underlying assumptions of several traditions in systems science
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Underlying Assumptions of Several Traditions in Systems Science. Eric B. Dent, Ph.D. University of North Carolina, Pembroke World Multi-Conference on Systemics, Cybernetics, and Informatics http://www.uncp.edu/home/dente. Premise. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Underlying Assumptions of Several Traditions in Systems Science
Eric B. Dent, Ph.D.University of North Carolina, Pembroke
World Multi-Conference on Systemics, Cybernetics, and Informatics
http://www.uncp.edu/home/dente
PremiseSystems science is not a unified field Systems science is not a unified field
because different systems science because different systems science traditions are making different traditions are making different philosophical assumptions. Systems philosophical assumptions. Systems thinking is more a practical than a thinking is more a practical than a theoretical approach which doesn’t theoretical approach which doesn’t naturally surface philosophical naturally surface philosophical assumptions. assumptions.
Primary Determinants of Individual Worldview
Observation – Objective or Perspectival
Unit of Analysis – Reductionism or Holism
Causation – Direct or Mutual
Philosophical Assumptionsself-organization
observation
causality
reflexivity
environment
unit of analysis
determinism
Systems Science Traditions
Operations research (systems analysis)
Cybernetics
Total Quality Management
Organizational Learning
General Systems Theory
System Dynamics
Method: Sources Examined
OR - Handbook of Systems Analysis
Cyb - The Tree of Knowledge
TQM - 4th Generation Management
OL - Organizational Learning II
GST - General Systems Theory
SD - The Electronic Oracle
unit env caus refl indt obs sOr
OR yes yes yes no yes no no
TQM yes yes yes yes no no no
OL yes yes yes yes no yes no
Cyb yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
SD yes yes yes no no no no
GST yes yes yes yes yes no no
Perspectival ObservationThe message is not that reality doesn’t exist, nor that it can be anything you want it to be. The message is that reality is not the same as your observation of it: that is just one shadow out of many. Reality is whatever casts all those interrelated shadows, and you can infer some aspects of its structure by looking at how different shadows are interrelated (Stewart and Cohen, 1997, 200).
English/American vernacular- where you stand depends on where you sit- beauty is in the eye of the beholder- wearing rose-colored glasses- a self-fulfilling prophecy- it's the blind man and the elephant- baseball umpire -"the pitch ain't nothin' until I call it.“- there are two sides to every story- is the glass of water half full or half empty?- perception is reality- to someone with a hammer, everything looks like a nail- you tend to find whatever you go looking for- Cosi e se vi pare - “So it is if it seems that way to you.”- “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2
PERSPECTIVAL OBSERVATIONin PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL
performance measurement problematic because of subjectivity
Interdependent work
Deming - full set of behaviors not possible to objectify
Florida Teacher awards
360-appraisal
Tichy and Bennis - Judgment
Knowing subjects
Business School rankings – BW
“Jumbo House”
“The Englishman Who Went up a Hill but Came down a Mountain”
“Sandbagging”
Beta change
Diversity training
Crime reporting
Other Science 2 challenges
Screen refresh rates – Google position
Stephen Jay Gould
Induced traffic
My blood pressure
ConclusionPerhaps an integration and synthesis of the field will occur if the different traditions coalesce around a shared set of underlying assumptions, such as reflexivity.