Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Systems thinking'
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Lamb, Caroline Marie. "Collaborative systems thinking : an exploration of the mechanisms enabling team systems thinking." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/54602.
Full textCataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 197-214).
Aerospace systems are among the most complex anthropogenic systems and require large quantities of systems knowledge to design successfully. Within the aerospace industry, an aging workforce places those with the most systems experience near retirement at a time when fewer new programs exist to provide systems experience to the incoming generation of aerospace engineers and leaders. The resulting population will be a set of individuals who by themselves may lack sufficient systems knowledge. It is therefore important to look at teams of aerospace engineers as a new unit of systems knowledge and thinking. By understanding more about how teams engage in collaborative systems thinking (CST), organizations can better determine which types of training and intervention will lead to greater exchanges of systems-level knowledge within teams. Following a broad literature search, the constructs of team traits, technical process, and culture were identified as important for exploring CST. Using the literature and a set of 8 pilot interviews as guidance, 26 case studies (10 full and 16 abbreviated) were conducted to gather empirical data on CST enablers and barriers. These case studies incorporated data from 94 surveys and 65 interviews. From these data, a regression model was developed to identify the five strongest predictors of CST and facilitate validation. Eight additional abbreviated case studies were used to test the model and demonstrate the results are generalizable beyond the initial sample set. To summarize the results, CST teams are differentiable from non-CST teams.
(cont.) Among the most prevalent differentiators is a team's self-reported balance between individual and consensus decision making. Teams that engage in consensus decision making reported stronger engagement in collaborative systems thinking. Another differentiator is the median number of past program experiences on a team. Teams whose members reported more past similar program experiences also reported more engagement in collaborative systems thinking. Data show the number of past similar programs worked is a better predictor than years of industry experience. The apparent enabling effects of qualitative team traits are also discussed. The conclusions of this document propose ways in which these findings may be used to improve training and team intervention within industry, academia, and government.
by Caroline Marie Twomey Lamb.
Ph.D.
Saritas, Ozcan. "Systems thinking for foresight." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2006. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.516738.
Full textChung, Kristie (Kristie J. ). "Applying systems thinking to healthcare data cybersecurity." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/105307.
Full textCataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 85-90).
Since the HITECH Act of 2009, adoption of Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems in US healthcare organizations has increased significantly. Along with the rapid increase in usage of EHR, cybercrimes are on the rise as well. Two recent cybercrime cases from early 2015, the Anthem and Premera breaches, are examples of the alarming increase of cybercrimes in this domain. Although modem Information Technology (IT) systems have evolved to become very complex and dynamic, cybersecurity strategies have remained static. Cyber attackers are now adopting more adaptive, sophisticated tactics, yet the cybersecurity counter tactics have proven to be inadequate and ineffective. The objective of this thesis is to analyze the recent Anthem security breach to assess the vulnerabilities of Anthem's data systems using current cybersecurity frameworks and guidelines and the Systems-Theoretic Accident Model and Process (STAMP) method. The STAMP analysis revealed Anthem's cybersecurity strategy needs to be reassessed and redesigned from a systems perspective using a holistic approach. Unless our society and government understand cybersecurity from a sociotechnical perspective, we will never be equipped to protect valuable information and will always lose this battle.
by Kristie Chung.
S.M. in Engineering and Management
Mani, Kashani Mina. "The carbon cycle and systems thinking : Conceptualizing a visualization-based learning system for teaching the carbon cycle that supports systems thinking." Thesis, Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för datavetenskap, 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-177716.
Full textCao, Guangming. "Systems thinking and managing organisational change." Thesis, University of Bedfordshire, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/10547/293966.
Full textDolak, Jessica. "Enabling process improvements through systems thinking." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/37128.
Full textIncludes bibliographical references (p. 78-79).
Manufacturing organizations around the world strive to improve processes with varying degrees of realization. There is no right way or latest and greatest process that can guarantee success, therefore the approach, and not necessarily the process, is critical. Since every process improvement project is different, using the systems thinking approach decreases the risk of failure as the implementer(s) is/are more aware of critical items on the fringe which might otherwise be neglected. Process metrics are vital for many reasons including motivating employees, determining the level of need for process improvement, and evaluating the outcome of a process improvement project. When evaluating whether a project should be pursued, the expected results on the subsystem and other subsystems should be estimated and tied to the highest level metric, which ultimately should equate to bottom line impact. This evaluation technique ensures a positive impact on the entire system, rather than producing only a subsystem optimum. A subsystem metric indicates a project's success through the use of a hypothesis test. This usage requires that the subsystem metric, which will be used to measure a process improvement, must be stable before initiating the project.
