Systems thinking is an approach that views problems as parts of an overall system and considers the relationships and interactions between system components. It emphasizes understanding how various parts of a system influence each other over time and understanding the system's overall behavior. Systems thinking draws from various disciplines like biology, engineering, and sociology and uses concepts like feedback loops, open and closed systems, and emergence to study how systems function and change. It provides a holistic perspective that helps address complex problems more effectively.
This presentation provides the definition, principles and discussions on the Max Weber's Bureaucratic Management Theory.
For more of this presentation: https://youtu.be/SZECH-gPW7E
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Declaration: The materials incorporated in this document have come from variety of sources and compiler bears no responsibilities for any information contained herein. The compiler acknowledges all the sources although references have not been explicitly cited for all the contents in this document.
There are several theories which explain the organization and its structure .Classical organization theory includes the scientific management approach, Weber's bureaucratic approach, and administrative theory.
1The Nature of SuccessClass SeventeenREVIEW!!!!.docxvickeryr87
1
The Nature of Success
Class Seventeen
REVIEW!!!!
Midterm Exam
1. 55 multiple choice questions
2. Testing your fund of knowledge
3. Mainly from lectures, readings that are directly relevant
4. An ‘A’ means an ‘A’
5. Understand the concepts
November 6
3
The Nature of Success
Class One
Introduction and Course Overview
4
Reality is Amorphous
Draw a line around the system boundary
Indicate the most important challenges the system must face
Indicate how the system interacts to face these challenges
What it means to draw that boundary line
You have defined the domain of success/failure that you want to understand.
You have identified the entities inside the boundary that are needed to achieve success (through their interactions). Thus, you have defined your system.
You have identified the entities outside the boundary that will pose the challenges/opportunities that must be managed by the system for the achievement of success.
You understand that it is the information that comes in from the outside entities and is processed by the inside entities – according to an established set of rules – that defines the functioning of the system.
The systems use of this established set of rules is based on the system’s working model of reality.
Core Ideas
Once a system’s purpose/aims and boundaries are known, then we have to understand the system’s structure and function.
A system’s structure describes the entities contained by the system and the particular way they are organized.
A system’s function describes how the entities interact with each other and how these interactions form the emergent properties of the system.
Emergent properties: The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Remarkably, a great variety of different systems have similar structural and functional characteristics.
Understanding these commonalities will make our work much easier.
Once we get all this we will see that Complex Systems – no matter how complex – usually follow a small number of simple rules.
If we can understand the rules of the Complex System containing a domain of success we care about, then we understand the rules that lead to the domain of success we care about.
6
7
The Nature of Success
Class Two
System Observations
8
The Nature of Success
Class Three
What is a System?
Our Basic System Model
Pattern of Emergent
Behavior
Observed Regularities
Behavior of System Elements
Positive
Feedback
Negative
Feedback
Responding to Ever-Changing
Environment
Key Points re Systems
System Boundaries: what’s in and what’s out
System components: what are the entities that comprise the inside of the system?
System interactions: what governs the behavior about how the systems entities interact with each other?
System purpose: What is the system ‘trying’ to accomplish? What does success and failure mean related to this definition of purpose?
System information pr.
This presentation provides the definition, principles and discussions on the Max Weber's Bureaucratic Management Theory.
For more of this presentation: https://youtu.be/SZECH-gPW7E
SUBSCRIBE. COMMENT. LIKE. SHARE
Declaration: The materials incorporated in this document have come from variety of sources and compiler bears no responsibilities for any information contained herein. The compiler acknowledges all the sources although references have not been explicitly cited for all the contents in this document.
There are several theories which explain the organization and its structure .Classical organization theory includes the scientific management approach, Weber's bureaucratic approach, and administrative theory.
1The Nature of SuccessClass SeventeenREVIEW!!!!.docxvickeryr87
1
The Nature of Success
Class Seventeen
REVIEW!!!!
Midterm Exam
1. 55 multiple choice questions
2. Testing your fund of knowledge
3. Mainly from lectures, readings that are directly relevant
4. An ‘A’ means an ‘A’
5. Understand the concepts
November 6
3
The Nature of Success
Class One
Introduction and Course Overview
4
Reality is Amorphous
Draw a line around the system boundary
Indicate the most important challenges the system must face
Indicate how the system interacts to face these challenges
What it means to draw that boundary line
You have defined the domain of success/failure that you want to understand.
