International Society for the Systems Sciences: Journals ISSS
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A Systemic Approach on Human Capital Management in Tourism SMEs Considering Socio-Ecological Systems
No full textThe context in which Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) of lodging carry out their operations is turbulent. This Human Activity Systems (HAS) develop certain practices that threaten aspects such as internal equilibrium, resilience, their relation with natural environment and hence its permanence in the sector. The purpose of this paper is to present the basis for an autopoietic management system of human resources within mexican tourist SMEs in order to generate self-organization and adaptation considering social and natural dimensions. The methodological approach is carried out using the Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) looking to reduce problematic situations generated for whom manage the systems as well as those related to the human resource management. With respect to the findings, a conceptual model was designed consisting of subsystems that consider heterogenity in tourist SMEs and human resource management problems, in that sense is intended to regulate its complexity and maintain an equilibrium with the environment. It is considered that actors with managerial functions may benefit from a holistic approach that looks for the transcendence of the whole system in its current context
Toward a System Type Structure
No full textPapernumber: 001 (Assigned by Journal editor) Title of Paper: Toward a Systems Type Structure Name of Author(s): Thomas R. Marzolf Address, Email 219 S. Ithan Ave., Rosemont, PA 19010 [email protected] Text of abstract: A system can only be understood holistically. If our goal is to understand systems we must develop holistic descriptions. That conclusion seems inescapable. Systems occur naturally in hierarchies and interact with a context consisting mostly of other system hierarchies. Systems reside in large, highly interoperating networks, meaning that a truly holistic view of a system has no clear outer limit. The great complexity and scope of such systems present a barrier to reaching a holistic view. Surmounting this barrier should be a goal of systems thinking. Starting from a system of interest and working upward and outward is not the only possible approach. A system influences its parts as well as vice-versa. Complementary to a bottom-up approach from a system of interest is a top-down approach starting with a large encompassing system. All systems are part of the universe, about which much is now known. A top-down approach could start by examining the universe as a whole in terms of the types of systems it contains and how they are related. Indeed, the universe constitutes the ultimate whole. Starting with the whole, even a distant and immense whole, seems especially appropriate when seeking wholeness. Of course, the universe can never be described in full detail, but it could be described from a systems perspective in a way that would facilitate all other system inquiries. The universe embodies the general architecture and ground rules for the integration of all systems. Eventually top-down development and the many bottom-up inquiries would meet, enabling pieces of the puzzle to fall into place. Much valuable systems knowledge is available but it is highly fragmented. Unification is the only remedy for fragmentation. A single top-down approach would provide unification in the form of a common framework and dialect into which all other knowledge can be fit and made coherent. The universe is coherent; otherwise science could never succeed. The fact that our descriptions are not coherent must be the fault of our descriptions not of reality. Hence, in principle they can be fixed and a common coherent description developed. This paper addresses a universal holistic view through a global system type structure. The type structure is represented in the form of a Unified Modeling Language (UML) generalization-specialization hierarchy, a well-proven approach. System thinkers have repeatedly called for a comprehensive system classification, but to my knowledge none exists. The notion of a system is extremely general and so has a great many variants. Many definitions of particular system types and partial type structures exist, but no comprehensive, coherent structure. A coherent universe must allow a coherent description given the right approach; here we consider one. A global system type structure is an incomplete and insufficient holistic description but it provides a good starting point. This paper addresses both a preliminary system type structure and the kind of approach needed to develop and perfect it. It also calls for collaboration to go forward with the project
Apithology of Humanity Psychology: Humanity as a Generative System
No full textThe systems discipline of apithology was established to look specifically at the wellbeing of the humanity system. Being a systems theory of generative dynamics it provides the potential for a different research focus in the field of human systems. It looks for systemic outcomes for human health and offers a counterpart perspective to the mitigation of problems. This enables a generativist approach to the complex challenge of governance for humanitarian outcomes. This paper comprises an introduction to the application of apithology theory and practice to humanity psychology. While apithology theory can be applied to many forms of generative systems, its greatest value is possibly in its application to the formation of human motivations. This involves the analysis of dynamic tensions in systems of conceptions. This form of human systems inquiry illuminates the changing capacities of human conceptions across varied human contexts. The result is a systems discipline for the ethical care of the generative potentials necessary for humanity-scale wellbeing. In this paper the distinction between generative and dissipative dynamics is clarified. The tensions involved in the formation, continuation and actuation of systems of conceptions are described. This is done using the systems principles of autopoietic systems, purposive systems and complex systems. The delineation of three systemic dimensions comprising coherence, orientation and integration is made and the effects of their interactions explained. From this analysis the basis for a generativist approach to the health of humanity-scale systems is proposed. The generation of an apithology triptych is demonstrated. This is used to illustrate three forms of systemic health as a focus for the enablement of humanity’s capacity for adaptability. The practical challenges and ethics of practice, as well as the abilities of practitioners in this field, are also mentioned. The paper concludes with a description of the governance challenges for the wellbeing of a future humanity. 
