the achievement of such an end. This paper presents a perspective on this matter, from the Systems Thinking. The Soft Systems Methodology was used, obtaining as finding a conceptual model that considers the heterogeneity in lodging SMEs problems and the human capital management. The model was verified through the Analytic Hierarchy Process, that helped to find congruence between what had been proposed from the Systems Thinking and reality, enabling its conduction towards a viable equilibrium state in its current environment. Personnel with managerial functions can benefit from an approach that pursues systemic solutions and the transcendence of the whole system like the one mentioned.

Program and Abstract Book

2019-09-01T14:49:17-07:00

Copy of full ISSS2017 Programme and Abstracts for Plenaries, Papers, Workshops and Posters.

Towards the Definition of a Dynamic/Systemic Assessment for Cyber Security Risks Through a Systems Thinking approach

2019-09-01T14:49:18-07:00

Nowadays our society is increasingly becoming economic and social dependent on the cyberspace, which comprehends the set of networks and information systems that are used by government agencies, enterprises, critical infrastructure providers and public administration to provide several essential services.

However, the cyberspace and its core components are exposed to numerous risks, and since these complex systems are rapidly evolving, there is a constant threat of exploitable vulnerabilities. One or several of these vulnerabilities can be exploited by attackers to hack into the computer systems of an organization, thus allowing them to read, steal, disclose or delete critical information up to take full control of physical assets. These numerous vulnerabilities, coupled with the fact that awareness of this situation is not yet well established at all levels of society, meaning that the cyber threats can become an extremely important issue for organizations, which could lead to financial and reputational impacts.

The current work adopts the Italian National Cyber Security Framework for assessing cyber security risks, which has interoperability with industry standards, guidelines, and practices, it inherits its capacity of communication that permits to broaden the discussion of cyber security matters across the organization, from the executive level to the implementation/operations level. Secondly, by joining the risks categories into a causal mapping of a general process-structure of a medium-large private organization, which is also described in causal terms, this work proposes a common ground for discussions concerning the corporate adoption of a systemic perspective as a good practice in cyber security.

Due to its compatibility with NIST’s security profiles, the Italian National Cyber Security Framework can favor the communication of its security levels to known standards (for example the ISO standards), but in a cheaper way. The Italian Framework provides a full coverage of the information and system security life cycle (from its conception, development, operation, and maintenance), by maintaining an abstraction degree that ensures companies the freedom in the implementation and contextualization of controls.

Social responsibility and ethical issues about smart technology usage

2019-09-01T14:49:18-07:00

The new forms of smart and artificial intelligent technologies present a great risk to the society (political – ethical challenge). For this reason, the ability of the society's decision makers to prepare an appropriate ethical response is needed. The paper is focused on the outline the main social, economic, and ethical issues, raised by the faster development of the smart and artificial intelligent products or services in everyday life processes. Smart technologies can today explore their environment, communicate with each other or with humans and help their users. The development and implementation of the smart technologies in the human environment is and it will be influenced by social and economic changes and opening new social and ethical problems in the near future, because smart technologies are now: (i) invading into the sensitive human areas and allow others to come easier for sensible private information in real time; (ii) causing job losses; (iii) replacing humans for tasks such as driving and more demanding (e.g. management of the industrial processes). The paper presents the issues of technology and human sciences. It is going for a complex subject which is quite often misrepresented, some of the fundamental concepts relating ethics in science and technology are recalled and clarified. At the conclusion of the paper social responsible model for implementation of the smart technology in human environment will be presented. The purpose of the model is to provide ethical and social norms and thus protect human before the socioeconomic changes caused with the high penetration of smart technologies in human everyday life.

MOVING BEYOND VALUE CONFLICTS: SYSTEMIC PROBLEM STRUCTURING IN ACTION

2019-09-01T17:17:44-07:00

Value conflicts can become entrenched in a destructive pattern of mutual stigmatization, which inhibits the emergence of new understandings of the situation and actions for improvement. In extreme cases, such patterns can even lead to violence. This paper offers a new systems theory of value conflict, which suggests the possibility of three different strategies for intervention using problem structuring methods: supporting people in transcending overly narrow value judgements about what is important to them; seeking to widen people’s boundaries of the issues that they consider relevant; and attempting to challenge stereotyping and stigmatization by building better mutual understanding. Each of these three strategies is illustrated with practical examples from operational research projects on natural resource management in New Zealand.

Integration of Sustainability Performance Indicators and the Viable System Model toward a Systemic Sustainability Assessment Methodology

2019-09-01T14:49:18-07:00

Reports on the progress of sustainability initiatives in industrial practice and academic research have increased over the past several decades, but organizations are still faced with challenges in defining what sustainability means to them, in assessing their sustainability performance, and in making decisions that allow them to develop as sustainable systems. The developmental milestones of sustainability are consistent with the post-normal versus traditional science, where transdisciplinary and policy/action research are among the important approaches to be added to traditional analysis. This shift requires a new perspective to look at the problem at hand: we are no longer considering a group of users with common and self-interested goals when defining the scope of sustainability studies. This new perspective, in turn, requires sustainability indicators that can capture largely diverse but relevant measurements to completely represent the different perspectives that must be fulfilled, as well as requiring new methodologies that focus on heuristics, systemic stability, control, and feedback, versus traditional optimization for mechanistic problems. The presented research attempts to build upon an established connection between sustainability and viability, i.e., the Viable System Model offers a framework to map the self-adapting mechanisms that allow a system to cope with its internal and external sustainability challenges. These capabilities can help the organization reach its sustainability goals. A sustainability assessment model that integrates both sustainability indicators and Viable System Model methodologies has been developed and is presented here. This model presents an effort towards integrated assessment, with a focus on dynamics, control and feedback.

Ethical Regulators and Super-Ethical Systems

2019-09-01T14:49:17-07:00

The Good Regulator Theorem proved that every effective regulator of a system must be a model of that system, and the Law of Requisite Variety dictates the range of responses that an effective regulator must be capable of. However, having an internal model and a sufficient range of responses is insufficient to ensure effective regulation, let alone ethical regulation. And whereas being effective does not require being optimal, being ethical is absolute with respect to a particular ethical schema.

