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...simply like to know more about this rather vague term. The approach to open systems thinking presented here is just one way in which it may be used--by definition, open systems thinking should not follow a rigid series of tasks.
Systems thinking has always been valued in some disciplines like biology and information technology, but its scientific connections have tended to make it unattractive to practising managers. However, systems thinking pervades many of the most radical approaches to modern management such as TQM, environmental management, and the learning organisation, to name just a few.
All managers are faced with two types of problem that may be helped by systems thinking. The first group is often referred to as 'wicked problems'--when an apparently simple situation gets out of hand and whatever is done simply exacerbates the problem. The second group is formed by 'systems crashes'--situations where the perfect technical solution fails to deliver the goods and fails spectacularly.
Three main reasons may explain why a traditional, mechanistic view of systems fails to work:
* system complexity
* uncertainty in the environment--not knowing what the future may bring leads to difficulty in accurate forecasting and accounting for risk
* conflict in human values--many perfect technical solutions have failed because their sponsors have failed to gain public acceptance....
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More articles from Chartered Management Institute: Checklists: Managing Information and Finance
Getting the most from statistics.(Checklist 139), October 01, 2005
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