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-
- Type:
- Document
- Date Created:
- 1994
- Collection:
- System Dynamic Society Records
- Collecting Area:
- University Archives
- Collection ID:
- ua435
- Parent Record(s):
- 23d738ba88f8333bc39725f9cb5bd0b8, c060552994c1527f70693734935660f1, and fe35db792b573af835d96e6eba4759cd
- Description:
- This paper trace the evolution of the 'generic structure' concept in system dynamics, and discusses the different practical uses to which they have been put. By reviewing previous work on the concept we have identical three different views of what a generic structure is and, hence, what transferability means. These different views are distinguishable in practice as well as in concept. Examination of these interpretations shows that the assumptions behind them are quite dissimilar. From this analysis we argue that it is no longer useful to treat 'generic structures' since a single concept as the unity it implies is only superficial. We conclude that the concept needs unbundling so that different assumptions about transferability of structure can be made explicit, and the role of 'generic structures' as generalisable theories of dynamic behavior in system dynamic behavior in system dynamics theory and practice can be debated and clarified.
-
- Type:
- Document
- Date Created:
- 1994
- Collection:
- System Dynamic Society Records
- Collecting Area:
- University Archives
- Collection ID:
- ua435
- Parent Record(s):
- 23d738ba88f8333bc39725f9cb5bd0b8, c060552994c1527f70693734935660f1, and fe35db792b573af835d96e6eba4759cd
- Description:
- What other activities and techniques exist that are interest to system dynamicists? Are there possibilities for system dynamics itself to contribute to them? These questions have been of interest to the authors for some time and now the 1994 System Dynamics conference is helping to advance the debate. This paper tries to help things along. We consider two areas of interest: the problem structuring techniques of ‘soft’ operational research and the wide range of system thinking concepts employed in the systems movement. Both involve valuable ideas and experiences. Both have a more European-orientated perspective, in contrast to the mainly-US viewpoint of system dynamics. In this two-part paper we therefore offer a selection from the literature of the two as well as brief annotations.
-
- Type:
- Document
- Date Created:
- 1994
- Collection:
- System Dynamic Society Records
- Collecting Area:
- University Archives
- Collection ID:
- ua435
- Parent Record(s):
- 23d738ba88f8333bc39725f9cb5bd0b8, c060552994c1527f70693734935660f1, and fe35db792b573af835d96e6eba4759cd
- Description:
- What other activities and techniques exist that are interest to system dynamicists? Are there possibilities for system dynamics itself to contribute to them? These questions have been of interest to the authors for some time and now the 1994 System Dynamics Conference is helping to advance the debate. This paper tries to help things along.
-
- Type:
- Document
- Date Created:
- 1994
- Collection:
- System Dynamic Society Records
- Collecting Area:
- University Archives
- Collection ID:
- ua435
- Parent Record(s):
- 23d738ba88f8333bc39725f9cb5bd0b8, c060552994c1527f70693734935660f1, and fe35db792b573af835d96e6eba4759cd
- Description:
- This paper concerns two system-based approached for organizational intervention - soft system methodology (SSM) and system dynamics (SD). After a brief description of the theoretical and methodological assumptions of the two a partial critique is presented. SSM is strong on the generation and representation of diverse perspectives, or Weltanschauugen and attempts to deal with the socio-political elements of an intervention. But SSM is weak in ensuring what is termed here ‘dynamics coherence’: consistency between the instinctive behavior resulting form proposed changes and behaviour deduced from ideas on causal structure. Hence, in situations where causal structure and instinctive behaviour are meaningful, the intervention is blind to the dynamic complexity of the proposed changes. SD examines the causal structures capable of explaining and exploring the dynamics interactions of different policies. However, whilst SD emphasises the need for a clear issue focus for a study, the approach has little theory regarding the generation and explicit representation of diverse issues. A proposal is made regarding the dove-tailing of the two to form a synthesis. After an SSM intervention a second stage is described. This continues the socio-political analysis and draws on the previous Weltanschauuugen. It operates within a new Weltanschauuug which values dynamic consistency of the holon which is able to represent the proposed changes. A model of this holon is constructed using SD to represent causal structure and deduce behavior. Using SD methods, the changes are thus rendered 'systemically desirable' in the additional sense that dynamic consistency has been confirmed. With due regard to respective theories and the preservation of ontological consistency, 'holon dynamics is utilized to describe the process. This paper closes with reflections on the proposed synthesis, particular emphasis being attached to the need for theoretical consistency when mixing tools.
-
- Type:
- Document
- Date Created:
- 1994
- Collection:
- System Dynamic Society Records
- Collecting Area:
- University Archives
- Collection ID:
- ua435
- Parent Record(s):
- 23d738ba88f8333bc39725f9cb5bd0b8, c060552994c1527f70693734935660f1, and fe35db792b573af835d96e6eba4759cd
- Description:
- This paper explores the social theories implicit in past, present, and future (envisaged) SD practice. Previous work on the theory of SD is first reviewed. A framework for studying social theories is then introduced; the assumptions underlying its axes discussed and the four paradigms of social theory which these yield described. Various grouping of SD practice are then defined and these are placed in the framework, primarily within functionalist sociology. Motivated by alternative paradigms, two new and potentially productive forms of practice are envisaged. The term “holon dynamics” is proposed to describe them both. These are subjectivist and they are described briefly along with the new type of research approach necessary to advance them.