This paper takes the Good Regulator Theorem, and unifies it with the Law of Requisite Variety and seven other requisites. The resulting Ethical Regulator Theorem has implications for designing and certifying explicitly ethical systems. It claims that the following nine requisites are necessary and sufficient for a cybernetic regulator to be effective and ethical:

Truth is not just about information that the regulator receives as inputs or treats as facts, but also the reliability of any interpretations of such information. If the regulator’s information sources or interpretations are unreliable, and cannot be error-corrected, then the integrity of the system is in danger. And if the perceptions of the regulator can be manipulated, it can be tricked into making decisions that are ineffective or unethical.
Variety in the range of possible actions must be as rich as the range of potential disturbances or situations. This is The Law of Requisite Variety.
Predictability requires a model that can be used to select the actions that will give the best outcome. This is the Good Regulator Theorem.
Purpose is expressed as unambiguously prioritized goals.
Ethics are expressed as unambiguously prioritized values that have a higher priority than the goals for purpose. By always obeying the relevant highest priority ethical imperatives, the regulator is guaranteed to act ethically within the scope of the ethical schema. Because ethical schemas vary between legislative jurisdictions, they are handled as plug-ins.
Intelligence must be applied to the previous five requisite types of information to select the most rational and effective ethical action from the set of possible actions.
Influence is the existence of pathways to transmit the effects of the selected actions to the regulated system. This is not a property of the regulator itself, but a function of the connectivity relationships that span from the regulator’s outputs to elements of the regulated system and its environment.
Integrity of the regulator and all its subsystems must be assured. Monitoring mechanisms must identify if an ethical imperative is violated and, if necessary, automatically notify the appropriate authorities, preserve evidence, and activate an ethical fail-safe mode.
Transparency is defined by the Law of Ethical Transparency, which states “For a system to be truly ethical, it must be possible to prove retrospectively that it acted ethically with respect to the appropriate ethical schema.”

Integrity and Transparency are codependent because we require integrity of transparency, and transparency of integrity.

Because this theorem is independent of the ethics schema that is used, it provides a basis for systematically evaluating the adequacy of existing or proposed designs for systems that make decisions that can have ethical consequences; regardless of whether the systems are human, machines, or cyberanthropic hybrids.

In addition, a new framework is proposed for classifying cybernetic systems, which highlights the existence of a possibility-space bifurcation in our future time-line, and the implementation of “super-ethical” systems is identified as an urgent moral imperative for the human race to avoid a technological dystopia. Concrete actions are proposed to steer our future towards a cyberanthropic utopia.

Ethical Regulators Powerpoint

2019-09-01T14:49:17-07:00

Presentation materials.

RESILIENCE MANAGEMENT: FROM FUKUSHIMA DISASTER TO BOILING OCEANS AND NORTHWARD VIRAL SPREAD

2019-09-01T14:49:17-07:00

We reviews the necessity of ‘resilience based on disaster management’ (Chroust, G., 2015). Firstly, it examines non-resilience, showing the current status of nuclear fuel debris, contaminated water and radioactive waste after the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster, since when radioactive contamination has damaged the local community and socio-economic systems. Secondly, it presents evidence of global spread of super-typhoons and unusual weather patterns, with the location of maximum typhoon intensity having moved northward by approximately 150-200 km compared to 1982, and at the same time expanded due to the ‘boiling ocean’ effect. Thirdly: it considers ir-resilience, ‘global ocean warming’ through the multiplier effects of hydrospheric and CO₂ atmospheric warming. Finally: it discusses un-resilience, arising from the spread of infectious tropical diseases to the northern hemisphere caused by global ocean warming, as part of the irreversible environmental change caused by our artificial systems, which will increase the risk and crisis of disasters for all human beings. Re-consideration of our living systems is therefore necessary to create awareness of the ‘five functions of resilience management’ for all-round sustainability.

SOCIO-TECHNICAL SYSTEM WHOLENESS: A THEORETICAL MODEL APPLIED TO HIGH VALUE ASSET SECURITY PROGRAMS

2019-09-01T14:49:17-07:00

Researchers and practitioners continue to study the causes of high-consequence events such as terrorist attacks or catastrophic failures of complex socio-technical systems. These studies have relevance to postulated and real events and are important, but limited. Analyses focusing on linear causal pathways are common in vulnerability and probabilistic risk analyses. These linear pathways typically focus on individual human error or technical system malfunctions. The linear approach is limited in its value as broader systemic issues can remain hidden.

A new model is proposed using an integral approach that describes vulnerability from a systemic wholeness perspective. Wholeness is a concept that has many meanings, from various academic and practical perspectives. This paper offers a new definition of the wholeness concept that draws from earlier ideas but is distinct in its application. The model can be used to focus attention on many integrated systemic domains simultaneously in a continuous and ongoing process. The model's foundation is a four-quadrant framework that describes subjective, objective, inter-objective, and inter-subjective domain spaces. Vulnerabilities or systemic deficiencies within these spaces are described using the metaphors of system holes and shadow aspects. Collection and depiction of these deficiencies allow for analysis, revealing common patterns of concern. Clarifying inter-organizational relationships is also important and highlights the need for clear systemic and sub-systemic boundary definitions.

Improvement of industrial, community, or infrastructure security requires a perpetual process that is described by a dynamic dimension to the wholeness model, drawing from methods employed in participatory action research. This paper presents the main points of the wholeness model, shows how deficiencies are analyzed, and provides examples of characteristic patterns of concern.

An Attempt to Epistemologically Ground Current Psychotherapy. Neither between nor within: on the eigenform and viability of human complex systems.

2019-09-01T14:49:18-07:00

In the last 15 years, psychotherapy has progressively faced with the ambition of reshaping foundative concepts and best practices. This trend seems to be coherent with the need for a theoretical integration psychotherapists are looking for, so as to epistemologically ground their discipline. From a constructivist perspective, two major biases seem to arise: (i) the paradox of seeking for a new framework through an old one (e.g. person-centered interventions within almost-reductionist models); (ii) the tendency not to question the superordinate assumptions of all the different topics (e.g. old-fashioned realism). The paper is mainly based on Heinz von Foerster’s eigenform, Ernst von Glasersfeld’s viability and Ludwig von Bertalanffy’s general systems model and on the interconnection of these concepts with modern and contemporary psychotherapy from a

The present paper is devoted to describe a tentative framework that may foster the convergence on a superordinate epistemology and so a theoretical integration of psychotherapy. I claim that second-order cybernetics and radical constructivism offer an effective methodology in advancing psychotherapy, and that in turn psychotherapy is trying to absorb a few assumptions of this methodology. I also claim that complex system point of view may support the overcoming of ineffective dichotomies between personal and social psychology, normality and psychopathology, and so promoting a superordinate comprehension of human experience.

I first analyze the intertwined paths of Foerster’s eigenform and Glasersfeld’s viability through the lens of modern psychology and general systems theory. Subsequently, I define a theoretical model aimed to integrate this analysis and epistemologically ground psychotherapy. Finally, I describe the implications of such a framework in identifying, interconnecting and applying relevant threads in clinical practice.

The concepts of eigenform and viability lead to a versatile methodology in anticipating constraints and possibilities of human experience. I describe five foundative processes mainly based on the contiguousness and continuousness of observing systems, and on the epistemological irreversibility of life. I interconnect these processes with five recurrent dimensions of clinical psychology. These dimensions are discussed and defined as three epistemological principles and two transformational principles:

1. Systemic Emergence: the first epistemological principle tries to argue that from a theoretical point of view a system is the comergence of its observing processes, and from a clinical point of view human actively pursue a viable pattern of self-organization.

2. Fluctuational Continuousness: the second epistemological principle tries to argue that from a theoretical point of view a system is always a node, a relation, and a network, and from a clinical point of view social experience is a self-organizing source of individuation.