(cont.) The individual, team, and organization all play a vital role in a company embracing systems thinking. Individuals and teams need to keep an open mind to issues outside the focus department and accept and encourage involvement of cross-functional representatives on process improvement teams. An organization where systems thinking is integral becomes a learning organization and has a higher percentage of successful projects through a systematic evaluation and approach to projects. To maintain the systems thinking culture, an organization as a whole must encourage the hiring of individuals with varied experiences and who believe in systems thinking.
by Jessica Dolak.
S.M.
M.B.A.
Shane, Douglas. "The application of systems thinking in cattle production." Diss., Kansas State University, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/34570.
Full textDepartment of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology
Robert L. Larson
Bradley J. White
Applying systems methods to cattle production requires investigators to think about whole systems when addressing study objectives. The research conducted for this dissertation emphasized studying whole systems using different methods. We studied cattle production systems through mathematical simulation and new indirect monitoring technologies. While the methods used for the research in this dissertation may be very different, all utilized systems methods to address the study objectives. Firstly, we applied systems thinking methods and developed a dynamic, deterministic systems simulation of cow-calf production over a 10-year horizon. This model was used to investigate the effects the duration of postpartum anestrus (dPPA) has on reproductive performance. A large range of dPPA have been reported, so various primiparous cow and multiparous cow dPPA were simulated. We found that increasing the dPPA for primiparous and multiparous cows had a negative impact on herd performance and that the dPPA is an important factor in determining cow-calf performance success. We then used the cow-calf simulation to explore the effects of breeding nulliparous cows prior to the rest of the herd, known as providing Heifer Lead Time (tHL). We found that increasing tHL improved herd performance, especially with longer dPPA for primiparous cows. Secondly, real-time location systems (RTLS) were used to indirectly monitor cattle behavior. These systems have been used to determine the amount of time cattle spend at eating and drinking locations. We modeled the probability of cattle participating in eating and drinking behavior when determined to be at these locations by RTLS and found that significant differences exist between individual calves and period of the day. Finally, we explored associations between bovine respiratory disease (BRD) and animal-to-animal contacts as determined by RTLS in beef cattle. We found that the probability of BRD diagnosis was associated with the amount of time 4 days’ ago that a calf was in calf-contact with calves assumed to be shedding BRD pathogens.
Wooliston, Gary. "The architecture and acuity of critical systems thinking." Thesis, University of Hull, 1992. http://hydra.hull.ac.uk/resources/hull:7950.
Full textGrohs, Jacob R. "Developing a Measure of Systems Thinking Competency." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/51996.
Full textPh. D.
Roman, Tamlyn. "Universal health coverage: a systems thinking approach." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/11976.
Full textIncludes bibliographical references.
This dissertation uses a systems thinking approach to investigate how current health system frameworks conceive of universal coverage schemes and the conditions which led to their implementation and sustainability.
Benson, Tracy Anne. "Systems thinking: Teachers' emerging conceptions and implementation." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/279872.
Full textTan, Peihao Raymond. "Applying systems thinking towards countering hybrid warfare." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2019. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/121799.
Full textCataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 121-124).
Carl von Clausewitz, a famous Prussian general and military theorist asserted that war's nature of being violent, interactive, and fundamentally political, does not change - only its character does. According to Clausewitz, the character of war is a dynamic phenomenon that manifests differently with the "spirit" of each age. In our current digital age, technology has heavily influenced interactions, including warfare. In addition to boosting traditional military means, technology has enabled rapid and widespread weaponization of social, information and infrastructural instruments for political coercion. A rising trend of combining national instruments of power to wage war simultaneously across the political, military, economic, social, information and infrastructural domains is a rapidly emerging threat, characteristic of modem "hybrid wars" being fought today. Traditional military-centric defense policies and strategies are ill-prepared to address such threats that deliberately operate in the "grey zone", playing on ambiguity and tailoring coercion to remain just below detection and response thresholds. In this research, a combination of literature review, descriptive study, inductive approach, normative research, case study and systems thinking are applied to analyze the hybrid warfare threat and then construct a suitable response framework, treating it as system with interrelated constituent parts, synergistically working together over time, within the wider international context, to deliver an emergent counter hybrid warfare capability.
by Peihao Raymond Tan.
S.M. in Engineering and Management
S.M.inEngineeringandManagement Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program
Davidz, Heidi L. "Enabling systems thinking to accelerate the development of senior systems engineers." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/34200.
Full textIncludes bibliographical references (p. 210-213).