You have identified the entities inside the boundary that are needed to achieve success (through their interactions). Thus, you have defined your system.
You have identified the entities outside the boundary that will pose the challenges/opportunities that must be managed by the system for the achievement of success.
You understand that it is the information that comes in from the outside entities and is processed by the inside entities – according to an established set of rules – that defines the functioning of the system.
The systems use of this established set of rules is based on the system’s working model of reality.
Core Ideas
Once a system’s purpose/aims and boundaries are known, then we have to understand the system’s structure and function.
A system’s structure describes the entities contained by the system and the particular way they are organized.
A system’s function describes how the entities interact with each other and how these interactions form the emergent properties of the system.
Emergent properties: The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Remarkably, a great variety of different systems have similar structural and functional characteristics.
Understanding these commonalities will make our work much easier.
Once we get all this we will see that Complex Systems – no matter how complex – usually follow a small number of simple rules.
If we can understand the rules of the Complex System containing a domain of success we care about, then we understand the rules that lead to the domain of success we care about.
6
7
The Nature of Success
Class Two
System Observations
8
The Nature of Success
Class Three
What is a System?
Our Basic System Model
Pattern of Emergent
Behavior
Observed Regularities
Behavior of System Elements
Positive
Feedback
Negative
Feedback
Responding to Ever-Changing
Environment
Key Points re Systems
System Boundaries: what’s in and what’s out
System components: what are the entities that comprise the inside of the system?
System interactions: what governs the behavior about how the systems entities interact with each other?
System purpose: What is the system ‘trying’ to accomplish? What does success and failure mean related to this definition of purpose?
System information pr.
Musings - System thinking - Notes on Donella Meadow's BookJames Cracknell
System Thinking - the what, the how and the why it is needed in developing an understanding the complexity that surrounds us. Mental models, the application and means to change the system
When building digital products and services, we are designing complex systems.We need to think the customer experience through on several channels, figure out the system architecture, gain understanding through data and research, decide what to iterate... - not easy, but fun!
In this keynote talk given at Agile Cambridge 2016, Johanna introduces core systems thinking principles for designing better services, discussed how data and feedback mechanisms help us understand what is going on in a system, and addressed the challenge of bringing about change in a system.
This presentation is part of the Pacific Education Institute's content for the STEM Project Based Learning tutorial available through NH e-Learning for Educators as part of the Conservation Education series supported by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.
1. Thinking
Wholelistically:
Systems Thinking--
Human & Organizational
Cognition, Actions, Events
and
Behavior
Another way of thinking in diagnosing & solving
problems
JP Bishop, ABD, CPT
2.
3. A Screw in My Sandwich???
A Real Life Story from a customer who purchased a sandwich at Arby’s
on October 30, 2006.
4. What is Systems Thinking?
Crosses disciplines
Multiple perspectives
Studies the structure, properties, and
characteristics of systems, focusing on how
systems interact and effect each other and/or
the environment, and/or how systems, in
turn, are effected by the environment
Way of understanding reality that emphasizes
the relationships among a system's parts, rather
than the parts themselves
5. Many Disciplines
Employs many theoretical perspectives and borrows
from
– Ontology
– Philosophy of science
– Physics
– Biology
– Engineering
Uses concepts from these theoretical bases and applies
to
– Sociology
– Geography
– Political science
– Management science
– Economics, etc
6. Ludwig Von Bertalanffey
Austrian Biologist
A system is an entity which maintains its existence
through the mutual interaction of its parts.
•Scientists operated on the idea that all systems were closed systems (i.e.
did not interact with their environments)
•Von Bertalanffey proposed that systems are open systems which led to the
General Systems Theory which factored in effects of the environment on the
system
7. Defining Characteristics of Systems
Thinking
Every system has a purpose within a larger
system
All of a system's parts must be present for
the system to carry out its purpose optimally
A system's parts must be arranged in a
specific way for the system to carry out its
purpose
Systems change in response to feedback
Systems maintain their stability by making
adjustments based on feedback
9. Types of Systems- Isolated System
Isolated system
– A physical system that does not
interact with its surroundings
In i.e. thermodynamics it obeys
a number of conservation laws
– Its total energy and mass stay
constant
They cannot enter or exit
but only move around
inside
– “A system in which the only
forces which contribute to the
momentum change of an
individual object are the forces
acting between the objects
themselves can be considered an
isolated system”
– In real life, totally isolated
systems do not exist;
HOWEVER, real systems have
behaved this way for
exceptionally long times!!!
