International Society for the Systems Sciences: Journals ISSS
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Un-safety: Systems Pathology of the Fukushima Nuclear Catastrophe
No full textThe magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami that struck northeast Japan on March 11, 2011, were unavoidable natural disasters, but we consider the subsequent breakdown of the Fukushima nuclear power plants to be a catastrophe created not only by nuclear engineering systems but also by avoidable organizational errors – principally, neglect of nuclear safety issues without the necessary regulation both within the electric companies’ management and from the level of governmental policy making. The present paper reviews, firstly, a complete re-thinking of the non-rational locations of atomic power stations, secondly, an analysis of the irrational decision-making of safety management and nuclear policy, finally, a rational proposal concerning the fade-out of nuclear power throughout the world. These proposals are made with a view to obtain sustainable decision-making for the future, not simply in light of the supply and demand of electrical power, but also in consideration of environmental aspects including the social system and the ecosystem. This article is not criticism against the electric company and their government
Being, having, doing and interacting: towards ethical democracy, governance and stewardship
No full textThe presentation of the attached user guide aims to address the conference themes by considering the challenge posed by Stiglitz (2010) to the Australian Productivity Commission, namely to foster an understanding that the wellbeing of humanity is dependent on the global commons. The focus of the research is on addressing social, economic and environmental factors that help to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Joseph Stiglitz past president of the World Bank has stressed (at the invitation of the Australian Productivity Commission) that the bottom line is wellbeing – this requires building stocks for the future ( Stiglitz, et al, 2010). Wellbeing is crucial to re-designing economics
Convergence as a medium scale acephalous group
No full textWe face increasingly complex issues today, many of which may be critical to our survival. If we are to survive, thrive, and find new ways of being, we need to be experimenting with innovative ways of organising ourselves to increase our adaptability and resilience. Top-down hierarchical organisations have become the norm to the point where we rarely consider alternative ways of organising ourselves even though they divide people against each other and impose power differentials. As we gain an insight into the coercive nature of our organisations we begin to seek alternatives that might be more wholesome and humane. A group in the South Island of New Zealand called Convergence is exploring alternatives that have much in common with systems principles. It is an acephalous group, in that it has no structured leadership, and yet over three hundred people have been able to gather together as a co-creative alternative community for five days every year for almost thirty years. Avoiding the divisive distinction between management and worker, Convergence has developed a distributed, transient, self-selected leadership style so the group acts more like a forest or a brain without central control that has proved to be robust. This paper explores the organisation of Convergence from a systems perspective to find its strengths and weaknesses, and its applicability to other groups
RELIABLE INFORMATION - A KEY TO DISASTER RESPONSE
No full textThe growing concern over frequent wide-area disasters with massive destruction is parallelled by a qualitative jump in ICT-capabilities which can be utilized in new ways of disaster response, especially with respect to the information acquisition, processing and dissemination. In this paper we discuss the importance of information with respect to disaster response. The growing concern over frequent wide-area disasters with massive destruction is parallelled by a qualitative jump in ICT-capabilities which can be utilized in new ways of disaster response, especially with respect to the information acquisition, processing and dissemination. This paper discusses the importance of information with respect to disaster response. After a short review of the history of organized disaster response, the phases of a disaster and the types of stakeholders described. The relevant information for stakeholders is described, categorized and the associated activities discussed. The usefulness and applicability of Mass Communication and Crowd Intelligence for improving information acquisition, analysis and decision making is discussed
Global Supply Chains, Disasters and Externalities
No full textSprawling and global supply chains are doing a decent job of providing consumers with inexpensive and timely products. However, their size, complexity and lack of accountability make them originators of serious risks and disruptions. Such disruptions are not contained to the closed systems of the respective supply networks, but bleed over into society and the surrounding communities as negative externalities. Consequently, modern supply chains can expect to be subject to greater scrutiny and pressures to reduce risks and provide compensation for the costs imposed on others involuntaril
General Systems Theory and Spirituality and Religion