As engineering systems become more complex, the roles involved in developing and managing such systems also become more complex. Thus, there is increasing interest in educating and training engineering professionals to think more systemically. In particular, there is an increasing need to accelerate the development of senior systems engineers. As new educational degree programs in systems rapidly emerge and as companies scurry to establish systems training programs to meet this need, fundamental questions still remain about how systems thinking develops in engineers. Increased understanding of the mechanisms that develop systems thinking will enable effective and efficient development of senior systems professionals. After reviewing related literature, an exploratory and inductive study was designed to gather data on enablers, barriers, and precursors to systems thinking development in engineers. In a field study conducted primarily in the United States aerospace sector, 205 interviews were conducted in 10 host companies. Senior systems engineers were studied to better understand how they developed systems thinking, and information was collected on company procedures for developing systems engineers. Using interview and survey data, comparisons were made of two control groups and senior systems engineers.
(cont.) Proven stellar systems thinkers were also interviewed. To summarize the results, even though systems thinking definitions diverge, there is consensus on primary mechanisms that enable or obstruct systems thinking development in engineers. In order to reconcile the divergent definitions observed, a systems thinking framework, definition, and accompanying conceptual illustration are given. The data show that the primary mechanisms that enable systems thinking development include experiential learning, specific individual characteristics, and a supporting environment. This document defines the research space on this topic and suggests applications for the results. Better understanding of systems thinking development provides a foundation for educational interventions and employee development in systems thinking for engineering professionals across industry, government, and academia.
by Heidi Leoti Davidz.
Ph.D.
Lindskog, Magnus. "On systems thinking in logistics management - A critical perspective." Doctoral thesis, Linköpings universitet, Kommunikations- och transportsystem, 2012. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-77119.
Full textSafdari, Ghandehari Roozbeh. "Systems Thinking and Culture in International Relations: A Foreign Policy Approach." Thesis, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/34829.
Full textReyes, Eumir P. (Eumir Paulo Reyes Morales). "A systems thinking approach to business intelligence solutions based on cloud computing." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/59267.
Full textCataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 73-74).
Business intelligence is the set of tools, processes, practices and people that are used to take advantage of information to support decision making in the organizations. Cloud computing is a new paradigm for offering computing resources that work on demand, are scalable and are charged by the time they are used. Organizations can save large amounts of money and effort using this approach. This document identifies the main challenges companies encounter while working on business intelligence applications in the cloud, such as security, availability, performance, integration, regulatory issues, and constraints on network bandwidth. All these challenges are addressed with a systems thinking approach, and several solutions are offered that can be applied according to the organization's needs. An evaluations of the main vendors of cloud computing technology is presented, so that business intelligence developers identify the available tools and companies they can depend on to migrate or build applications in the cloud. It is demonstrated how business intelligence applications can increase their availability with a cloud computing approach, by decreasing the mean time to recovery (handled by the cloud service provider) and increasing the mean time to failure (achieved by the introduction of more redundancy on the hardware). Innovative mechanisms are discussed in order to improve cloud applications, such as private, public and hybrid clouds, column-oriented databases, in-memory databases and the Data Warehouse 2.0 architecture. Finally, it is shown how the project management for a business intelligence application can be facilitated with a cloud computing approach. Design structure matrices are dramatically simplified by avoiding unnecessary iterations while sizing, validating, and testing hardware and software resources.
by Eumir P. Reyes.
S.M.in System Design and Management
Gregory, Wendy Jane. "Critical systems thinking and pluralism : a new constellation." Thesis, City University London, 1992. http://openaccess.city.ac.uk/8262/.
Full textChe, Haron Roziha. "Systems thinking paradigm in construction cost estimating reliability." Thesis, University of Reading, 2017. http://centaur.reading.ac.uk/75021/.
Full textHodgson, Anthony Malcolm. "Time, pattern, perception : integrating systems and futures thinking." Thesis, University of Hull, 2016. http://hydra.hull.ac.uk/resources/hull:16878.
Full textPeper, Nathaniel Arthur. "Systems thinking applied to automation and workplace safety." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/111586.
Full textThesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, in conjunction with the Leaders for Global Operations Program at MIT, 2017.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 107-109).
This thesis presents the results of a study to compare Systems-Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA), a hazard analysis methodology based on a new model of accident causation called Systems-Theoretic Accident Model and Processes (STAMP), with the traditional assessments recommended by industry standards for analyzing safety risks in modern manufacturing workplaces that are increasingly incorporating automated systems. These increasingly complex, modern socio-technical systems are introducing new problems in the manufacturing environment that traditional methods of analysis were not designed to analyze. While these traditional methods have previously proven effective at analyzing hazards, the increasing levels of complexity and technological advancement in the factories are surpassing the limits of traditional assessment capabilities. Today's continuous search for opportunities to automate manufacturing process makes this a critical time to ensure that the hazard analysis methodologies in use are capable of providing an effective and efficient analysis. STAMP and STPA were developed specifically to understand and analyze modern, complex socio-technical systems that are introducing new types of accidents with causes beyond traditional component failures. This thesis provides background and discussion of traditional models and methods, of the current industry standard method, and of the proposed method. The current and proposed methods are then used on an actual semi-automated manufacturing process being implemented in an aerospace manufacturing company and analyzed with a set of criteria to determine their effectiveness and efficiency. The results of this analysis determine that STPA is better equipped for the modern manufacturing environment.
by Nathaniel Arthur Peper.