10. Types of Systems- Closed System
Definition from thermodynamics
– “A system that can exchange heat and work
but not matter”
– # of particles as well as total energy fixed by
boundary conditions
Tends toward equilibrium and increases in entropy
Practical example:
– Closed system toll road
Take ticket when you get on, pay at the end
– Toll calculated by distance traveled
11. Types of Systems- Open System
Open systems draw some sort of energy
from the environment
– Matter and energy can flow into and out from
the system
– Capable of self-maintenance based on
throughput from the environment
12. Advantages of Systems Thinking
More effective problem solving
More effective leadership
More effective communications
More effective planning
More effective organizational
development
Avoiding Founder's Syndrome
15. Problem Solving and the
Root Cause Analysis
Industry likes using Root Cause Analysis for
accident investigations
Root Cause Analysis also good for uncovering
repeat errors, underlying problems, and which
can be solved
95% of the problems are caused by process
failures and 5% by personnel failures
– Based on asking “Why?”
– Decision tree logic- working backwards to the origins
of the cause
18. 4/5 Steps in the Root Cause
Analysis Process
1. Collect data
– First need to entirely understand an event
– Majority of time spent in analyzing event is to
gather data
2. Chart causal factors
Provides structure for organizing contributing
factors/ events
Identifies gaps and inefficiencies
3. Root cause identification
4. Sometimes steps 4 AND 5: Recommendation
generation and implementation
22. Fishbone Diagram Problem Solving
Invented by Dr. Kaoru Brainstorm ideas to identify factors within each
Ishikawa, a Japanese category
quality control statistician – “What are the ________ issues causing
How constructed:
_____”
Repeat this procedure with each factor under the
– The 4 M’s: category to produce sub-factors. Continue
Methods, Machines asking, "Why is this happening?" and put
, Materials, Manpo additional segments each factor and
wer subsequently under each sub-factor
– The 4 P’s: Continue until you no longer get useful
information as you ask, "Why is that happening?"
Place, Procedure, P Analyze the results of the fishbone after team
eople, Policies members agree that an adequate amount of
– The 4 S’s: detail has been provided under each major
category
Surroundings, Sup
pliers, Systems, Ski – Do this by looking for those items that
appear in more than one category
lls
– These become the 'most likely causes"
For those items identified as the "most likely
causes", the team should reach consensus on
listing those items in priority order with the first
item being the most probable" cause
26. Root Cause Limitations
Hindsight bias
Brainstorming activity- if the team does not recognize a failure mode then it
does not get included
Time consuming
Unknown unknowns- might miss a failure mode if it is not recognized
Taking on too large scope
Not including operators
Not including customers
Becomes a consuming job- takes too long
Not including one or more ;
people, method, equipment, materials, Environment
Not getting into details- superficial look at process only
Confusing root cause with failure mode
Not looking at each product
Assuming detection controls are better than they are
Assuming detection controls apply when they don’t
27. Cognition & Ways of Thinking
Thinking systemically and systematically
changes the way you approach problems
Advantage:
– See the “big picture”
– Get to the root cause
Disadvantage:
– Time
– Cost
– Not a quick fix
28. Scenario # 1
The Plant Manager walked into the plant and
found oil on the floor
He called the Supervisor over and told him to
have maintenance clean up the oil
The next day while the Plant Manager was in the
same area of the plant he found oil on the floor
again and he subsequently raked the Supervisor
over the coals for not following his directions
from the day before
His parting words were:
– “Either get the oil cleaned up or I’ll find
someone who will!”