3. Autopoietic Contiguousness: the third epistemological principle tries to argue that from a theoretical point of view a system is the entanglement of selfhood and otherness, and from a clinical point of view personal experience is a structurally coupled embodied action.

4. Constructive Irreversibility: the first transformational principle tries to argue that from a theoretical point of view observing processes are non-balanced and irreversible, and from a clinical point of view experiencing is a dissipative and irreversible process.

5. Constraining Imbrication: transformational principle tries to argue that from a theoretical point of view observing events are locally collapsed and context-dependent, and from a clinical point of view agency is defined by informational closure and punctuation.

The thesis contributes to the complex systems research programme, by demonstrating its effectiveness in fostering psychotherapeutic integration. Although this is not the first attempt in doing this, it extensively debates and integrates the most of the recent clinical advances.

System-purpose method: theoretical and practical aspects

2019-09-01T14:49:18-07:00

This article observes methodological aspects of conflict-contractual theory of social systems. System-purpose method is formulated and determined in frame of the theory and presented in this article.

THE STRUCTURE OF REALITY: AN EMERGENT HIERARCHY OF AUTONOMOUS LEVELS?

2019-09-01T14:49:18-07:00

This paper starts with a question: is the structure of reality a hierarchy of autonomous levels emerging from the increasing complexity of matter through evolution? I will critique this deeply held conviction in the field of systems science, and I will argue that a different world-image is possible. Indeed, I will suggest that my alternative world-image is a more accurate depiction of the structure of the universe. My argument will be unfolded in four parts. First, I will claim that the forerunners of the idea of emergent levels can be found in the British emergentist movement of the 1920s (Alexander 1920; Morgan 1923). Second, I will argue that the idea of hierarchical levels first enterer the biological world in the early 1930s (via the work of von Bertalanffy 1928 [1933]) and was later in the 1950s extended to the rest of the cosmos (Bertalanffy 1949 [1953]; Boulding 1956). Third, that the ideas of a ‘hierarchical order’ and ‘general systemology’ could have been suggested to Bertalanffy by Hartmann’s early “theory of categories” (1923, 1926). Fourth, I will introduce Hartmann’s “theory of fundamental categories” (1940), which is devoted to the structure of reality. Finally, in contrast to these ideas, I will argue for a structure of the universe that is not constituted by an emergent hierarchy of autonomous levels at all.

What drives the Systems? From Conatus to Dynamics －Descartes, Hobbes, Spinoza, Leibniz, and Kant

2019-09-01T14:49:18-07:00

I will highlight the concepts of conatus and dynamics in Descartes, Hobbes, Spinoza, Leibniz, and Kant. These philosophers’ ideas are sometimes referred to as precursors of modern systems theories, or cybernetics.

First, I will analyse the idea of conatus in Hobbes’s theory, comparing it with those of Descartes and Spinoza. For Hobbes, conatus is motion through the length of a point and a small beginning, which causes interaction between matter. All natural and social systems then begin to move automatically. Conatus is thus just a trigger of motion.

After I discuss the transition from the notion of conatus to that of dynamics in Leibniz’s thought, I will illuminate Kant’s in both his pre-Critical and mature philosophical works. His idea is that the soul has a dynamical relation with the body, making it the prime power to move the body. Kant then examines the phenomena of the world from this viewpoint of dynamical interrelation. Thus, it lies behind the systems of recognition, which is formed simultaneously with the natural and social systems, according to Kant’s philosophy.

The interaction between elements in systems is essential to modern complex systems theory. I would like to say that these philosophers, especially Hobbes and Kant, are pioneers of complex systems theory.

Liminal Consciousness – A Systemic Framework for 'Altered States of Consciousness'

2019-09-01T17:22:58-07:00

Academic psychology, both in research and theory, focuses mainly on rational consciousness. If it speaks about other forms of consciousness, these are foremost conceived of – and hence marginalized – as 'altered states of consciousness.' The term 'altered states of consciousness' consistently reproduces: 1. the positing of rational consciousness as a primal given; 2. the fixation on a (consciousness)process as a state; 3. the mistake to characterize something which is defined by constant alteration as 'altered;' 4. a dichotomization of 'normal' and 'altered', which conceals the ongoing reproduction of rational consciousness; and 5. the suggestion that non-rational consciousness is epistemically inferior, if not deviant. This paper aims to circumvent these problems by focusing on central aspects of autopoietic systems theory and, in particular, on the fundamental term liminality, which are then combined to a new theory of non-rational consciousness. In this paper, the term 'liminal consciousness' will be used to refer to forms of psychic systems that are less defined by points of reference but instead rather converge to the limit of (temporary) omission of its autopoiesis. 'Liminal consciousness' is not conceived as one side of a dichotomous category (with 'rational consciousness' as its counterpart), but rather as a continuously increasing omission of the reproduction of self-referential structures. Three basic possibilities which can evoke liminal consciousness are identified: focussing on self-referentiality, focussing on hetero-referentiality, or a short-circuit of concentration by focusing on the occurrence of thoughts. Within this framework, many forms of consciousness, e.g. those 'invited' by ecstatic or meditative practice, can be conceptualized without relying on religious, reductionist or mystical discourses. Finally, instead of 'altered states of consciousness', the term 'liminal consciousness' is suggested in order to improve the connectivity of communication within the scientific system.

THE ENTROPOCENE

2019-09-01T14:49:17-07:00

According to Eric Schneider and the late James Kay “nature abhors a gradient” as it seeks to degrade any and all differences that can make a difference. They also claim that life self-organized by creating a meta-order out of disordered orders, evolving as an increasingly efficient, effective, sustainable (order from order) means for degrading the huge sun to earth temperature gradient. They inject purpose into the scheme by claiming that life represents “order emerging from disorder in the service of more disorder.” Or, as Jeffrey Wicken succinctly put it in “Evolution and Thermodynamics: The New Paradigm,” “Organisms are remote-from-equilibrium systems that maintain their organizational structures by irreversibly degrading free energy through informed kinetic pathways acquired through evolution. Dissipation through structuring is the strategy of life.” In other words, life came about as an evolving means for giving the Second Law of Thermodynamics what it wants. Entropy. In my 2015 ISSS paper, “Anthropocene as Life’s State of the Art in Disorder Production: A Sustainability Conundrum,” I proposed that our species collectively is disorder producer summa cum laude. We are the most efficient, most effective, degrader of gradients, producer of entropy yet evolved. Calling our epoch, “the Anthropocene” doesn’t capture our essence. Our epoch is the Entropocene. We have turned the bio-geosphere from an accumulator of solar exergy (“free energy”, the measure of energy’s utility) as in fossil fuels, into a trapper of entropy a.k.a., global warming. Unfortunately, not only is our achievement as agent-of-entropy-in-chief not something to celebrate, our perch is being increasingly usurped by a new disorder churner on the block. Hyper-exponentially evolving technology is taking over where we leave off as it represents a far more effective, far more efficient means of degrading gradients, disordering orders including the gradients, including the orders that R us; our brains, our bodies, our face to face, family, community, societal bonds. This disorder, manifested as our increasing helplessness sans the escalating power of our technological props, our techno-prosthetics, spills over into the bio-geosphere and its ongoing degradation. My purpose in this paper is to continue exposing what’s really pulling the strings backstage of such global threats as climate change and by so doing set the stage for redress to ourselves, to our progeny, to our common, non-virtual, downstream future.