M.B.A.
S.M.
Galanakis, Kostas. "The 'creative factory' : an innovation systems model using a systems thinking approach." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2002. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/1269/.
Full textDunford, Charlotte Natalie. "Making systems thinking routine systems engineering capability improvement in Rolls-Royce plc." Thesis, University of Bristol, 2015. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.702498.
Full textDe, Meij Garcia-Montoya Luisa Fernanda. "Systematic narratives : a study of an information system for the Colombian coffee industry." Thesis, University of Lincoln, 1997. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.387701.
Full textSalim, Hamid M. "Cyber safety : a systems thinking and systems theory approach to managing cyber security risks." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/90804.
Full textThesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2014.
93
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 148-156).
If we are to manage cyber security risks more effectively in today's complex and dynamic Web 2.0 environment, then a new way of thinking is needed to complement traditional approaches. According to Symantec's 2014 Internet Security Threat Report, in 2012 more than ten million identities that included real names, dates of birth, and social security were exposed by a single breach. In 2013 there were eight breaches that each exposed over ten million identities. These breaches were recorded despite the fact that significant resources are expended, on managing cyber security risks each year by businesses and governments. The objective of this thesis was twofold. The first objective was to understand why traditional approaches for managing cyber security risks were not yielding desired results. Second, propose a new method for managing cyber security risks more effectively. The thesis investigated widely used approaches and standards, and puts forward a method based on the premise that traditional technology centric approaches have become ineffective on their own. This lack of efficacy can be attributed primarily to the fact that, Web 2.0 is a dynamic and a complex socio-technical system that is continuously evolving. This thesis proposes a new method for managing cyber security risks based on a model for accident or incident analysis, used in Systems Safety field. The model is called System-Theoretic Accident Model and Processes (STAMP). It is rooted in Systems Thinking and Systems Theory. Based on a case study specifically written for this thesis, the largest cyber-attack reported in 2007 on a major US based retailer, is analyzed using the STAMP model. The STAMP based analysis revealed insights both at systemic and detailed level, which otherwise would not be available, if traditional approaches were used for analysis. Further, STAMP generated specific recommendations for managing cyber security risks more effectively.
by Hamid M. Salim.
S.M. in Engineering and Management
S.M.
Pilecký, Jakub. "Kritické systémové myšlení a jeho potřeba v obchodní společnosti." Master's thesis, Vysoká škola ekonomická v Praze, 2013. http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-199735.
Full textDimond, Anthony James. "Systems thinking in technical change : an analogical modelling approach." Thesis, City University London, 1990. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.276617.
Full textMvula, Aubrey Harry. "Critical systems thinking and social systemic transformation in Malawi." Thesis, University of Hull, 1999. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.484226.
Full textSmith, Lucille. "Student experiences of learning in a systems thinking course." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/5471.
Full textSpain, Stephen. "Rethinking the Australian Curriculum through a Systems Thinking perspective." Thesis, Spain, Stephen (2021) Rethinking the Australian Curriculum through a Systems Thinking perspective. PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 2021. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/63457/.
Full textAlidrisi, Hassan. "Systems Thinking and Construction Safety: Leadership Competencies and Behaviours." Thesis, Griffith University, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/382727.
Full textThesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School of Eng & Built Env
Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology
Full Text
Torlak, N. Gokhan. "Improving total systems intervention through theory and practice." Thesis, University of Lincoln, 1999. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.312887.
Full textJeong, Hyunsoo. "Predictive analytics for smart manufacturing : use and impact from a systems thinking perspective." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/106252.
Full textCataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 115-122).
The manufacturing industry has, recently, been facing tremendous challenges, including cost efficiency, system safety, and process automation, and manufacturing companies are required to adopt new technologies to keep themselves sustainable in the fast-changing world of technology. This research focuses, in particular, on how to prevent cutting tool failures and catastrophic accidents in Computerized Numerically Controlled (CNC) machining processes by using a predictive model based on the cutting sound data. With advances in machine learning algorithms and predictive analytics techniques, it becomes possible to create a noise-robust predictive model from an unstructured dataset of sound data. It is an obviously desirable decision to make use of every technology as required and benefit from it. The predictive model introduced in this research uses cutting sound data rather than acoustic emission or force/torque sensor data, which have been widely used for machine failure detection but have shown some limitations. The model is an important stepping stone for realizing an unmanned and fully automated manufacturing system, the so-called "smart factory," and it would be a meaningful movement for the government side as well, taking into account government's responsibility to keep people safe in the workplace. In this research, several experiments were carried out to collect sound data in the CNC machining center in Korea, and particular features were extracted from the analog waveform signals, using the unstructured data to make the predictive model using various advanced data analytics techniques and cutting-edge machine learning algorithms. Then, several analysis methods with systems thinking were used to explore potential impacts of the predictive model on the manufacturing system because the systems thinking approach is the most effective way to analyze a wide range of potential impacts from a holistic perspective. Specifically, the impact analysis was successfully conducted by using a "Causal Analysis based on STAMP (CAST)," which is a system safety analysis method. Also used was "system dynamics modeling," which is generally employed to identify dynamic behaviors in a complex system. Finally, a "complete value template" was constructed to portray how the new system delivers value to its stakeholders from a system architecture perspective.
by Hyunsoo Jeong.
S.M. in Engineering and Management
de, Raadt Veronica D. "A normative application of multi-modal systems thinking to a non-viable social system /." Luleå, 2001. http://epubl.luth.se/1402-1544/2001/30/index.html.
Full textZhang, Meng. "Systems thinking in the construction of information systems theory: A set of methodological inquiries." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2016. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/92275/1/Meng_Zhang_Thesis.pdf.
Full textValero-Silva, Néstor. "A critical history of the origins of critical systems thinking." Thesis, University of Hull, 1999. http://hydra.hull.ac.uk/resources/hull:10470.
Full textSambo, Luis Gomes. "Health systems thinking : the need for a more critical approach." Thesis, University of Hull, 2009. http://hydra.hull.ac.uk/resources/hull:2487.
Full textHill, Joanna Florence. "Poaching in Uganda : a crime science and systems thinking perspective." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 2018. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10059993/.
Full textBobrow, Jonathan. "AutomaTiles : tangible cellular automata for playful engagement with systems thinking." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/106059.
Full textCataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (page 56).
There is an increasingly vital awareness that our world is an aggregate of complex systems, emergent behavior, and system dynamics. The perceptual and analytical tools for exploring and studying these systems, however, have generally been relegated to scientists (whether mathematicians, physicists, biologists, economists, or computer scientists). Thus, as more and more people become aware of such systems, most people are still excluded from engaging with complex systems. By inventing a new tool and interface, consisting of playful objects called AutomaTiles, I propose a new approach for fostering a more aware society of systems thinkers. AutomaTiles provide a three-tiered approach to making systems thinking more accessible. Firstly, AutomaTiles are a friendly and approachable set of playful objects; seen simply as toys, they afford the surprising effects of emergent behavior when brought together in aggregate. Secondly, AutomaTiles can be a tool for exploring collective behavior, distributed algorithms, and models of systems (whether forest fires or social phenomena) from a hands-on perspective. Lastly, AutomaTiles are a new kind of platform for games, bringing computational intelligence to table-top games, bringing together the social dynamics of face-to-face interaction with the complexity afforded by conventional video-games. Expanding the work on the future of board games from Playful Systems, we have created a novel digital-physical interface for playing games that allows for modes of gameplay never before possible in a table-top game. This thesis will illustrate the design decisions and affordances of AutomaTiles as a platform for engaging with these three tiers of the exploration and manipulation of complex systems.
by Jonathan Bobrow.
S.M.
Myburgh, Roche Francois. "Theories of non-linear systems : a paradigm for organizational thinking." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/53663.