29. Scenario # 2
The Plant Manager walked into the plant and found oil on the floor
He called the Supervisor over and asked him why there was oil on the floor
The Supervisor indicated that it was due to a leaky gasket in the pipe joint above
The Plant Manager then asked when the gasket had been replaced and the Supervisor
said that each one seemed to leak
The Supervisor also indicated that Maintenance had been talking to Purchasing about the
gaskets because it seemed they were all bad
The Plant Manager then went to talk with Purchasing about the situation with the gaskets
The Purchasing Manager indicated that they had in fact received a bad batch of gaskets
from the supplier
The Purchasing Manager also indicated that they had been trying for the past 2 months
to try to get the supplier to make good on the last order of 5,000 gaskets that all seemed
to be bad
The Plant Manager then asked the Purchasing Manager why they had purchased from this
supplier if they were so disreputable and the Purchasing Manager said because they were
the lowest bidder when quotes were received from various suppliers
The Plant Manager then asked the Purchasing Manager why they went with the lowest
bidder and he indicated that was the direction he had received from the VP of Finance
The Plant Manager then went to talk to the VP of Finance about the situation
When the Plant Manager asked the VP of Finance why Purchasing had been directed to
always take the lowest bidder the VP of Finance said, "Because you indicated that we had
to be as cost conscious as possible!" and purchasing from the lowest bidder saves us lots
of money
The Plant Manger was horrified when he realized that he was the reason there was oil on
the plant floor. Bingo!
30. Most Influential Systems
Theory linked to
organizations…
Peter Senge (MIT)
– Survival learning = adaptive learning
– Innovation = generative learning
In order for organizations to learn they must master 5 disciplines
– Systems thinking
– Personal mastery
– Mental models
– Building shared vision
– Team learning
Senge adds to this recognition that people are agents, able to act
upon the structures and systems of which they are a part. All the
disciplines are, in this way, “concerned with a shift of mind from
seeing parts to seeing wholes, from seeing people as helpless
reactors to seeing them as active participants in shaping their
reality, from reacting to the present to creating the future”
(Senge, 1990, p. 69).
32. Great Systems Thinkers
1950s
– Von Bertalanffey, Austrian born biologist known as one of the founders of
General Systems Theory
– Anatol Rapoport, Russian-born American mathematical Jewish psychologist, one
of the founders of General Systems Theory, game theory and semantics, and
psychological conlfict
– Kenneth E. Boulding, (British) unbounded theorist, advocate of normative
economics,
– William Ross Ashby, English psychiatrist and pioneer in study of complex
systems, Ashby’s Law of Requisite Variety, principles of a self-organizing system
Variety absorbs Variety, defines the minimum number of states necessary for a
controller to control a system of a given number of states
– Margaret Mead, cultural anthropologist, positive and negative feedback into the
social sciences
– Gregory Bateson, British anthropologist and social scientist, cybernetics (study of
communication and control involving feedback loops to social systems)
– Jay Forrester, MIT (pioneered the field of system dynamics -- analysis of the
behavior of systems)
Later
– Peter Senge, MIT, (learning organizations)
33. Stephen Hawking
Expanded systems thinking to the global
platform by introducing the 'Chaos Theory'
that claims the 'interconnectedness of all
things'--- (i.e. the beating of a butterfly’s
wings in Asia can affect the course of Atlantic
hurricanes)
Quantum Theory, origins of the
universe, imagery of time
34. How Systems Thinking Changes
Behavior
Problem/ Cause investigations
– Tenerife
– TMI
Management failures
– Enron
– Bering Bank
Process weaknesses
Organizational structures
35. Performance Improvement Model
Performance Analysis Cause Analysis Intervention Selection
Desired
Performance Target Group
State Organization Intrapersonal
Interpersonal
Intragroup
Intergroup
GAP Process
Intervention Type
Training/Learning
Consultative
Individual Techno-Structural
Actual Process
Performance
State
Intervention
Evaluate Results Change Management
Selection
36. Types of Interventions
Training/ learning
– Knowledge and skills
Consultative
– Support and feedback
– Results and consequences
– Employee selection
Techno-structural
– Rewards and incentives
– Equipment and tools
– Organizational structure
Process
– Job/process design
– Goal and strategic planning
38. References
Aronson, D. (1996-8). Overview of systems thinking. Retrieved
11/22/06 from
http://www.thinking.net/Systems_Thinking/OverviewSTArticle.pdf
Heylighen, F. (1998). Basic concepts of the systems approach.
Brussels: Principia Cybernetica Web. Retrieved 11/21/06 from
http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/SYSAPPR.html
McNamara, C. (1999). Systems thinking. Authenticity Consulting
LLC. Retrieved 11/23/06 from
http://www.managementhelp.org/systems/systems.htm
Senge. P. (1990). The fifth discipline. NY: Doubleday.