Embracing the complexity: Multiple interests and debated resolutions in the pineapple value chain in Uganda

2019-09-01T15:47:52-07:00

Strengthening horticultural value chains can be used for improving food and nutrition security while reducing rural poverty. However, the complexity of local situations challenges the effectiveness of blueprint development strategies and calls for actor-oriented approaches. The fresh pineapple value chain in Uganda is illustrative of such a complex situation. The market supply is not organized by dominant lead firms. In contrast, individually negotiated and context specific actor relationships and their purposeful activities form and sustain this human activity system. As value chain actors take multiple factors for their business activities into account, the aim of our system analysis is to elicit their perspectives on the influence of these factors. This provides a more contextualized understanding to inclusively increase local actors’ benefits.

We used a systems learning approach, in which farmers, traders, brokers and scientists were seeking a better understanding of the local value chain. Cognitive mapping and additional qualitative methods were used to reveal internally held perceptions about the factors and their influences on income generation from engaging in the pineapple value chain. Several meetings with participants from single actor groups informed subsequent multi-actor meetings: four with farmers (4-8 each) and four with traders (2-7 each). Group cognitive maps served as a starting point for ten meetings which included participants from several actor groups (4-13 each). To foster a feeling of connectedness between actors along the chain, these consecutive multi-actor meetings evolved around the factors and situations that participants had identified as influential to all actor groups, such as prices, markets, quality and communication. Semi-structured interviews and participant observation further complemented the analysis.

The approach resulted in a contextualized picture of how multiple natural, technical and social factors influenced actors’ income generation in the pineapple value chain, e.g. farm and market price, market size, quality, seasonality, production methods and skills, buyer-seller relationships and transportation. There was little disagreement about the rationale of the influence of factors during the single actor group meetings. However, the number of factors and the perceived cause-effect relations differed markedly between actor groups. The dialogue during multi-actor meetings revealed different aspects of problem-situations. Participants expressed solutions and also explained barriers to them. For all actors in the chain to profit from their respective business activities, awareness of prices and other market information is particularly important. However, problematic communication patterns between actors pose current challenges and dissatisfactions. The flow of information was disrupted by the intertwined patterns of changes in prices, supply and demand, along with structural constellations, such as many small-scale farmers, relatively few brokers linking production areas to distant market centers and many, dispersed traders in different markets. Moreover, prices were individually negotiated and generally competitively formed. The occurring fragmentation among actors is a result and also a cause for communication problems, fluctuations and actor relations. The controversial debates regarding proposed solutions, showed that the feedback cycles are difficult for actors to break given the contextual constraints and their conflicting interests.

The participatory activities and shared explanations allowed surfacing of problematic patterns and value chain structures that caused friction and hindered broader collaboration. The approach helped to trigger dialogue and understanding between otherwise often competing market actors. While actors are aware of the benefits from improved collaboration, the gained contextualized system understanding revealed why this is difficult to implement. Participatory system learning can reveal actors’ room of maneuver, and contribute to a process that enables actor-driven system change.

SYSTEM THINKING IS NOT FOR EVERYONE – FROM THE BELL CURVE 2.0 TO THE MULTI-LEVEL APPROACH TO SYSTEM THINKING EDUCATION

2019-09-01T15:23:58-07:00

Abstract:

System Thinking IS NOT for Everyone. Heinz von Foerster told us "draw a distinct." So this short paper is trying to accomplish that.

System Thinking for Global Political Citizenship Education

2019-09-01T14:49:17-07:00

Humans are political animals but need to be better ones, because like all other animals, indeed all life forms, they are connected, through their various social systems of all types and at all levels, more closely than ever before with a planet’s subsystems increasingly interlocking in a global system. Their role as political animals is crucial because politics remains the authoritative distribution of values. In a global society lacking an equivalent world government, humans are everywhere performing political activities on different levels, from households to villages, from cities to provinces, from states to suprastate entities, from individual economic transactions to membership in organizations interacting with other organizations, that, in the context of globalization, cannot help affecting the lives of others around the world. Because all political decisions matter, it is necessary in constructing a global society as a system for humans to cultivate their political citizenships, and for others to help them understand what the needs of a sustainable future for the earth require them to take into consideration in their political choices from the perspective of system theory.

THE PROVIDE-PICKUP PARADIGM: CORNERSTONE IN A GENERAL SYSTEMS FRAMEWORK FOR UNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORTING AGENCY AND GOVERNANCE IN SOCIAL SYSTEMS

2019-09-01T15:20:28-07:00

In spite of significant advances in technology in today’s world, our large social systems are marked by increasing social decline. A human systems paradigm can inform and be informed by analysis and clarification of the hard facts of our soft social systems. The aim of this paper is to uncover, understand, unify and clarify the laws of social systems just as we have done with the laws of material and mechanical systems. This paper proceeds to identify flaws in practice and theory underlying our current social systems, and then correct them using a wider knowledge base gathered from general systems theory and relevant disciplines. The updated theory presented here holds that agency of organization behaviour is not in the leader, nor the worker, but in both. Each system member learns and performs according to his/her own willingness and ability, resulting in almost infinite variability. Thus, a new provide-pickup paradigm is proposed. The leader’s role is to provide input, resources and tasks; the learner/worker role is pickup of input, each at his/her own rate. In large social systems, important input is beyond the pickup range of individuals. User-designed ideal-based automated social control systems are proposed to allow organizations and system members to flourish.

Modes of analogy "What human cognitive abilities capture as structures from the world?"

2019-09-01T15:22:34-07:00

Every new things and ideas involve any inventions inside. If people attempts to elucidate those creative abilities to make them being enable, there would be one question that people could come up with. “What human cognitive abilities capture as structures from the world?” Structualisme gave an answer to this problem through Metonymy and Metaphor. Recently those questions are relocated in analogies. However those solutions have not been reached out to concise suggestions to apply analogies to several fields in practical way due to be unclear and uncomfortable to utilize them.

Analogies are generally described in these three; proportional analogies, predictive analogies and analogical problem solving in existing research on analogies. These classifications are fit to comparing results which are available to observe from outside as data, but not good enough for analogies generation processes which are ways to know human cognitive effect. By current general cognitive processes of analogies, it begins with source domain and target domain to get analogy. Then there are key effects in middle of analogies processes; retrieval, mapping and transfer. In order to make the capacity for putting analogies to practical use, it should be considered to refine the works on some key elements on cognitive processes like memories, abstraction and transfer. To those problems, this study has been approached to make an addition to types of memory by Larry Squire with ‘memory of image’ as the third memory. Therefore, in this study it is considered that most of metaphors are utilized to understand things to make them outstanding, and metonymy refers to describe things through part-whole relation. In addition, it is concerned that synecdoche based on concept hierarchy is also a class of metonymy. It attempts to formulate analogies for analogies research by categorizing analogies as working modes to find out relations. Considering these points, this paper provides 5 types of modes of analogy in the categories of metonymical and metaphorical at first, then 3 types of modes of analogy which could be located in new categories between metonymy and metaphor to give an answer to “What human cognitive abilities capture as structures from the world?”