-
- Type:
- Document
- Date Created:
- 1994
- Collection:
- System Dynamic Society Records
- Collecting Area:
- University Archives
- Collection ID:
- ua435
- Parent Record(s):
- 23d738ba88f8333bc39725f9cb5bd0b8, c060552994c1527f70693734935660f1, and fe35db792b573af835d96e6eba4759cd
- Description:
- The debate on the causes of present high and apparently staying unemployment is just starting to get the grand picture together. A preliminary investigation of a two-sector economic model is presented. Its focus is the interactions between wages in the productive sector and rents and subsides in the non-productive sector. Aging populations, late entry into the labor market, a growing administration headcount and widespread subsidizing add up to taxes and other fiscal measures. Their driving force is modelled to be the recompensation expected relative to the wages before tax of the productive sector. There are three different behavioral-modes identified: - full employment policy will result in a stable employment inverse to the expected recompensation of the Non-Producing sector. - hire and fire policy will get a stable mean taxation level, but with oscillations of some twenty years duration at least. - preventative hire and fire will induce catastrophical changes of employment and tax-income. A weak interaction composite model of this two-sector model into an available longwave model further reinforces, that a high rent-and-subsidizing expectation kills employment and reduces the so called self-ordering of capital production in the longwave model context, except for businesses with high profits. Also, the longwave periods is influenced strongly in this composite experiment. The context for interpretations of the results is proposed to be the national economies with their taxation in global competition.
-
- Type:
- Document
- Date Created:
- 1994
- Collection:
- System Dynamic Society Records
- Collecting Area:
- University Archives
- Collection ID:
- ua435
- Parent Record(s):
- 23d738ba88f8333bc39725f9cb5bd0b8, c060552994c1527f70693734935660f1, and fe35db792b573af835d96e6eba4759cd
- Description:
- Conventional Business-Process-Engineering (BPE) consists of cautious small step improvement in succession to optimize target figures such as financial outcomes, delivery time and leadtimes. To support BPE for fast and focused change, a simulation model on top and outside of MRP-system in place is proposed. Useful business models for this task include the whole process from clients billing to supplier paying. A continuous flow simulation allows to cover the long time horizons of several weeks to years to include the bottom-line-effects relevant for decisions. Outside of existing MRP-systems means that alternatives of structuring the business-process can be assessed without the heavy reprogramming and database support needed, if you do this with the MRP-systems in place. We use process-chain-models with the appropriate flow calculations instead of the discrete-event type calculations of MRP-systems. This simplification pays out in better focus on essentials such as dynamic control of the process-chains for the price of not going into the details of single piecewise operations. A generic template as a starting model is used to cover the many-facetted problems of business-process-engineering in order to prepare the follow-up with a professional custom-model and simulation-tool for the real company's problems. Any final customized model is of course highly company specific.
-
- Type:
- Document
- Date Created:
- 1994
- Collection:
- System Dynamic Society Records
- Collecting Area:
- University Archives
- Collection ID:
- ua435
- Parent Record(s):
- 23d738ba88f8333bc39725f9cb5bd0b8, c060552994c1527f70693734935660f1, and fe35db792b573af835d96e6eba4759cd
- Description:
- Engaging managers in facilitated team model building and using all the principles of system dynamics to obtain high quality models are useful prerequisites to creating a good management flight simulator. No amount of interface improvement should substitute for or mask a poorly designed or understood model. However, there is a great deal of learning going on in the field of Human Computer Interaction that we in the system dynamics community can learn from in order to improve the effectiveness of our management flight simulators and model based learning workshop. This paper will explain how we can apply the principles of Human Computer Interaction to building management flight simulators.
-
- Type:
- Document
- Date Created:
- 1994
- Collection:
- System Dynamic Society Records
- Collecting Area:
- University Archives
- Collection ID:
- ua435
- Parent Record(s):
- 23d738ba88f8333bc39725f9cb5bd0b8, c060552994c1527f70693734935660f1, and fe35db792b573af835d96e6eba4759cd
- Description:
- The paper describes an attempt to tackle the problem of energy management and conversation of the hotel industry of the Island of Cyprus utilizing the Soft Systems Methodology. Hotel industry is one of the most dynamic industries of the Island and contributes heavily towards its national income. The paper describes all steps of all the methodology applied that is: the development of the rich picture, the identification of issues for investigation, the development of conceptual models and the derivation of useful, feasible and culturally acceptable recommendations. The paper concludes that Soft Systems Methodology is an excellent means for tackling complex problems involving human activity systems and that is certainly suitable for improving problematic situations in energy management and conversation.
-
- Type:
- Document
- Date Created:
- 1994
- Collection:
- System Dynamic Society Records
- Collecting Area:
- University Archives
- Collection ID:
- ua435
- Parent Record(s):
- 23d738ba88f8333bc39725f9cb5bd0b8, c060552994c1527f70693734935660f1, and fe35db792b573af835d96e6eba4759cd
- Description:
- At RIVM environmental models are not only used for exploration but also for production, whereby environment reports are provided on a yearly base. Using models in a production situation raises the demand on quality to which model must comply. A robust "multiuser, multipurpose information system" is needed rather than a set of separate models. The demands on quality include: