ISSN 0368-492X (Print)

Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Volume 33, Numbers 3-4, 2004

Kybernetes: The International Journal of Systems & CyberneticsISSN 0368-492X (Print)Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing LimitedVolume 33, Numbers 3-4, 2004

Kybernetes: The International Journal of Systems & Cybernetics: Ingenta Connect Table Of Contents

https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/mcb/067/2004/00000033/f0020003;jsessionid=7fseknub4efg9.x-ic-live-01

[download link looks dodgy but worked for me – no guarantees!:]

https://dokumen.pub/qdownload/tribute-to-stafford-beer-9781845443900-9780861769407.html

• February 2001

• Allenna Leonard
• Stafford Beer

Abstract

CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I INTRODUCTION A Brief History The Field Today II FOCUSING ON THE SYSTEM AS A PURPOSEFUL WHOLE Time and Motion Probability Complexity and Variety III DESIGNING AND BUILDING MODELS Establishing a Purpose Defining The System Data Gathering and Illustration Testing and Revision IV STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF THE SYSTEMS APPROACH A Situational Example A Reductionist Model Outlook for the Systems Approach Some Specific Models Interactive Planning How To Do It When to Use Interactive Planning Comparison/Combination with Other Models Outlook for the Future Living Systems Theory How To Do It When To Use It Comparison/Combination with Other Models Futures Research Methodology The Systems Perspective EXIT AC/UNU Millennium Project Futures Research Methodology The Systems Perspective Outlook for the Future Operations Research How To Do It When To Use It Comparison/Combination With Other Model

The Systems Perspective: Methods And Models For The Future | Request PDF

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/2572918_The_Systems_Perspective_Methods_And_Models_For_The_Future

https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=47323f4399ca706736e4ef665c3613e3ef1bc0e8

David T. Robinson 

Kybernetes

ISSN: 0368-492X

Article publication date: 4 January 2013 

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a short research study that introduced a group of busy managers, in an organisation in turmoil, to Stafford Beer’s Viable System Model (VSM) through the use of a personal construct, developed by Allenna Leonard.

Design/methodology/approach

This study, designed as systemic action research, was a final project towards an Open University Masters in Systems Thinking in Practice. Initially managers were introduced to the personal VSM and invited to design their own VSM as systemic action learning. This was followed by an introductory collaborative inquiry to enable the managers to use their VSM learning to interrogate their organisational domain through the VSM lens.

Findings

The managers engaged well with the personal VSM (PVSM). All the managers reported that the PVSM was a useful learning tool and provided beneficial professional development to help clarify activities, priorities and their roles. They reported that the collaborative meeting was a very useful means to help them see others’ perspectives and work towards gaining a shared understanding of the issues and challenges within the organisation through the VSM lens.

Practical implications

The VSM is not well understood or routinely used in current management thinking. This method of introducing the VSM to managers has wide implications for providing managers with an introduction to systems thinking and an opportunity to engage openly with a valuable tool that will help their understanding of modern organisational complexity.

Originality/value

Using the personal VSM with managers has not been reported before and this study provides new opportunities to develop a means to introduce complex conceptual systems models to busy managers.

Keywords

• Managers
• Organizational structures
• Change management
• Adaptability
• Action research
• Viable System Model
• Personal VSM
• Systems thinking
• Collaborative inquiry

Citation

Robinson, D.T. (2013), “Introducing managers to the VSM using a personal VSM”, Kybernetes, Vol. 42 No. 1, pp. 125-139. https://doi.org/10.1108/03684921311295529

Introducing managers to the VSM using a personal VSMDavid T. Robinson KybernetesISSN: 0368-492XArticle publication date: 4 January 2013 Permissions DOWNLOADS1003AbstractPurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present the results of a short research study that introduced a group of busy managers, in an organisation in turmoil, to Stafford Beer’s Viable System Model (VSM) through the use of a personal construct, developed by Allenna Leonard.Design/methodology/approachThis study, designed as systemic action research, was a final project towards an Open University Masters in Systems Thinking in Practice. Initially managers were introduced to the personal VSM and invited to design their own VSM as systemic action learning. This was followed by an introductory collaborative inquiry to enable the managers to use their VSM learning to interrogate their organisational domain through the VSM lens.FindingsThe managers engaged well with the personal VSM (PVSM). All the managers reported that the PVSM was a useful learning tool and provided beneficial professional development to help clarify activities, priorities and their roles. They reported that the collaborative meeting was a very useful means to help them see others’ perspectives and work towards gaining a shared understanding of the issues and challenges within the organisation through the VSM lens.Practical implicationsThe VSM is not well understood or routinely used in current management thinking. This method of introducing the VSM to managers has wide implications for providing managers with an introduction to systems thinking and an opportunity to engage openly with a valuable tool that will help their understanding of modern organisational complexity.Originality/valueUsing the personal VSM with managers has not been reported before and this study provides new opportunities to develop a means to introduce complex conceptual systems models to busy managers.KeywordsManagers Organizational structures Change management Adaptability Action research Viable System Model Personal VSM Systems thinking Collaborative inquiryCitationRobinson, D.T. (2013), “Introducing managers to the VSM using a personal VSM”, Kybernetes, Vol. 42 No. 1, pp. 125-139. https://doi.org/10.1108/03684921311295529

Introducing managers to the VSM using a personal VSM | Emerald Insight

https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/03684921311295529/full/html

https://sci-hub.se/10.1108/03684921311295529

Events from October 9 – June 26 – System Dynamics Society

https://systemdynamics.org/event

The complexity of interactions and relationships in our world have consistently surpassed our ability to fully comprehend and govern. The presence of intelligent tools, both in the digital and physical realms, is progressively enhancing our capacities to act on personal, organizational, national, and international levels, leading to both intended and unintended consequences. Collectively, these changes are reshaping our primary habitat—the planet Earth—at a speed and scale that necessitate earnest consideration. In the midst of uncertainty, the development and utilization of these new capabilities would greatly benefit from CyberSystemic approaches and methods of learning. This advancement is crucial for fostering a sustainable understanding and taking actions to avert major threats to our civilization.