Full textENGLISH ABSTRACT: The advent of the computer age has seen many fundamental changes in the economics. The ease with which organisations can store and transmit information in unprecedented quantities and speeds has changed the face of the economy as well as the way in which organisations conduct their day to day operations. Information has become the primary resource for organisational competitiveness and this has seen an increasing drive for efficient information generation and management in an economy that is interconnected on a global scale. The demand for better information management practices is driven by the realisation that the global economy is susceptible to sudden and unpredictable changes that can potentially have global consequences. The more information organisations have at their disposal, the better their chances are of remaining competitive and relevant in the global economy. The informational economy confronts organisations with two very significant problems, the first is information overload due to the sheer volume of information that is available to them. The second problem is that despite the volume of available information organisations still are not privy to all the information that is required to lessen the impact of uncertainty that is so characteristic of the global economy. Organisations therefore always run the' risk of becoming irrelevant if they do not change constantly. This drive for continuous change and the dependence on information has led some organisational theorists and economists to compare the global economy and organisations to nonlinear systems found in nature. Examples of nonlinear systems are living organisms, ecologies and solar systems. All of these systems are characterised by high levels of interconnectedness and interdependence among individual units within a shared environment, which they co-create. Nonlinear systems are of particular interest to organisational theorists because these systems process information about the environment to adapt in an unpredictable way to unpredictable changes. Such systems are incredibly resilient because they are able to learn and adapt to different conditions. Another notable aspect of nonlinear systems is the clear structured and complex organisation that they exhibit in the absence of centralised control mechanisms. Every unit has the liberty to experiment with new designs and from the success of individual units an organised and stable system emerges with a strong link between the success of individuals and the whole system. The order that exists within nonlinear systems is known as self-organisation because it is not superimposed but emerges instead in a spontaneous manner. Nonlinear systems are therefore more than just the sum of their parts. The notion of nonlinear systems and self-organisation has seen authors such as Stacey, Wheatley and Senge develop new ideas about organisational development, leadership and organisational strategic thinking. Their ideas are based on what is popularly known as 'The New Science'. These ideas attempt to encourage organisations realise that the global economy functions as a nonlinear system and that organisations stand a better chance of success if they learn to understand the principles of nonlinear systems and to utilise the inherent creative and organising characteristics of such systems.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die aanvang van die rekenaar era het verskeie fundamentele veranderinge in ekonomie mee gebring. Die gemak en snelheid waarmee organisasies informasie kan stoor en versprei is ongekend en het terselfde tyd die voorkoms van die ekonomie verander asook die wyse waarop organisasies op 'n daaglikse basis funksioneer. Informasie het die belangrikste hulpbron geword vir organisasies in terme van kompetering en dit het 'n groter dryfkrag vir doeltreffende informasie ontginning en bestuur mee gebring in 'n ekonomie wat op 'n wereldwye skaal in mekaar gevleg is. Die aanvraag vir beter informasie bestuur praktyke word gedryf deur die wete dat die wereld ekonomie vatbaar is vir skielike en onvoorspelbare veranderinge wat potensieel 'n wereldwye impak kan he. Hoe meer informasie organisasies tot hul beskikking het hoe beter is hul kans om relevant en kompeterend te bly in die wereld ekonomie. Die informasie ekonomie konfronteer organisasies met twee fundamentele probleme. Die eerste gevaar is dat organisasies oorlaai kan word met informasie as gevolg van die absolute volume van beskikbare informasie. Die tweede probleem spruit voort uit die feit dat ten spyte van die beskikbare informasie, lei organisasies steeds aan 'n gebrek aan algehele informasie, organisasies kan dus nooit toegang he tot al die informasie wat benodig word om die impak te verminder van die onsekerheid wat so kenmerkend is van die wereld ekonomie. Organisasies loop dus altyd die gevaar om irrelevant te raak as hulle nie konstant aanpas by nuwe omstandighede nie. Hierdie soeke na konstante verandering en die afhanklikheid op informasie het verskeie organisasie teoretici en ekonome daartoe gelei om 'n vergelyking te tref tussen die wereld ekonomie en organisasies aan die een kant en nie-Iiniere sisteme wat in die natuur voorkom. Voorbeelde van sulke sisteme sluit lewende organismes, ekostelsels en sterre stelsels in. Die komponente van al hierdie sisteme is op 'n komplekse wyse inmekaar geweef en interafhanklik op mekaar binne die raamwerk van gemeenskaplike omgewing waarvoor hierdie komponente mede verantwoordelik is. Nie-liniere sisteme is van besondere belang vir organisasie teoretici omdat die betrokke sisteme informasie verwerk aangaande hul omgewing om op 'n onvoorspelbare wyse aan te pas by onvoorspelbare veranderinge in die omgewing. Sulke sisteme is uitsonderlik standvastig deurdat hulle kan leer en aanpas by verskillende omstandighede. Nog 'n merkbare aspek van sulke sisteme is die duidelik gestruktureerde en komplekse organisasie wat bestaan ten spyte van 'n algehele gebrek aan gesentraliseerde beheer meganismes. Elke komponent is vry om met 'n nuwe ontwerp te eksperimenteer en vanuit die sukses van die komponente spruit die sukses van die sisteem. Die organisasie wat sigbaar is in nie-liniere sisteme staan bekend as self-organisasie omdat dit nie voortspruit uit 'n sentrale beheer meganisme nie maar instede spontaan onstaan as 'n gevolg van die aksies van komponente. Nie-Iiniere sisteme het die potensiaal om meer te kan wees as die somtotaal van hul komponente. Die beginsel van nie-liniere sisteme en selforganisasie het skrywers soos Stacey, Wheatley en Senge daartoe gelei om nuwe idees te ontwikkel rakende organisasie ontwikkeling, leierskap en strategiese beplanning in organisasies. Hierdie idees is gegrond in wat algemeen bekend staan as 'The New Science'. Die idees van hierdie skrywers is gemik daarop om organisasies aan te moedig om raak te sien dat die wereld ekonomie soos 'n nie-liniere sisteem funksioneer en dat organisasies as sulks 'n beter kans staan om sukses te behaal as hulle sou leer om die beginsels van nie-liniere sisteme te begryp en die inherente kreatiewe en organiserings eienskappe van sulke sisteme uit te buit.
