What is System Dynamics?
System dynamics is a computer-aided approach
to policy analysis and design. With origins in
servomechanisms engineering and
management, the methodology uses a
perspective based on information feedback and
mutual or recursive causality to understand and
manage the dynamics of complex physical,
biological, and social systems.
The Field of System Dynamics
The field developed initially from the work of
Jay W. Forrester. His Industrial Dynamics
(1961) is still a significant statement of
philosophy and methodology in the field. Since
its publication, the span of applications has
grown extensively and encompasses work in
© corporate planning and policy design
¢ public management and policy
¢ biological and medical modeling
¢ energy and the environment
¢ theory development in the natural and
social sciences
¢ — dynamic decision making
¢ complex nonlinear dynamics
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Activities of the Society
The System Dynamics Review
The Society’s journal is published quarterly by
John Wiley & Sons, under the editorship of
Brian Dangerfield of the University of Salford
and an international editorial board. The Review
publishes high quality, peer-reviewed advances
in system dynamics and systems thinking and
their applications to societal, technical,
managerial, and environmental problems. The
journal is abstracted in the relevant major
bibliographic information services.
International Conferences
The Society’s annual conference is held
alternately in North America and Europe, with
occasional appearances in Asia and the Pacific
Rim. These conferences, and the meetings of
local chapters and interest groups, introduce
newcomers to the field, keep practitioners aware
of current developments, and provide
unparalleled networking opportunities.
Membership
Members receive an annual subscription to the
System Dynamics Review and access to the
Review online through Wiley InterScience;
discounted conference rates; and regular
information about activity in the field. Chapters
are organized in:
¢ Australasia ¢ Italy © Switzerland
© Brazil © Japan °UK
© China * Korea * Economic
¢ Egypt © Latin America Dynamics
¢ Hellenic © Russia © Student
In addition, a growing number of special interest
groups are active, including:
© Business ¢ Health Policy
¢ Environmental Dynamics ¢ Security
© Higher Education
Resources
The Production-Distribution (Beer) Game
Complete game kits for this deeply insightful
introduction to the power of a dynamic systems
perspective are available directly from the
Society. The purpose of the game is to illustrate
the key principle that structure produces
behavior. For more information, contact the
Society or see www.systemdynamics.org
The Forrester Seminar Series
The Society is proud to present this series of
videotaped discussions with the founder of the
field, Jay W. Forrester. The eleven three-hour
sessions address a variety of topics which
should be of interest and benefit to any student
or practitioner in the field. An accompanying
CD contains suggested readings for each
session. May be ordered singly or as a set.
The Literature Collection
The MIT System Dynamics Group Literature
Collection was selected by Jay W. Forrester.
The collection spans nearly fifty years of work
in system dynamics, and reveals a rich historical
point of view. Included are over 3500 D-memos,
along with theses, publications, the Guided
Study Program, the Road Map series and
miscellaneous selected papers. Available on
DVD.
The System Dynamics Bibliography
The Society maintains an active database of
publications in the field, which is available
online on a shareware basis (free to members) at
www.systemdynamics.org or on disk from the
Society.
Previous Publications
Most past editions of conference proceedings
(1986 - 2004) and the System Dynamics Review
(1985 - 2004) are available from the Society.
Contact the Society
Roberta L. Spencer, Executive Director
System Dynamics Society
Milne 300 - Rockefeller College
University at Albany
Albany, NY 12222 USA
Phone +1 518 442 3865
Fax +1518 442 3398
system.dynamics@albany.edu
www.systemdynamics.org
Graham W. Winch, President
University of Plymouth
Plymouth Business School, Drake Circus
Plymouth PL4 8AA UK
graham.winch@plymouth.ac.uk
System
Dynamics
Society
Society Sponsors
Amber Blocks Ltd. New York, New York, USA
Asthma 2000 Group and Innovative Clinical
Systems Shreveport, Louisiana, USA
Atrivé Zeist and Best, The Netherlands
Bolide Pty. Ltd. Frenchs Forest, NSW, Australia
Booz Allen Hamilton McLean, Virginia, USA
BP Global locations
Brand Management Group Oslo, Norway
CALIBRE Alexandria, Virginia, USA
Decision Dynamics, Inc. Bethesda, Maryland, USA
Delft University of Technology Delft, The
Netherlands
Deutsche Lufthansa AG Frankfurt, Germany
Jay W. Forrester Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
General Motors Detroit, Michigan, USA.
Hall, Vasil & Dowd, CPA’s Belmont,
Massachusetts, USA.
sponsors continued on reverse
Society Sponsors continued
HVR Consulting Services Ltd. Alton, Hampshire,
UK
isee systems Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
ITP Consultores Caracas, Venezuela
Ledet Enterprises, Inc. Humble, Texas, USA
Master Systems, Inc. Carlsbad, California, USA
Minase BV Tilburg, The Netherlands
Mohaseboon Financial and Business
Consultants Cairo, Egypt
Northwater Capital Management, Inc.
Toronto, Canada
OLM Consulting Teddington, Middlesex, UK
PA Consulting Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
PAR-Group, Nijmegen School of
Management, Radboud University
Nijmegen Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Pegasus Communications, Inc. Waltham,
Massachusetts, USA.
Plug Power, Inc. Latham, New York, USA
Powersim Solutions, Inc. Herndon, Virginia, USA
Project Performance Corporation McLean,
Virginia, USA
Proverbs Corporation Prague, Czech Republic
Proyectos Comerciales de México, S.A. de C.V.
una empresa de Grupo Proyectos, Querétaro, México
Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy,
University at Albany Albany, New York, USA.
SAIC Science Applications International
Corporation San Diego, California, USA
Toshiro Shimada JsD Chapter, Tokyo, Japan
System Dynamics Group, MIT
Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
System Dynamics Group, University of
Bergen Bergen, Norway
Tecnolégico de Monterrey Monterrey, México
University of Salford, Centre for Operational
Research and Applied Statistics Salford, UK
Ventana Systems, Inc. Harvard, Massachusetts, USA
Ventana Systems UK Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK
System
Dynamics
Society
Promoting the rigorous study of
systems and their behavior
using computer simulation and a
feedback perspective
for policy analysis and design
The System Dynamics Society is an international non-profit
organization devoted to encouraging the development and use of
system dynamics and systems thinking around the world.
With members in over sixty countries, the Society provides a
forum in which
researchers
educators
consultants
practitioners in corporate and public sectors
interact to introduce newcomers to the field, keep abreast of
current developments, and build on each other’s work.