No full textGeneral Systems Theory has become a useful model to understand human behavior and also every thing in the whole universe. It has provided a more meaningful World View as it has unified all human knowledge about all aspects of living and non living part of the universe. Prior to Renaissance in Europe the world view of people in different societies and cultures were more mythological, magical, superstitious and religious. Since Renaissance gradually the world view became more objective scientific model to explain everything in the universe including human beings. Such a scientific model has helped to advance in understanding of the material physical world and contributed to rapid development of technology and Industrial and later Information revolution. In the early part of twentieth century the limitations of such a reductionistic mechanical analytical model was recognized especially in biological science. So a new interacting Systems Theory model was introduced especially in biology. Later such a model was found useful in understanding of all fields of studies of living and nonliving things in the universe. As a result a new Systems World view has emerged. According to which every thing in the whole universe can be studied as organized entities or systems that has parts as sub systems interacting with each other and also the whole system interacting with other systems outside of that particular system and form more complex and higher systems. In that model every thing, including human beings are connected with each other directly or indirectly and influence each other systems at various degrees. So this model unifies everything in the universe. According to systems theory human beings are part of universe as a whole system and have sub systems of body as a biological system and mind and behavior as psychological system and by interacting with other human beings form social systems of family, community and nations. Such a model helps to understand human experience and behavior more completely. As the systems theory has developed attempts have been made to explain ultimate philosophical questions like the meaning of life, morality, suffering, death and immortality which may be important issues for many human beings. This paper proposes to include a highest level of all systems called Transcendental system that is different from religious systems that are part of social system. The controversies related to this system and arguments in favor and opposing views will be discussed. The purpose of this paper is to stimulate more discussions among the active members who are involved in developing further General Systems Theory in all directions.  
Our Stolen Safety: Systems Pathology following the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster and the JR Accident
No full textThis Article examines accidents and disasters in the modern era, clarifies the mechanisms involved using real-life examples from Japan, and asks how we can check the underlying pathology and threat of systemic breakdown. In recent years, disasters which have caused enormous misery have occurred across the globe at a frequent rate, while manmade organizational accidents have also followed an inexorable trend toward increase in scale, presenting an urgent issue in all nations for individuals, organizations, regions, and the state. The objective of this research is to explore potential management approaches (parasympathetic systems) and policies to limit the globally expanding problem of manmade disasters, drawing retrospectively on real-life examples from the Japan of recent years. This paper comprises two case studies, namely of the Fukushima Nuclear Catastrophe of 2011 as an example of organizational disaster and the Japan Railway West Accident of 2005 as an organizational accident. Those phenomena can be said to have stolen our safety. It is necessary to consider the robustness of sustainability against manmade disasters and organizational accidents in the near future
Method for promoting ICT engineering safety learning from crisis management
No full textIn this paper, a method is proposed for promoting ICT engineering safety learning from crisis management. The current majority of methodologies for ICT target ICT reliability. However, safety is the upper layer of reliability in terms of a system hierarchy. Therefore, we need more holistic methodologies to realize system safety, and system safety should include human factors. In particular, ICT engineering arena human factors play a crucial role in promoting ICT system safety. The Tokyo stock exchange was crushed on 1st of November 2005 by an operation error, which had a severe impact on the global . The human factors (operator error, maintenance engineers' error, etc.) cause severe impact to not only ICT systems but also social systems (nuclear plant systems, transportation systems, etc.). A JR West train derailed and overturned on 25th April 2005 due to driver misconduct caused the loss of 106 passengers' lives at Kyoto in Japan. The progress of ICT technologies (i.e., cloud, virtual and network technology) inevitably shifts ICT systems into complexity with tightly interacting domains. This trend places the human factors above other elements to promote safety more than ever. The emergent property interacting between ICT and human conduct should be dealt with in order to promote system safety. Crisis management treats holistic property over partial component. We introduce a risk management framework to promote a holistic view to manage system failures. An application example of ICT human error exhibits the effectiveness of this methodology. 
Bootstrapping Social-Systemic Evolution
No full textAn anomaly underlying sustainability-related and other contemporary issues is that relevant information is created but not heard, and not turned into action. Information technology offers building materials for enabling effective communication, but this building has not yet scaled to its potential. We point to a paradigm within which this anomaly can be remedied, and submit that if systems science should make the difference it can and needs to make, its presence within this paradigm may need to be strengthened. This practically means expressing the results and insights not only in printed text, but also in systemic prototypes and most importantly—in real-world systems. We point to bootstrapping social-systemic evolution as a strategy and a practical way to do that, and offer relevant details by describing some of our related projects and ideas. 