Ghadge, Abhijeet. "A systems thinking approach for modelling supply chain risk propagation." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2013. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/13561.
Full textThornton, Robert F. (Robert Francis). "A systems thinking approach to defining a space force architecture." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2019. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/121801.
Full textCataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 87-89).
The United States military services, government, and civilian population rely on the US military's historic technical dominance in outer space. Space-enabled capabilities have become fundamental across the spectrum of military and civilian activities. The space superiority gap that the US military has held for decades is narrowing as access to space technology, and to space itself, becomes more widespread, allowing more nations, private industry, and non-state actors to become significant players in space. In response to this trend, the US Department of Defense and Congress are seeking to establish the Space Force as an independent branch of the Armed Forces. This thesis applies a systems thinking method to designing the structure and function of the Space Force. Through review of open-source literature, the study summarizes the current state of the military space enterprise and assesses the arguments made by advocates of various approaches to organizing the space forces.
The US military possesses extensive space power, executing critical missions such as navigation, imagery, and communications. US government space functions also include space intelligence, managing space traffic, and regulating the space industry. The literature review enables understanding of the existing architecture, five proposed alternative architectures and the eight key decisions on which they are based, and eight utility and cost metrics for evaluating the options. Tradespace analysis reveals the relative value of the six architectures and how they compare to other possible configurations to inform the Space Force debate. This limited investigation expressly does not include classified information or insider perspectives, and therefore does not offer policy recommendations, but within its limitations and assumptions the tradespace analysis offers some useful conclusions.
First, creating the Space Force as a separate branch of the military is consistent with national security priorities and the current circumstances of the military and industry. Second, making the Space Force a whole-of-government organization yields the highest utility, though at the highest cost, amongst the six architectures under consideration. Third, military space capability commercialization can allow reduced cost and improved utility compared to the current architecture. Finally, consolidated space acquisitions only, without additional steps toward a separate Space Force, might not improve the military space enterprise compared to the existing baseline. Recommendations for future study include incorporating classified data and key stakeholder input into the framework, further decomposing the military space functions to elaborate the tradespace in greater detail and defining criteria for commercialization of space capabilities.
These additional steps will enable the research to reliably inform policy decisions.
by Robert F. Thornton.
S.M. in Engineering and Management
S.M.inEngineeringandManagement Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program
Gómez, Martín Eulalia [Verfasser]. "Thinking in Systems, Thinking in Nature: Evaluating the long-term performance of Nature Based Solutions / Eulalia Gómez Martín." Hamburg : Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Hamburg Carl von Ossietzky, 2020. http://d-nb.info/1234658364/34.
Full textLathan, Jaguanana. "Community schools, empowerment, systems thinking, and race| A model for change." Thesis, Mills College, 2016. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10181993.
Full textAccording to the U.S. Department of Education, the 2012-2013 national high school completion rate for Latino (75%), African American (73%), American Indian (70%), and limited English proficient (63%) students increased slightly compared to the 2011 national graduation data. While the national trend shows a one percentage point gain in the overall high school graduation rate across all subgroups, the numbers for African Americans, Latinos and other ethnic groups far trail that of their White (87%) and Asian (89%) peers. It is also far more likely that ethnic groups trailing in high school completion rates live in economically disadvantaged communities that are plagued with the disparate effects of poverty, such as single-family households, poor nutrition, and community safety concerns. As a result, there has been an increase in local and national conversations about how to best amend inequitable educational outcomes for these groups of students.
The conceptual framework for this study is oriented around systems thinking, race, empowerment theory, and community schools and partnerships. More specifically, this study sought to explore systems thinking and opportunities that schools can explore to eradicate the current negative racialized outcomes for African American, Latino, other ethnic minorities, and socially disadvantaged students. The one-year study took place at Roses in Concrete Community School, a newly designed charter school located in Oakland, California.
Findings suggest that during its first year implementation, the school’s leadership team and staff focused primarily on supporting students and families by (a) establishing a foundation of responding to basic needs, (b) partnering with community organizations, universities, and activists to provide additional school and community supports, (c) analyzing the system that produces the current outcomes with the intention of not reproducing inequities, and (d) empowering students and families to have a voice and increase their sense of agency.
Flint, Shayne, and shayne flint@anu edu au. "Aspect-Oriented Thinking - An approach to bridging the disciplinary divides." The Australian National University. Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, 2006. http://thesis.anu.edu.au./public/adt-ANU20080731.204756.
Full textM'Bayia, Caliste Claude. "System thinking approach to economic growth and poverty reduction in Cote d'Ivoire." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/106233.
