Revison Flashcards
System
A whole composed of interacting parts.
System model: nodes+ connections
The parts (nodes) of a system can be objects, people, activities, etc. The interactions (connections) can be exchange of goods, information, influences, temporal sequences, etc.
System characteristics
A whole composed of interacting part:
- Boundaries
- Purpose
- Emerging properties
Two complimentary system approaches:
- Viable System Model
- Soft Systems Methodology
Viable System Model
A system approach, which focuses on how to regulate and control activities so that an organisation can carry out its work, with particular attention to information flows.
But people’s models are implicit and to tackle them the differences need to be surfaced.
Soft system methodology
Focus is to surface and integrate different views of a system and it’s problems.
It is about how do we achieve a shared understanding of the situation.
Sketchnote
Rich visual notes created from a mic of handwriting, drawings, shapes, visual elements, etc.
Note taking (especially by writing) helps learning better.
Model
A simplified representation or description of a system or complex entity, especially one designed to facilitate calculations and predictions.
All models are incorrect except a few.
Systems thinking models
System thinking models as a way to see and think about the world. It is a set of modelling techniques.
- Emphasises complexity
- Holistic v reductionist
- Emergent behaviour
Emphasises complexity
- Multiple interacting parts
- Multi-cause explanations as opposed to single cause explanation (root cause)
Holism
The whole is more than some o it’s parts.
The theory that parts of a whole are in intimate interconnections, such that they cannot exist independently of the whole, it cannot be understood without reference to the whole, which is thus regarded as greater than the sum of its parts.
Eg: sociology (causality in explaining is too-down which is whole to the part).
Causality in explaining behaviour flows bottom-up (part to the whole).
Reductionism
The simple is the source of the complex.
Complex phenomena can be explained by looking at their constituent elements.
Explanations should be parsimonious (reduce to the simplest principles/entities possible).
Eg: economics (aggression)
Holism and emergence
The systems develop characteristics that are not present in its components.
Hierarchy
Generally:
A ranking or classification of things or people (eg: power, status, etc)
A ranking on the basis of authority relationship.
In systems:
As many systems are composed of subsystems which also have subsystems, this structure is nested. This is hierarchal in a sense that each system is nested in another higher level system. No sense of more importance.
Eg: digestive system, car, etc.
The hierarchical nature of many system gives them order and assists in dealing with complexity. Interactions within subsystems are more frequent or intense than between subsystems. Attention can be given to the subsystem of interest and the rest becomes environment. Eg: businesses (operations, finance, etc).
Emergent features of systems
Neglected interactions.
In hierarchal systems, attention needs to be paid to what is simplified away. Emergent phenomena are the result of the necked interactions.
Usefulness of a model
Problem/objective context: the broader situation in which a problem is placed.
Problem context
Few subsystems, with few structured interactions that are stable over time or vice versa.
Table (pluralists, coercive, unitary—participants) (simple, complex—systems) images
Participants context:
- Unitary: similar belief, values, and interests.
- Pluralist: interests are compatible but values and beliefs are different.
- Coercive: diverging interests and limited ability to express different beliefs and values.
Systems thinking
Focus on tasks, processes, performance (efficiency)
Reality is objective
-goals are clear and the systems involved can be modelled objectively.
Systematic thinking
Focus is on people, perceptions, relationships.
Reality is subjective
-What the situation, problem, solution is need to be negotiated and objective models are unlikely used.
Why systems thinking is useful
Provide a broad range of techniques that cater to many problems as the environment is complex and uncertain and therefore Nono-causal explanations and silver bullets approaches are useless.
Viable systems model
Living systems:
-Viable systems
•able to continue living
•working successfully
-Open systems in interactions with the environment
•flows of information
•flows of energy
•flows of matter
-Constant adjustment rather than equilibrium
It is hierarchal as systems are nested.
Same structure across hierarchal levels (each subsystem will be viable and therefore needs to have all 5 subsystems).
The meta system (for planning and control) however must not be viable as a hierarchal meta system would mean a bureaucracy that takes a life of its own.
Three key elements:
- Environment
- Metasystem (for planning and control)
- Operating units (for getting things done)
Feedback
In systems thinking feedback refers to a circuit or loop (feedback refers to feedback loop)
The output of activity/process A affects the activity process B and vice versa.
Feedback can be immediate or delayed, negative or positive.
Feedback loop may take place at the system level, with the output of the system feeding back to the system as input.
Complex systems contain a multitude of interacting positive and negative feedback loops. This makes the exact prediction of their behaviour impossible.
