Systems Thinking for Business and Management: Principles and Practice

✍ Scribed by Umit S Bititci, Agnessa Spanellis

• Publisher: Kogan Page
• Year: 2023
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 297
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This core textbook provides a practical, holistic introduction to systems thinking.

Blending theory and practice, Systems Thinking for Business and Management reviews the fundamentals and includes a wide range of global cases and examples from business, showing how systems thinking can be applied to real-world organizational contexts. Students will learn to apply their knowledge to solve business system problems, carry out systemic organizational analysis and design solutions to address complex organizational problems. They will build valuable skills in systems analysis, business process modelling, problem solving and decision making.

Features include:

· An evaluation of the different models, theories and frameworks for generic systems, system properties and system classifications
· An overview of the different methods used for modelling and analysing different systems, specifically hard systems, soft systems and complex systems
· Discussion of how system thinkers can imagine and model future systems
· Experiential, engaging pedagogy, such as practical activities and reflective exercises in each chapter
· Online resources to support teaching and learning, such as a customizable set of PowerPoint slides and video links

The book's approach has been tried and tested over ten years of teaching. It will be an essential text for introductory modules on systems thinking at undergraduate, postgraduate and MBA levels. It will also be of interest to practitioners looking to apply systems thinking to improve their organizations.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover
Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Origins and development of systems thinking
1.2 Background to the book
1.3 Motivation and principals
1.4 Who is this book for?
1.5 How to get the best out of this book
1.6 Structure of the book
Notes
References
PART ONE Fundamentals of systems thinking
2 Introduction to systems
2.1 What is a system?
2.2 Core concepts
2.3 Value of systems thinking
2.4 Summary
References
Further reading
3 Understanding systems
3.1 Function and purpose
3.2 Inputs and outputs
3.3 System performance
3.4 Stocks, flows and forces
3.5 System structure
3.6 System boundary
3.7 Interconnections and feedback loops
3.8 Processes and systems
3.9 Entropy and homeostasis
3.10 Summary
PART TWO Models and methods
4 Common system models and frameworks
4.1 Miller’s Living Systems Theory
4.2 Beer’s Viable Systems Model
4.3 Hitchens’ Systems Architecture
4.4. Deming’s System of Profound Knowledge
4.5 Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints
4.6 Summary
Notes
References
5 Hard systems thinking
5.1 Characteristics of hard systems and hard systems thinking
5.2 Flowcharts
5.3 Data-flow diagrams
5.4 Structured systems analysis and design method and integrated definition
5.5 Process mapping or business process modelling
5.6 Swim lane process maps and flowcharts
5.7 Value stream mapping
5.8 Discrete event simulation
5.9 Agent-based modelling and simulation
5.10 Hard systems modelling: limitations and innovations
5.11 Summary
References
Further reading
6 Soft systems thinking
6.1 Characteristics of soft systems and soft systems thinking
6.2 Soft Systems Methodology
6.3 Storytelling and roleplay
6.4 Rich pictures
6.5 Causal loop diagrams
6.6 Summary
References
Further reading
7 Systems thinking in group decision making
7.1 Strategy and complexity in the modern world
7.2 Causal mapping for problem structuring
7.3 Constructing causal maps
7.4 Analysing causal maps
7.5 Agreeing priorities
7.6 Designing a workshop for group decision making and open strategizing
7.7 Summary
References
PART THREE Systems complexity
8 Understanding the behaviour of complex systems
8.1 Systems dynamics: an approach to modelling and simulating complex systems
8.2 Building on soft systems thinking
8.3 Understanding and revisiting complex wicked problems
8.4 Behavioural dynamics in complex systems
8.5 Summary
References
9 Changing complex systems
9.1 The levers for changing complex systems
9.2 Structural levers
9.3 Temporal levers
9.4 Boundary levers
9.5 Conceptual levers
9.6 Robust and resilient systems
9.7 Summary
References
Further reading
PART FOUR The future
10 Future systems thinking
10.1 Creativity and innovation
10.2 Barriers to creativity and innovation
10.3 Imagining systems that do not yet exist
10.4 Scenario thinking
10.5 Building scenarios
10.6 Gaming the future
10.7 Summary
References
11 Summary and key takeaways
11.1 Part One: Fundamentals of systems thinking
11.2 Part Two: Models and methods
11.3 Part Three: Systems complexity
11.4 Part Four: The future
11.5 Limitations of systems thinking
11.6 Conclusion
References
Glossary
Index