Full textCataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 96-99).
The present thesis work aims to propose a pathway to a sustainable economic growth and a fast reduction of poverty in Cote d'Ivoire. Poverty is a major social phenomenon that affects more than 50% of the world's population. In Cote d'Ivoire, 49% of the population is living under the poverty line with less than $1.25 a day, and the country is struggling to lift them out of poverty. But poverty is a complex issue to tackle. One solution, which most experts now agree on, consists in enhancing prosperity through the implementation of economic growth policies. The question this research aims to address is to know what specific growth policies would best suit to the social, economical, cultural and environmental situation of Cote d'Ivoire. The main lesson is that Cote d'Ivoire should focus on the development of its agricultural sector and build an agriculture innovation system that will foster the transfer of knowledge and the adoption of new technologies especially in the country's rural areas. This thesis work is original in that it uses systems thinking approach and systems engineering concepts and tools, to address the issues of economic growth and poverty reduction. By doing so, it brings new insights that increase the chances of success of the National Development Plan of Cote d'Ivoire and therefore contributes to the materialization of the country's ambition to become an emerging nation by 2020.
by Caliste Claude M'Bayia.
S.M. in Engineering and Management
Marufu, Masiya Passmore Alex. "ICT-based innovation using service dominant logic in healthcare : a design thinking perspective." Thesis, University of Pretoria, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/64294.
Full textThesis (PhD) - University of Pretoria, 2017.
Informatics
PhD
Unrestricted
Laurenti, Rafael. "Applications of Systems Thinking within the Sustainability Domain : Product Design, Product Systems and Stakeholder Perspectives." Licentiate thesis, KTH, Industriell ekologi, 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-122415.
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Fradinho, Jorge Miguel dos Santos. "Towards high performing hospital enterprise architectures : elevating hospitals to lean enterprise thinking." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67757.
Full textCataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 608-630).
This research is motivated by the National Academy of Engineering and the Institute of Medicine's joint call for research in healthcare, promoting the application of principles, tools, and research from engineering disciplines, and complex systems in particular. In 2005, the US healthcare expenditure represented 16% of its GDP, with hospitals representing the largest source of expenditure, as is the case in the United Kingdom. Consequently, the strategies and operations developed and implemented by hospitals have a significant impact on healthcare. Today, it would be hard to find a hospital that is not implementing a Lean initiative or who isn't familiar with its concepts. However, more often than not, their approach has narrowly focused at a process level and inside individual service units like an emergency department. This research seeks to elevate traditionally narrow hospital definitions of lean and explore the broader concepts of lean enterprise principles and Enterprise Architecture (EA) while enhancing our knowledge of hospitals' socio-technical complexity and enriching an emerging EA Framework (EAF) developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Following an extensive longitudinal multidisciplinary literature review, a number of expert interviews, and preliminary empirical findings, an exploratory inductive and deductive hybrid study was designed to collect and concurrently analyze both qualitative and quantitative empirical data from multiple hospital settings over two main phases: * The first phase consisted of recorded interviews with the Chief Executive Officers of seven leading Massachusetts hospitals, who also provided sensitive internal strategy and operations documents. We explored how hospitals currently measure their hospital performance and how their explicit and implicit practices may be improved using lean enterprise principles. e The second phase comprised two in-depth case studies of large leading multidisciplinary hospitals, one located in the US and other in the United Kingdom, and included a total of 13 embedded units of analysis. Multiple sources of evidence were collected including electronic medical records, 54 interviews, observation, and internal documents. Findings were categorized and sorted, as phenomena of interest consistently emerged from the data, and enriched both the EAF, and our understanding of hospitals' EA in particular. In both in-depth hospital cases we found that their EA consisted of multiple internal architectural configurations, and in particular, those with an enriched understanding of EA had made decisions which had improved not only their local performance, but also enhanced their interactions with other service units upstream and downstream. Conversely, worse performing configurations demonstrated a limited understanding of their hospital's EA. We conclude that hospital performance can be improved through an enriched understanding of hospital EA. Furthermore, whilst considering all hospitals included in this study, we propose general and specific recommendations, as well as diagnostic questions, performance dimensions, and metrics, to assist senior hospital leaders in architecting and managing their enterprise.
by Jorge Miguel dos Santos Fradinho.
Ph.D.
Davies, Christopher. "The contribution of lean thinking to the maintenance of manufacturing systems." Thesis, Cranfield University, 2003. http://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/3501.
Full textMilliner, Lloyd A., and n/a. "Systems Thinking and Strategic Decision-Making: A Consideration of Chaos Theory." Griffith University. Griffith Business School, 2006. http://www4.gu.edu.au:8080/adt-root/public/adt-QGU20070212.162743.
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