International Society for the Systems Sciences: Journals ISSS
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InCo movement - practical experiences of system approach with local and global impact
No full textThe project described in this paper is a practitioner's experience about changes that a passionate and a professional movement can make based on systemic approach and heart energy. Thousands of people were touched by it, challenged, encouraged, recognized, and supported in their own pursued for contribution. It was not done rationally nor due to an extended explicit knowledge about systemic and systems thinking. That came later and helped us to understand better the inner strength of the movement. It came naturally. We were trying to understand the concept of an innovation ecosystem as a whole in order to be able to see which parts we might have a capacity to address, as well as to understand their co-relations. It is based on a local initiative that spread very fast internationally and started to connect with many similar initiatives around the world, e.g., Innovation Journalism Program at Stanford University, Change The Game initiative from Austria, European Journalistic Centre etc. Our friends and co-creators are from many different countries: India, Portugal, Austria, Uruguay, USA, Brazil, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, etc. We contributed to the launch of several local initiatives, e.g. Heart of Slovenia, "Forest kindergartens", InJo and InCo national awards, Management Forums, etc. We co-created with other institutions and professionals many papers, conferences and initiatives addressing the power of movements, innovation, intuition, social responsibility, and civil participation. The first events and gatherings were followed by a model, than we created a common long term mission, followed by a tangible and non-tangible results, sparkles in people's eyes and many more tools that we made available to everyone that expressed an interest. In the e-book "The power of contribution", which we are officially launching in Vietnam, we show how we came about, what are the results, who we share the passion with, and where our dreams are leading us in the future (for now)
THE CONCEPT OF RESILIENCE IN COMMUNITY AND ENGINEERED SYSTEMS - A CROSS SECTORAL FEEDING OF IDEAS
No full textThis paper outlines some recent work in organising the metaphor of "resilience" in application to engineered systems. This work provides an approach to the identification of threat types and magnitudes and the acceptable or desired outcomes to instances of the threats which can be used for specification of engineered system. The paper then explores the usage of the word family "resilience" in The Australian Journal of Emergency Management, a sector journal published by the Australian government. It is found that "resilience" is used as a metaphor, which is often described, in various ways, but not tightly defined. It is concluded that the emergency management sector would benefit from exploring the broadening and application of the engineering concepts to the less crisp issues related to the impact of threats on distributed community systems, so that appropriate disaster resilience development responses are made
The Concept Design of Cause Related Marketing Utilizing Wants Chain Analysis Proposing the Method and Validation through Value Co-Creation Workshops
No full textIn this study, we propose a methodology for designing a Cause-Related Marketing (CRM) strategy using Wants Chain Analysis (WCA). To delineate the methodology, the authors introduce the concept of WCA to design CRM through a concrete and effective process in a standardized manner. The methodology can help create new types of concepts of CRM that are not only donation-based but also make relationships and supply substance or service. The authors validate the efficacy of a WCA-based CRM by conducting experiments during workshops held for value co-creation, in which various CRM stakeholders participated to create concrete designs for CRM
THE SOFT SYSTEM METHODOLOGY TO BUILD A SUSTAINABLE SPACE OF A TOURIST CORRIDOR FROM PUERTO ANGEL BAY TO MAZUNTE BEACH, IN MEXICO
No full textSYSTEMS MANAGEMENT AND INFORMATION METRICS BASED ON TIME DISTORTION AND PROFIT.
