|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
|
There is a newer edition of this item:
|
Frequently Bought Together
Product Details
|
Product Description
Review
"This is an excellent addition to books written on Systems Thinking. It is practical and timely and can be used by a vast majority of professionals such as engineers, planners and managers. I recommend it very highly to practitioners and academics."
C. J. Khisty, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
C. J. Khisty, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
Book Description
The first edition of Systems Thinking was the first book to develop a working concept of systems theory and to deal operationally with systems methodology. The author has been working for the last 5 years to incorporate parallel development in quantum theory, self-organizing systems and complexity theory, the sum of which is included in this new 2nd edition. He has tested these concepts with 200 executive MBA students, and also with Russell Ackoff, one of the founding fathers of systems thinking. Ackoff reported that it was the most comprehensive systems methodology he has seen.
The 2nd edition features the synthesis of holistic thinking (iteration of structure, function and process), operational thinking (understanding chaos and complexity), sociocultural systems (movement toward a predefined order), and interactive design (redesigning the future and inventing ways to bring it about).
Also added are the operational thinking and self-organizing aspect of sociocultural systems, with updates made to the holistic thinking and interactive design parts to incorporate recent new developments.
* Cutting edge thinking incorporates the interaction of holistic thinking, operational thinking, sociocultural systems, and interactive design to develop an all inclusive systems methodology
* Companion website built solely to accompany and compliment the new edition available at www.interactdesign.com
* Operational thinking and self organizing aspects of sociocultural systems added anew, with the holistic thinking and interactive design parts updated to incorporate new developments
The 2nd edition features the synthesis of holistic thinking (iteration of structure, function and process), operational thinking (understanding chaos and complexity), sociocultural systems (movement toward a predefined order), and interactive design (redesigning the future and inventing ways to bring it about).
Also added are the operational thinking and self-organizing aspect of sociocultural systems, with updates made to the holistic thinking and interactive design parts to incorporate recent new developments.
* Cutting edge thinking incorporates the interaction of holistic thinking, operational thinking, sociocultural systems, and interactive design to develop an all inclusive systems methodology
* Companion website built solely to accompany and compliment the new edition available at www.interactdesign.com
* Operational thinking and self organizing aspects of sociocultural systems added anew, with the holistic thinking and interactive design parts updated to incorporate new developments
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
Incoherent jargon that doesn't make a point,
By Keith Bycholski (Delray Beach, FL United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Systems Thinking: Managing Chaos and Complexity: A Platform for Designing Business Architecture (Paperback)
I felt obligated to write a review after seeing that all of the other reviews were 5 stars. I found this book to be endless jargon that never seemed to make a point. The reason that I bought the book was that I thought it may offer some insight into business systems architecture that went beyond the standards. What I found was a low level philosophical discussion of things like "beauty" and "power". There is little about system design, this book is mostly about organization structure and corporate politics, and it is a poor discussion at that. What is also misleading is the use of the terms "Chaos" and "Complexity" in the title. My interpretation of these words was that it linked business systems architecture to the field of Chaos Theory. I found nothing in the book that did this. I would recommend that the scientific minded individual avoid this book, however, if loosely worded business management reading is your style, you may like it.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A "Grand Unified Theory" of Management Practice?,
By A Customer
This review is from: Systems Thinking: Managing Chaos and Complexity: A Platform for Designing Business Architecture (Paperback)
I have been an incurable "process geek" since first reading Hammer and Champy's "Reengineering the Corporation" about a decade ago. However, despite practicing reengineering and process management since then, it has always felt like something was missing. Other popular business books have filled in some of the missing puzzle pieces but the picture has not been complete. Jamshid Gharajedaghi's "Systems Thinking" brings it all together in a coherent whole. It's as close as I've come to a "Grand Unified Theory" of management practice. Gharajedaghi's book is paradoxical. It is in some ways a difficult read, being at times quite theoretical and always intellectually stimulating. Like many other readers have reported, I had to read the book several times to really understand it (I've read it five times over the past six months). On the other hand, the material is extremely logical, well laid out, and quite common sense. At one level it is almost depressing as it lays out the challenges of dealing with highly complex and even messy sociocultural systems. Yet, it presents a straightforward methodology for systems design, analysis and improvement that can seemingly be used for any sort of organization. The book has all the rigor a scientific and analytical person would insist upon; but, it presents the purposeful and sociocultural organization in such a holistic way that I'm sure most philosophers, psychologists and sociologists would be nodding their heads in approval throughout the journey. I'm sure Jamshid would not view these as paradoxes at all. I'm sure he'd view all of these apparently opposing tendencies as "two sides of the same coin." Since reading the book, I've had a chance to begin applying the principles to two design efforts. Understanding systems has helped immensely, and I have just barely dipped my toes into these waters. I won't forget the process management tools. Not at all. As it turns out, however, process management is, as Gharajedaghi might say, "necessary but not sufficient" for business success. For those interested in putting their management tools together in one extremely useful took kit, "Systems Thinking" is a great albeit challenging next step. I've recommended it to many, and I recommend it to you.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Packs a punch,
By
This review is from: Systems Thinking: Managing Chaos and Complexity: A Platform for Designing Business Architecture (Paperback)
This is a great overview of advances in business design since the inception of systems thinking. If you want to know where competitive advantage lies in the current business world, then this is the place to start. The book is densely written, every paragraph packing a punch,the information flowing like water from a firehose - hence the re-readability of this text.Possibly the best book on business I've yet read.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Want to see more reviews on this item?
|
Most recent customer reviews |
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Business & Investing > Industries & Professions > MIS
- Books > Business & Investing > Management & Leadership > Management
- Books > Business & Investing > Management & Leadership > Production & Operations
- Books > Business & Investing > Management & Leadership > Systems & Planning
- Books > Computers & Internet > Computer Science > Software Engineering > Information Systems
- Books > Engineering > Industrial, Manufacturing & Operational Systems > Production, Operation & Management
- Books > New & Used Textbooks > Business & Finance
- Books > New & Used Textbooks > Computer Science & Information Systems
- Books > Professional & Technical > Business Management > Management & Leadership > Information Management
- Books > Professional & Technical > Business Management > Management & Leadership > Management
- Books > Professional & Technical > Business Management > Management & Leadership > Production & Operations
- Books > Professional & Technical > Business Management > Management & Leadership > Systems & Planning
- Books > Professional & Technical > Engineering > Industrial, Manufacturing & Operational Systems > Production, Operation & Management
- Books > Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 > Business & Investing
- Books > Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 > Computers & Internet
- Books > Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 > Engineering
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