The previous study of analogies generation processes in human cognitive science has been adopted in this study to make processes more clear. In evaluating modes of analogy, ‘transfer’ which is a key element on analogies processes should be also refined. For this problem, this paper gives an attention to what things make relations on each domains; source and target. Then this paper gives two classifications to show features of relations between source and Target domains. Also, this paper provides one more kind of classification to know features from modes of analogy. According to features of existing analogies, modes of analogy could be divided in case-based analogies and no case-based analogies. Through these framings, this study found that some modes of analogy could be considered that they displays more creativity on the analogies generation processes than other modes of analogy.

As a result of this achievement, this study found one unique way to capture structures by human cognitive besides metonymical and metaphorical ways. It shows relations even there is no common axis to link between things. Some part of this field were mentioned in philosophy as ‘strength’. It means human cognitive captures structures in infinity, and this is before representations. This field will be discussed in future work.

Can We Train Management Students to be Systems Thinkers- Additional Results

2019-09-01T15:28:06-07:00

Systems-thinking, a holistic approach that puts the study of wholes before that of parts, is an efficient way of dealing with real-world situations. By emphasizing the interrelationships between the system's components rather than the components themselves, systems thinking allows us to increase our personal and professional effectiveness, and transform our organizations. Specifically, systems thinkers can conceptually analyze the system without knowing all the details, recognizing the forest through the trees. They can see beyond the surface to the deeper patterns that are responsible for creating behavior.

The current study deals with the development of systems thinking among students and graduates of technology management. The goals of the study are to identify the factors that influence the development of systems thinking and to find ways to encourage this development. We used a variety of research tools: A questionnaire for assessing the capacity for systems thinking, The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality type test and supervisor evaluations.

In conclusion, the current study findings show that graduates with certain personality traits can gradually acquire or improve their capacity for systems thinking by receiving appropriate training and through a wide range of work experience, and by holding different job positions over time. Having a broad range of professional experience and holding different job positions can help graduates gain knowledge and become familiar with diverse systems and technologies.

A PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF CRITICAL SYSTEMS THINKING TO IMPROVE A BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE SYSTEM’S BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS

2019-09-01T14:49:17-07:00

Efficacious decision-making requires relevant, intelligible information. Organisations implement data warehousing/business intelligence systems to provide required information timeously for improved decision-making capabilities. Unfortunately, more than half of these systems fail. Data warehousing/business intelligence systems are multi-faceted and have a technical as well as social dimension. Failure to incorporate these systems’ social dimensions lead to low adoption rates and, ultimately, failure of these systems.

The critical systems thinking paradigm is founded on the idea of emancipation through methodological pluralism and critical awareness. The total systems intervention strand of critical systems thinking embraces pluralism, i.e. the idea that different methodologies, from different paradigms, can be applied during different phases of interventions, to enrich the ultimate solution. This study applies an action research approach to incorporate critical systems thinking principles, operationalised by total systems intervention, to critically reflect and choose a suitable methodology whereby to elicit a richer set of business requirements.

This paper starts by introducing and motivating the study. It then discusses the theoretical concepts of the study, i.e. action research, business requirements elicitation and the critical systems thinking strand that is total systems intervention. The remainder of the paper is structured according to the action research phases, i.e. diagnosis, action planning, action taking, evaluation and specification of learning.

From ‘systematic’ to ‘systemic’ research and policy analysis – progressing the application of systems approaches to policy evaluations at a European Union research agency (Eurofound)

2019-09-01T16:16:42-07:00

This study explores the relevance and applicability of using systems approaches to enhance policy evaluation projects conducted by Eurofound(European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions) aa an exploratory case study in 'action research' mode.

This European Union (EU) agency is mandated to support European policymakers in their endeavours to improve the working and living conditions in Europe, by providing “scientifically sound and unbiased, high quality information” .

The key question of this exploration was: How can evaluation of relevant policies be accomplished as part of Eurofound’s role, and give justice to the complexities of the policies assessed and multiple perspectives and stakes involved?

The overall aim of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of current approaches and methods in policy evaluation activities of complex social policies and phenomena undertaken by Eurofound, and to test the ‘systemic desirability and cultural feasibility’ (Checkland, 1990) of moving beyond a ‘first-order science’ research tradition within Eurofound to advance opportunities for applying systems concepts and approaches in these activities.

Methodology

The action research consisted in a specially designed systemic enquiry designed by the author, and conducted jointly with research staff of the agency as they engaged in the implementation of Eurofound policy analysis (research) project consisting of a series of analyses and workshops using different systems approaches (elements of SSM and CSH). This systemic enquiry was applied to a selected case study: a then current Eurofound research project ‘Delivering public services: a greater role for the private sector? Hospital services’ (Eurofound, 2015a, p. 39). This project aimed to analyse the ‘implications of privatisation for access, quality and effectiveness of services’ in the hospital sector across EU Member States. This situation features a number of ‘complex’ characteristics. To test the usefulness and applicability of selected systems approaches was the aim of the action research implemented in this case study.

Conclusions

The experience from this action research applied to the ‘hospital services’ case has shown that the standard approach is not always sufficient for a deeper understanding of a situation to be researched at the start of a project, and can usefully be complemented and enhanced by systems approaches.

The experience and validation interviews with researchers in Eurofound suggested that there could be real value for research and policy evaluation projects in Eurofound to embed systemic inquiry streams into the overall project design, under some conditions:

For projects with wide and fuzzy scope (boundary explorations to inform research questions);
Where new territory is explored (exploratory social learning and scoping);
In complex policy situations with diverse and multiple stakeholders (interrelationships and multiple perspectives).

Whilst it would be ‘systemically desirable’ to broaden a systemic approach to researching similar policies with shared characteristics, there are institutional barriers to the ‘cultural feasibility’, as the mainstream way of conducting research continues to dominate and imposes important constraints to such opportunities. These consist in short research project cycle times, and pressures to deliver results fast, leaving little time and scope for reflexivity and exploratory methods. Additionally, introducing systems approaches into policy evaluation projects exposes paradigmatic and epistemic tensions. The default way of doing research and evaluation projects ‘systematically’ sits uncomfortably with systemic approaches, which implicitly challenge the conventional way of framing and approaching research inquiries. This experience resonates with Argyris’ and Schön’s ‘theory of action’, in which there is a gap between a ‘theory in use’ (the ‘normal’ ways things are done in organisations) compared to ‘espoused theory’ (what is claimed to be done in rhetoric), (Argyris and Schön (1974, 1978, 1996), Argyris (1990). What Eurofound states in its work programme is one thing (‘to assess policies and practices’) (‘espoused theory’), however, in practice it currently falls short of this ambition, as the standard approaches for normal research projects continue to be used (for example standard case study methodology).

