Systems
Thinking and Modelling
Understanding change and complexity
Prentice Hall 2000
Kambiz Maani and Robert
Cavana |
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Systems Thinking and Modelling offers readers a comprehensive
introduction to the growing field of systems thinking and
modelling and their applications. The book provides a self-contained
and unique blend of qualitative and quantitative modelling,
step-by-step methodology, numerous examples and mini-cases
as well as extensive real-life case studies. It is a text
for university studies in business, social sciences and engineering,
as well as a self-study volume for knowledge workers in private,
public and volunteer organizations and professionals in education,
social, medical and scientific fields. In addition, the book
provides a powerful catalyst for group and organisational
learning. In short, the aim of this book is to make the otherwise
technical tools of systems thinking and modelling accessible
to a wide range of people.
Systems thinking and modelling provide a paradigm, a language
and a technology for understanding the dynamics that underlie
change and complexity. There is a compelling need for leaders,
decision makers and organisational workers to make sense of
the ever-increasing complexity of today's world, and to understand
what causes this complexity in business, political, scientific,
and social systems.
Using systems thinking and modelling makes it possible
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to
examine and foresee the consequences of policy and
strategic decisions; |
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to
implement fundamental solutions to chronic problems;
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to
avoid mistakenly interpreting symptoms as causes;
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to
test assumptions, hypotheses and scenarios;
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to
boost staff morale and improve productivity;
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to
find long-term solutions and avoid 'fire-fighting'
behaviour; |
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to
implement change management without adverse side-effects.
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The book comes
with a CD-ROM, which includes the models presented in the
book as well as the run-time version of the ithink software,
which allows users to create their own models.
Systems thinking as a managerial and organisational discipline
was popularised in the 1990s. Since then, interest has grown
all over the world in 'organisational learning' and related
disciplines, but while many articles and books have appeared,
very few have provided complete coverage of the field of systems
thinking and modelling.
The authors draw from their combined professional, consulting,
and teaching experience of more than 40 years (and in four
continents) in a variety of technical and managerial disciplines.
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