A moderating role of the sustainability in lean production systems: a longitudinal case study analysis
No full textThe puropse of this paper is to explore the extent to which principles of lean product development are applied to product design and engineering at production systems in Italian medium sized firms. “Lean thinking”, with its focus on the elimination of waste for the improvement of flow, and on continuous improvement has profoundly influenced many aspects of manufacturin
A Delicate Balance: the Interdependence of Natural, Artefactual, and Human System
No full textGoverning the anthropocene entails, in part, constituting a delicate balance among distinct types of systems. Building on the work of Sir Geoffrey Vickers, I identify three types of systems-natural, artefactual, and human. Each has its own requirements for stability and sustainability. Together they have further requirements for functioning interdependently, particularly in any form we ought to consider desirable. I outline some of what these concepts suggest, and argue that understanding stability, sustainability, and interdependence in cybersystemic terms may put us in a better position not only to govern the anthropocene, but to govern it more responsibly. I explore some practical implications of this view in comparing major water projects in Singapore and California. 
Ecosystem Approaches: Navigating Complexity, Promoting Health "
No full textEcosystem Approaches to Health (also known as the "Ecohealth" approach) link population or community health and wellbeing with the environment and sustainable development. The approach is based on the understanding that health (good or bad) arises from interrelationships between coupled human and natural (social-ecological) systems. The ecohealth approach rests on principles of transdisciplinarity, participation, gender and social equity, systems thinking, sustainability and research-to-action. It is a framework to study and manage relationships between human beings and the environment in pursuit of co-benefits; improving both ecosystem health and human wellbeing. In this presentation the emerging field of ecohealth will be introduced and its organization around communities of practice described. The approach will be illustrated with three case studies. The first case is the application of the Adaptive Methodology for Ecosystem Sustainability and Health (AMESH) to interrelated crises of poverty, environmental degradation, and zoonotic disease along the Bishnumati River in Kathmandu, Nepal. Instead of a normal scientific approach to hydatid disease, a team of Nepali and Canadian researchers approached the problem by developing systemic understanding the social dynamics involved, leading to novel interventions in meat processing, sanitation and environmental improvement. The second case is an application to improve community wellbeing in a low-income informal settlement (slum) in Chennai, India. This community was stuck in a maladaptive attractor - a poverty trap. The project married an ecosystem approach to participatory action research to build capacity in the community and achieve social and physical interventions to improve health and well-being. Finally, an ongoing project with the Credit Valley Conservation Authority in Southern Ontario will be presented. This project is oriented to identifying and communicating relationships among ecosystem services and human health/well-being so as to demonstrate the importance and efficacy of watershed management. Ultimately the project will support scenario planning for watershed management that has explicit human health and wellbeing goals
Critical Systems Thinking Review on Decentralised Drinking Water Management in Nauli City, Indonesia
No full textThis paper is based on a PhD project that strives to assess the performance of decentralised drinking water management in the city of Kupang, Indonesia. The implementation of decentralised government system followed by decentralizing some functions including drinking water services, is unsatisfactory in providing access to drinking water for all residents in the city of Kupang. Kupang Municipality that has just split up as an autonomous local government under the decentralized government system in Indonesia, is facing conflicts in providing water provision to the society, since there are three public water companies in this region: PDAM of Kupang City, PDAM of Kupang District, and BLUD of the East Nusa Tenggara Provincial Government. Furthermore, these governments and water companies seem to forget the main objective of government in water provision as stated in the Indonesia Constitution: to fully control the water and manage it for meeting the people’s needs. The aim of this research is to apply Ulrich’s critical systems heuristics (CSH) to address the following research questions: (i) how effective is the current decentralized water management system?; and (ii) how the current system can be improved and what ought to be done
Synthesising Traditional Chinese Medicine and Engineering through Systems Engineering: Traditional Chinese Medicine Engineering
No full textThis paper searches for an entry point and a platform to learn across boundaries to achieve synthesis, so that Traditional Chinese Medicine and system engineering could also understand each other and benefit from each other. The search involves investigation of both western and eastern point of view including systems theories, set theory, Confucianism, and Daoism. A promising Yin-Yang Five Elements i ± 1 System is established through this research
Framing a System
No full textBoundaries of a system are largely determined by human perception. To an extent this occurs arbitrarily, but to an extent it is a response to changing environmental conditions. Given this dynamic, the way a system is framed in terms of its boundaries affects human action on a global scale. Understanding this framing can empower the human agent and enable a recontextualization of human potential such that our planetary system is approached and maintained in an ecologically equitable and sustainable fashion. This paper outlines how such framing relates to different scales of human civilization and what some of the important practical distinctions are related to such an act of framing.