In order to move forward from this, a ‘shift’ will be needed. As suggested by Argyris and Schön, this calls for ‘double-loop’ learning to bring about transformational change in the organisational and academic culture in research organisations like Eurofound, and to dissolve the contradictions and ‘organisational defensive routines’. This will require time, and finding and engaging further ‘allies’ across the organisation to pursue this aim. Opportunities exist at several levels:

Transfer the experiences from the ‘hospital services’ project to other projects and researchers, through internal conversations about these experiences.
Raise this discussion in the ‘official discourse’ in the organisation, to increase interest in ‘reflexivity’ and give it legitimacy within the ‘projectified world’ of the organisation.
Future research methodology developments might provide space to enhance the methodological frameworks of the agency.
Further explorations could be conducted within the context of agencies' networks, to explore further how systemic approaches could be used by other agencies to enhance their scientific processes for policy areas with systemic and complex characteristics, such as inter-relationships, multiple perspectives and boundary judgements.

A SYSTEMIC INTEGRATION APPROACH TO DESIGNING INTERAGENCY RESPONSES TO WICKED PROBLEMS

2019-09-01T14:49:17-07:00

Wicked problems are open-ended, highly interdependent issues that cross agency, stakeholder, jurisdictional, political and geopolitical boundaries. This confounds governments because policies and budgets tend to be aligned within these boundaries and not across them, making it difficult to bring the appropriate talent, knowledge and assets into an interagency approach to tackling whatever wicked problem is at hand.

Many governments realize the need for a ‘whole-of-government’ approach to tackling large complex issues, and have employed various methods to achieve interagency and other private/public partnerships. One approach is to employ experts (sometimes called Czars) who are in charge of specific policies and can coordinate input from across government and private entities. Other organizational approaches have focused on forming high-level committees and task forces made up of representation from stakeholder organizations. These approaches are intended to increase cross-government information sharing, identify best-practices, and generate reports that include recommendations to policy makers. However, the formation of these vehicles can be ad hoc and not designed holistically to handle the complexity of wicked problems where interdependencies abound and the perspectives and values of agencies and other stakeholders can often be in conflict. Other complaints about forming these ad hoc groups include the slow, long-term process required to build trust; one agency typically takes the lead, creating problematic power relationships when their own inevitably partial perspective starts to override the perspectives of other agencies; difficulties of reaching agreement on crosscutting agendas; too many meetings; inaction in the face of the above difficulties; and missed opportunities.

The research described in this paper was conducted to develop and evaluate a new Systemic Intervention approach to designing interagency meta-organizations. The term meta-organization is used because it is important to note that this does not have to mean a new official bricks-and-mortar organization, but an organization nonetheless. The term “interagency” is sometimes used to mean this meta-organization. It is a multi-method approach that combines the viable system model (VSM) as the organizational design instrument with participatory problem structuring methods and boundary critique.

FROM COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE TO BOUNDARY CRITIQUE: AN EXTENDED APPROACH

2019-09-01T15:40:41-07:00

In the critical systems thinking (CST) literature, particularly in the theory of boundary critique, the process of marginalisation has been studied mainly taking into account those elements (issues, values, and agents) that are not fully included or excluded of a social design (Midgley, 2000). Taking this theory into account, this paper presents an extension of the theory of boundary critique by using elements of the social learning theory proposed by Wenger’s (1998, 2000, 2010b): Communities of Practice (CoP). In doing so, the proposal includes the idea of considering the marginalisation process as one described by different forms of participation and non-participation that build the participants identity and their concerns. To achieve this, this paper is organised as follows. The first section presents the main aspects of the CST research approach and the systemic intervention bases to establish the context of the discussions about marginalisation process. The second section presents the main aspects of the CoP framework. The third section presents the proposal of an extended version of the marginalisation process, applying some CoP concepts. We conclude by presenting a practical example of implementation of this extended approach and discussing the implications of this approach for CST research.

Designing a Systemic Methodology for Program Evaluation

2019-09-01T15:55:00-07:00

Evaluation is commonly seen as a systematic process to determine merit, worth, value or significance. When engaging in program evaluation, evaluators use research methods to systematically investigate the effectiveness of social intervention programs adapted to the political and organizational environment surrounding them. However, aside from having a systematic character, evaluation has at its core a systemic and a critical character as well, as it is based on the establishment of judgments and the inclusion of stakeholders, both of which inevitably affect what will be seen as an improvement. Critical in terms of not taking for granted predefined assumptions about the evaluation and systemic in terms of a dynamic attitude towards the establishment of what and who should be considered in the evaluation and the acknowledgment the existing relationships of those involved in the evaluation. Thus, the systems theory of boundary critique (about how to explore value and boundary judgements) is relevant. For this reason, we seek to propose a methodological development for conducting social program evaluations. Our methodological proposal, seeks to contribute at a theoretical and a practical level as we not only seek to present a methodology that can be widely applied in the realm of social program evaluation through a practical case but we also seek to contribute to enriching the literature that links systems thinking practice and evaluation, focusing primarily in the contributions that critical systems thinking can make to the practice of evaluation. We examine different stages of the evaluation process and show how boundary critique can be used in each one. A practical example will be provided of an evaluation of a program for teaching alternative conflict resolution techniques to children in vulnerable areas of Bogota, Colombia.

Thinking-Activity Scheme as a Communication Bridge Between Systems Thinking and Systems Practice

2019-09-01T15:57:29-07:00

Exploring ways to co-organize systems thinking and systems practice we discuss the answer of Russian systems thinking which was developed by the Moscow Methodological Circle (MMC).

MMC was organized in USSR in the year of J. Stalin’s death (1953) and was led for more than forty years by G. P. Shchedrovitsky (1929–1994). Now it exists as the “Methodological Movement” and a few institutions associated with it.

MMC developed “methodological thinking”, which was characterised by the following general features and principles:

1) holism and reflexivity in relation to the other approaches and types of thinking (in science, design, engineering, socio-cultural and law studies, etc.);

2) practical orientation (connections thinking-activity, which used systems approach as the means of organizing processes of resolving complex problems by multi-professional and transdisciplinary teams, etc.);

3) reflectivity as practical orientation of thinking to itself, i.e. its capability to re-construct and re-direct itself;

4) the “methodological turn” from thinking about systems as objects to organizing, performing and reflecting the process of systems thinking in practice.

The shift from objects to the process of systems thinking which was mentioned above is characteristic for MMC from the very beginning of its activity. It corresponds to the shift of researchers interest from “systems sciences” to “systems rationality” – as it is discussed in holistic systems thinking approaches. This methodological turn has allowed MMC to formulate original vision of problems of the systems approach: not to investigate “systemic objects”, but to conceptualise and resolve “systemic situations” as a form of work with complex problems. These systemic situations were considered as including subjects of thinking and action into the field of systems practice and reflection.