No full textOrganizational management systems, for control and command, have attracted a great amount of research and debate since the very origin of management, as its underlying question is: how to manage human activity systems successfully? More recently, the so-called 'Balanced Score Card' approach has assumed dominance in managers' practice. While that approach has its merits, it also has some important limitations; among others it ignores the concept of time and its relation to information. To deal with some aspect of this limitation, this paper introduces a metric, (e.g. mathematical model) based upon information theory (entropy). The entropy in this paper measures the information content of time distortion in organizational performance and links it to the economic outcome (profit). The paper demonstrates how time-based goals can serve as a metrics of both information and economy, and that the relation between information content and economy outcome is not linear. The paper suggests a mathematical model in which the management system and its operating system are carriers of information (as measured in nats) with economic dependence. The proposed model shows, among others, that time-distortion influences economic performance dramatically, including a lever effect, while high information entropy does not necessarily imply high economic outcome. The outcomes of the paper are contra-intuitive and may suggest a new metric for assessing goal oriented information from management system to its operating system. It may also be seen as a model for assessment of management efficiency with respect to time and economy
The Importance of the Rural Telephone Line Satellite in Mexico
No full textThis work is aims to study the importance of the rural telephone line satellite in Mexico, for the period comprising the year 2000-2012. The rural telephone line satellite service is provided by the government and private companies. The work is focused on the service provided by the Federal government for Mexican localities whose population density is in the range of 60-499 people, where cellular and fixed service does not exist. This has been achieved by targets set in the National Development Plan, 1995-2000. First, data was obtained from the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation (SCT) which shows as has been for the rural telephone line satellite in the years mentioned above, and based on the data performed a first hypothesis which states that this service has decreased because rural areas have declined. Information was taken from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) which showed that rural areas in the country have increased over time. This data was included from the years 1995 to 2010, so our hypothesis was rejected. Following the refuted hypothesis, we made a second scenario on which we are working, in which it is argued that rural telephony has declined due to commercial phone penetration (mobile and fixed)
Complex Thought and Systems Thinking Connecting Group Process and Team Management: New Lenses for Social Transformation at Work Environment
No full textThis paper proposes some discussions about group process and team management in a different paradigm than the classical theories. We recognize an important trajectory made by both strategies, groups and teams, acknowledged here as living systems in our postmodern society, and we were willing to understand why, at some point, teams were elected as "a group with better performance or development". Teams thrive in our zeitgeist in different ways since it is a strategy that affects almost the entire active working population. We can say there is a desire for having work made through teams nowadays, even for those who work from home or in virtual teams. On the other hand, groups have been used for social change in many ways. When well-known authors write "from groups to teams" it is possible to see a position taken within one perspective, mostly from Management. In different disciplines of Humanities, a group - thought as a social strategy - is not called a team - understood as an enterprise strategy - to build the results they are looking to achieve. To integrate often isolated areas of human, economic, social and sustainability knowledge, we propose to think different possibilities on how to understand what happen in group process, what a collective can produce for itself and for the environment. We based this paper in three bodies of knowledge. For didactic purposes we present them in a sequence, but they are like a web, composing each other as an integral systems approach. One body is Complex Thought of Edgar Morin as our method of research, especially as we explore three principles of complexity (dialogic, organizational recursion, and holographic) and the concepts of comprehension and explanation. Second, we discuss systems thinking properties applied to living systems (interaction, interdependence, autonomy and dependency, organization and self production). Third, we connect some thoughts based on the work of Deleuze and Guattari around rhizomic structures in organization development as a mode of knowledge, nonhierarchical or centered, and a possible understanding of a current model in our highly interconnected society - alliances in movement. We propose an exercise to think group process through these three lenses presented. We understand group processes as immaterial human capital with effects on the intra and interpersonal construction (SEMINOTTI, 2007), and seek more comprehension so that their effects converge towards the human development, integrating different dimensions of nature-life-work that cannot be isolated. To incorporate dialogic into dichotomy, organizational recursion into linearity, holographic into unity is a path that allows the expansion for the homo sapiens-demens-faber in other roles in life. We defend we are in an epoch when we can surpass this linear thought of "group then team". There is a political and economic implication to connect groups and teams, since team members are exposed to group process and sometimes they do not know how to deal with it. Also, if teams at work have access to group process we can prospect another level of right livelihood, self reflection and self production for its members, ergo, to our society. No matters which living system we are talking about, groups or teams, we are facing - hologramatically - concepts for the sake of a sustainable society with an ultimate desire of contributing to social transformation.  