Now MMC systems methodology has three basic components which are the foundations of System-Thinking-Activity Approach (STA):

1) systems thinking (as “methodological thinking” described above);

2) Thinking-Activity Scheme (an intellectual construction called by “scheme” in MMC is a diagram linked to the certain model as its meaning) and moderation technologies;

3) Systemic 3D-Methodology.

In Thinking-Activity Scheme (published in 1983) thinking and practical activity are represented in the form of different “layers” (“Pure Thinking” and “Thinking-Action”), divided by a “Thinking-Communication” layer. Links between three layers of Thinking-Activity Scheme are mediated by Reflection and Understanding processes. “Thinking-Communication” layer in Thinking-Activity Scheme provides collectiveness of Thinking-Activity and allows to govern it by the means of moderation technologies. We use them in order to apply STA-Approach to systemic situations from practice. Moderation technologies are considered as the mode of communicative management supporting adhocratic type of interaction and deliberative communication, i.e. the “horizontal” and not-alienating interaction in multi-professional teams providing collectively-distributed thinking and multi-positional organization of resolving systemic situations which bear in themselves complex problems.

Systemic 3D-Methodology is the principle of thinking in the space of two “orthogonal” planes:

1) Object-Ontological plane with schemes and objects of practical theory located on it;

2) Organizational-Activity plane with schemes organizing multi-professional communications and methods, forms and instruments of transdisciplinary thinking.

Methodological schemes are specific MMC instruments or intellectual constructions, which can co-organize Object-Ontological and Organizational-Activity planes of 3D-Methodology as a complete reflexive 3D-space and be used as instruments on both planes. Using Thinking-Activity Scheme in this function with the help of moderation technologies allows researchers and practitioners to bridge systems thinking and systems practice in moderated forms of events organization (seminars, “round tables”, transdisciplinary conferences like ISSS etc.) and to do the same in process forms of workflow organization: project groups, foresight, Organizational-Activity Games (OAG), strategic sessions, staff games, civil juries, wisdom councils, etc.

Now Thinking-Activity Scheme is implemented in consulting, education, city and regional development, public policy, public expertise procedures, organizing of public-political communications, conflict resolving and mediation procedures. In future it will be useful in international relations, cross-cultural interactions, global problems resolving, etc.

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURING: A Systems Approach

2019-09-01T15:59:58-07:00

How to structure organizations is an issue that has always been relevant. In today’s complex world, new ways of refining organizations are required so that they can respond quickly to the demands of the environment. The system approach allows one to visualize an organization from a holistic perspective under different scenarios.

There are certain terms and distinctions that must be taken into account in the following discourse on systemic context: structure, methodologies, approach, paradigm, metaphor, model, and vision. In order to improve an organization, it is necessary to identify systems methodologies that can structure each type of organization. It is also important to provide organizational skills that allows one to structure organizations appropriately. To determine the effectiveness of structuring, one must know how to measure the impact of organizational structuring.

The operation of an organization requires the participation of all organizational actors: observer, facilitator, and participants. The methodologies explored in this paper have not only been tested in Colombian organizations, consultancies, seminars, and courses, but they have also been applied to various sectors of the economy. These applications have made it possible to observe the benefits of Interactive structuring process (ISP).

The use of isolated methodologies is insufficient for achieving organizational structuring. Holistic structuring brings coherence and clarity with regards to strategy, processes, actors, and information. The complementarity of methodologies is an interactive process that allows one to achieve the best organization. By coordinating important factors such as strategies, objectives, processes, values, and organizational information, it is possible to build a more interactive structure.

The first order of business will entail the defining of key terms associated with structuring methodology. Secondly, we will examine what types of views and perspectives are being adopted by organizations. Thirdly, we will turn our attention to the systemic approach and the importance of evaluating methodology. Fourthly, we will determine the best model to be used in each approach to a given situation. Lastly, we will observe the chosen methodology in action.

Organizational learning is defined as the process by which knowledge emerges from the interaction between the organization, methodologies, and its users in a research-action relationship, with respect to the environment. The design, diagnosis, and organizational redesign arises from a process that is repeated and improved upon through comparisons. It is through this process by which Meta methodologies are generated and aligned.

THE INFLUENCE OF HISTORY AND CULTURE ON SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY – JJH PERSPECTIVE FOR 20 QUESTIONS.

2019-09-01T16:50:31-07:00

Abstract: This is in Q&A format for a panel discussion.

A General Systems Outlook to the Prediction-Inference Dilemma of Neuroscience Models.

2019-09-01T14:49:17-07:00

As the predictions made by a mathematical model gets validated, the level of confidence on the model grows with every successful prediction. With this rise in confidence one is tempted to make inferences from the more abstract parts of the model. This may result in perceived notion of contradictions or paradoxes. For an ontologically oriented non-general system theorists the relation between model and real-world such that the model results are applied, is a complex one. Let me illustrate this using one of the most famous models in computational neuroscience, the Hodgkin-Huxley model.

Since its unveiling 67 years ago, the system of the four differential equations have successfully modelled other axons and entire neurons based on the modelling schema. For the typical model the equations are such that one is a derivative of the membrane voltage. This is coupled to the remaining three derivatives of the probability that three different ion gates are open. Consider the case of a single channel with four charged particles. And the probability that each charged particle is in a position to open the channel is 0.5. But a real cell membrane has more than one channel of the same type, say ten. Does that mean there are only four charged particles for all the ten channels combined? How can a single channel have four charged particle and at the same time the number of charged particles in the remaining nine channels is also ten?

This contradiction leads to the prediction-inference dilemma. The dilemma that the model makes successful predictions yet, inferences from the model results in inconsistencies. If we waited until someone produced a type of channel with four charged particles and also four charged particles for an arbitrary number of the channel we would not be using the Hodgkin-Huxley model today. This would be like, not using geometry until someone produces a point with no dimension.

From the perspective of a general system theorists the prediction-inference dilemma is resolved. This is because from a general system view, a mathematical model has two facets; principal quantity/ies and secondary quantity/ies or constructs. The principal quantity agrees with the measurable quantity. For instance, membrane voltage variable in the system of equations. The principal quantity and the measured quantity are two different quantities. The model and real-world relation is provided by the agreement between the quantities. Secondary quantities are the result of mathematical abstractions; concepts, operations and symbols of which there are no counterpart in the real-world. This is the Slepian’s two-world view from information theory.

In the interdisciplinary field of neuroscience the role of computational neuroscience (also, theoretical or mathematical neuroscience) is to join the disciplinary rungs of the neuroscience ladder. The computational neuroscientist must therefore be a general system theorists and also be proficient in the science of modelling. This paper will present the solution to the prediction-inference dilemma as an illustration of the general systems approach to the science of modelling in computational neuroscience.

Proposal of a Capability Maturity Model for Health and Productivity Management

2019-09-01T15:00:32-07:00

Currently, as society progresses, it faces a challenge of increased social security expenses. It is important for companies to promote health, in order to suppress the growth of social security expenses. Considering this, Number of the companies that start Health and Productivity Management (HPM) is increasing. To help individuals who are responsible for HPM, we propose the following two items. The first is a capability maturity model for health and productivity management (CMM-HPM) and the second is a guideline to utilize the CMM-HPM in accordance3 with the objectives. The validity of the CMM-HPM and the guidelines were evaluated for 41 companies. The 41 companies are selected from companies listed in “Health and Productivity Management (HPM) Stock Selection” examples of efficiently conducting HPM in previous research, and the “Corporate case study on HPM activities” by Japan Economic Organization Federation. The results confirm the validity of the CMM-HPM and the guideline.

Proposal of Visualising Model of Customer Demands Sufficiency Degree in Designing Private Life Insurance

2019-09-01T15:17:50-07:00

Since May 2016, customers’ demands confirmation at the time of life insurance solicitation was strengthened by the Japanese Financial Services Agency (FSA). It requires not only confirming what the customer is requiring, but also to realize what is required through the insurance plan proposal. To realize this, life insurance companies must firstly understand their customers’ needs and then need to show how the it can be realized through the proposed insurance plan as well as how it matches with their own needs. This means that both customer needs and the matching between these needs with the proposal must be visualized. The visualisation can be realized by using a three-dimensional model which contains time, space, and products axes. These three axes represent the elements of insurance products, where time represents 'when' the insured will deserve the benefits and space represents 'for what' the insured will deserve the benefits. The customer’s insurance expectation is, in other words, a clarification of the function which a customer is expecting out of entire functions of this insurance. This clarification of required insurance functions leads to identification of that customer’s insurance demands. Therefore, the three-dimensional model can be used to visualize both what the insurance can do as well as the customer’s own demands.

This paper aims to propose a visualised, three-dimensional model which represents the structure, essence, and the concept of insurance. The three-dimensional model is a model which enables the visualization of sufficiency degrees of customer demands that could be invisible in most of the cases. Each axis of the three-dimensions represents the function of insurance. The visualising model of customer demands sufficiency degree enables a comprehension of the function of insurance in public social security, private life/non-life insurance, and customer demands point of view. Through the process of understanding insurance as a system by using this model, people will understand how can insurance support their financial risk and find out what they should and should not expect for private life insurance products.

Through the result of several workshops and interviews with professionals and a life insurance specialist in order to evaluate the model, it was proven that the model helped in understanding the features and functions of life insurance, and participants could better understand their needs of insurance. Additionally, they had the impression that life insurance is something valuable and will be of benefit for future financial risks.

MS WINDOWS PRODUCTIVITY RESEARCH APPLIED TO THEATRE.

2019-09-01T14:49:17-07:00

This work begins interdisciplinary, theoretical support for a new technical age of more creative and varied play writing and more productive theatre performance.

I summarize past, highly validated display theory that is applied in an "interdisciplinary experiment" as technical additions to a professionally, table read, full length play showing justification of the application. Results suggest further interdisciplinary research to take advantage of demonstrated benefits and address interesting problems uncovered. In contrast to much theatre today that stems from past elocution, realism and illusion ages, presently being added are technical elements reinforcing live action and dialogue including projection. Projection had to wait half a century from attempts by Tennessee Williams to introduce it in "The Glass Menagerie." I take this technical addition a step further by projecting an MS Word script with color and embedded sound and images that come with productivity and "viewability" increases traded off with increased pre-performance costs. The article defines these and following constructs. Play writing, performance and audience enjoyment can be greatly enhanced using script projection with embedded technical elements, and I present a needed, better, theoretical approach to play writing supporting this technical addition.

I summarize a Social Science experiment resulting in my former, original display theory, involving Viewability, Complexity, Productivity and MS Windows. That theory is expanded and applied to both play script "pages" in one or more MS Windows and to Proscenium Theatre Production. See papers discussing that experiment presented and published through ISSS in the '90's. I consider projection of a digital script, with embedded multi-media that is played/displayed by the projectionist, as one or more additional "virtual" cast members along with traditional non-human theatre elements. Practical considerations of script projection suggest beneficial changes in the "standard" script format. Original contributions to display theory for playwrights and theatre performance follow from summary and analysis of the results of readings of the experimental play, "Con Te Partiro," in December, 2016. Using the new theory promises very much greater opportunity for variety and creativity to the playwright and audience. MS Word is more powerful and flexible compared to existing play writing Apps. This resulting theory is applied to the script, projected image and proscenium as analogues of Windows.

Points in the theory are correlated with results--validating them as appropriate applications of the prior social sciences experimental results--suggesting a different script format and an architecture for play writing (in development). Lessons learned in the table readings suggest improvements that might be made by Microsoft to Word. Interdisciplinary research opportunities to substantiate other points in the new theory are listed.

This paper lays a guiding, validated, scientific foundation for a new, theoretical architecture of more creative and varied play scripts in a technical, interdisciplinary age of theatre, promising cost savings at performance time.

INDUSTRY NEEDS FOR DATA WAREHOUSING STUDENTS: USING SSM AS HERMENEUTIC DATA ANALYSIS TOOL FOR INTERPRETIVE INTERVIEW DATA

2019-09-01T14:49:17-07:00

The soft systems methodology was developed by Peter Checkland over an extended period of time to assist organisational improvements. It provides tools to assist different stakeholders to articulate their perspectives on the best action to be taken in problem environments. It is grounded in the ideas of soft systems thinking, where systems are viewed as conceptual models to make sense of a messy real world environment. The original focus of soft systems methodology is organisational use rather than academic use. In this paper we demonstrate how the soft systems methodology can be used to guide and analyse interpretive interviews with participants in an academic research project in the context of interpretive research methodology.

We reflect on the hermeneutic nature of interpretive qualitative data collection and analysis and then we show that an activity diagram as used in the soft systems methodology, is a valid data analysis technique in terms of the epistemological context of interpretive data analysis.

We demonstrate our proposal by means of the data analysis of interpretive interviews of data warehouse practitioners on their perspectives of the required skills of information technology students majoring in data warehousing. We compiled activity diagrams and used them in communication with our participants, thus enabling our participants to verify our data analysis and enhance our understanding of their perspectives. We show how different perspectives can be represented and reflected upon after compiling activity diagrams and how different perspectives can be accommodated to develop a single strategy for change.

Our main contribution is to demonstrate the suitability of the soft systems methodology in data collection and analysis in interpretive cases studies where strategies for changes are studied.

The paper is organised in four main sections, starting with a discussion on the ontological and epistemological assumptions of interpretive case studies in order to show that it is possible to use the soft systems methodology from an interpretive research perspective. The second section provides a very brief discussion of the soft systems methodology. Our main contribution is in section three, providing justification and guidance for using the soft systems methodology to guide data collection and analysis in the context of interpretive research methodology. We demonstrate our proposal in the fourth section, where we show how we analysed interpretive interview data. Our paper concludes with reflection and recommendations.