An applied educational learning concept for “living system” fieldwork
No full textThe dynamic interactions of very large living systems in which we find ourselves existing and engaging with, can, at the very least be difficult to navigate, or at worst, dictate disastrous directions (Garduno et al. 2013). There have been various descriptions that are based more on perceptions that influence and stress different areas of sustainable development and sustainability. The Brundtland Report discussed the ‘inequality is the planet’s main “environ-mental” problem’ (WCED 1987, p 6), linking poverty and pollution, social justice with unsustainability. It did however; link these issues, even though there was a focus on the symptoms rather than the cause’ (Asghar 2001). However, more recently it has been possible to view these issues as living systems, that are in themselves, adaptive complex systems, with many multiple components and properties (Nousala et al 2012: Nousala and Hall 2008: Hall et al 2010). Asghar (2001) discusses a broader perspective, by referring to the Brundtland Report (WCED 1987, p3) and the futility of focusing or dealing with the environmental problems without viewing these issues through a wider lens, to encompass the factors that underpin world poverty and international inequality. These perceptions have also been challenged by increased understanding of richer based contexts, supported by multi-disciplinary processes of all kinds, not least of all, the expansion of educational platforms of exchange, that rely on action based research, but also statistical data base analysis. This paper discusses the concepts of sustainability, community engagement, methodological approaches (through a social complex adaptive systems lens) and educational experiences based an educational pilot project, namely Aalto LAB Mexico (ALM). This experimental case study was based on previous research, current literature and fieldwork engagement with specific rural communities in Mexico (Garduno et al. 2013)
Where is this so-called “Fifth Discipline” if project failures, blown-out budgets, decision disasters and poor investments continue to plague our society?
No full textWe are living in a complex and ever changing world. Policy makers, managers and leaders today are expected to cope with increasing complexity, change, and diversity. Traditional and reductionist approaches have shown their inability to address such complex problems. Increasing complex issues and challenges in curating the conditions for a flourishing planet require new ways of thinking and a fresh approach to address the multi-dimensional and multidisciplinary nature of complexity. This paper argues that there is an urgent need for a societal change to deal with complexity in a world that focuses on reductionist approaches (breaking into parts; traditional linear thinking; seeking silver bullets). The need to step outside our collective 'comfort zone', develop new ways of thinking and act in the interest of our future is crucial. It is essential for future managers and leaders to be equipped with new ways of thinking that are systems thinking and design-led to deal with complex problems in a systemic, integrated and collaborative fashion - that is, finding long-lasting solutions to the root causes of issues rather than focusing on short-term fixes that doesn't work. System thinking offers a holistic and integrative way of appreciating all the major dimensions of a complex problem, and enables the formation of effective and long-term management strategies (systemic interventions). The paper provides examples of how taking systems thinking out into the real world could help shifting the mindsets of managers and decision makers to avoid project failures and money wasting in complex project management and discusses the importance of 'systems thinking' to become 'everyday language' and a main stream concept embedded in all walks of life
Connecting the DOTS: The Design Of Thrivable Systems through the power of Collective Intelligence.
No full textMeeting and Conference of the international Society for the Systems Sciences focuses on the meta-theme of Curating the Conditions for a Thrivable Planet. It has been conceived as a living learning lab for collective intelligence so as to provide its participants with a set of total immersion environments in which to explore our role as systems scientists, and beyond that, as members of a globalizing species at this time in history. As such, the conference provides individual and collective opportunities to foster that basic feeling of being connected, to explore what it means to be Appreciative Systems, to manifest new levels of community, and fundamentally, to evolve the narrative of our role as authors of the conscious evolution of our species. Through this process, we will address the principal theme of the conference this year: the search for systemic leverage points for the emergence of a global eco-civilization