Therefore, Congress’s submissions are encouraged but not constrained by the following themes:

1 Enhancing Active Citizenship and democratic processes

1.1 Enabling Active Citizenship
1.2 Enhancing democratic processes

2 Integrating ecological, social, and economic dimensions of organizational governance and management

2.1 Systemic Governance and Management
2.2 Exploring the nexus of ecology, society, and economics in organizational governance
2.3 A Shift in paradigm: how the Viable System Model shapes collaborative, self-governing organisations and networks

3 Combining Physical, Digital, Natural, and Artificial worlds into CyberSystemic ontologies

3.1 AI in the environment of uncertainty
3.2 CyberSystemic examination of Interactions, relationships, and agents of change 

4 Learning to develop new personal and organisational capabilities

4.1 Cybernetic and Systems Education: Past, Present and Future

https://wosc.world/index.php/wosc-congress-2024

Congress 2024

[[When I uploaded this, I thought it was – oddly – in person online. The latest update confirmed live screening] Reserve your free tickets through The Lensic Box Office online or call (505) 988.1234. Santa Fe residents are encouraged to attend in person. This lecture will be streaming from Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and our YouTube page.

https://www.facebook.com/santafeinstitute https://www.linkedin.com/company/santafeinstitute/ https://www.youtube.com/user/santafeinst

 Lensic Performing Arts Center

BUY NOW

When Francis Spufford wrote Red Plenty, his celebrated novel about Soviet economic planning, he couldn’t have anticipated the reaction. Some saw it as a parable of the problems of capitalism after the financial crisis, others as an elegant demonstration in fictional form that capitalism never had any real alternative. Still others read it as a license to revive the dream of the planned economy. Were the vast economic apparatuses of Amazon and Walmart actually a blueprint for how to do socialism at scale? Now, as Silicon Valley tries to rebuild the economy around optimizing algorithms and AGI, old debates over markets and planning are opening up again. In this conversation, Henry Farrell, Professor of Democracy and International Affairs at Johns Hopkins University, interviews Spufford about the old dream of socialist optimization and the new debates that have arisen since. Introduced by SFI President David Krakauer

Comrades, Let’s Optimize! | The Lensic

https://lensic.org/events/comrades-lets-optimize

Metaphorum 2024 Conference

Creativity and Viability

16 – 17 September 2024

Berlin, Germany

The Metaphorum 2024 Conference is set to take place in Berlin, Germany. This will be a two-day event from Monday September 16^th to Tuesday September 17^th.

This year’s conference theme centres around the role of creativity in sustaining viability. The primary conference activities are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, to be held at The Change Hub, an innovative space dedicated to creating sustainable transformation and social impact.

In keeping with the theme of the conference, this will be an innovative experience, unlike any other Metaphorum conference you have attended.

Berlin 2024 Conference – Creativity and ViabilityMetaphorum 2024 ConferenceCreativity and Viability16 – 17 September 2024Berlin, Germany The Metaphorum 2024 Conference is set to take place in Berlin, Germany. This will be a two-day event from Monday September 16th to Tuesday September 17th.This year’s conference theme centres around the role of creativity in sustaining viability. The primary conference activities are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, to be held at The Change Hub, an innovative space dedicated to creating sustainable transformation and social impact.In keeping with the theme of the conference, this will be an innovative experience, unlike any other Metaphorum conference you have attended.

Berlin 2024 Conference – Creativity and Viability – Metaphorum

Berlin 2024 Conference – Creativity and Viability

alecs.form

Extension of “The Game of Life” into the third dimension by using time as z-axis. Done with the simulation zone of Blenders geometry nodes. It’s a cellular automaton developed by the British mathematician John Conway in 1970. The animation render had some hickups (missing and duplicate frames) which I had to correct manually afterwars. Still not sure what was causing it.

Simulation with Blender 4.0.0.
Rendered with Blender3D/Cycles.

Conway’s Game of Life Animation. Extension of “The Game of Life” into the third dimension by using time as z-axis. Done with the… | Instagram

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dr. Ing. Alec Singh | formenrauschen (@alecs.form)

Best to click on the link and see the events on the page – but they’re all listed below 🙂

Events | SCiO

https://www.systemspractice.org/events?page=0

SCIO-NL monthly meeting (live in Vianen and in Dutch)

SCIO-NL komt elke 2e vrijdag van de maand live bijeen in Vianen (Hagenweg 3c). Er staan geen vaste onderwerpen op de agenda (daarvoor organiseren we specifieke andere meetings), maar de ervaring leert dat er altijd wel een interessant gesprek op gang komt over een systemisch onderwerp. Toegankelijk voor iedereen die de jaarlijkse fee voor de live-bijeenkomsten (€50,-) hiervoor betaald. En voor gasten. Neem contact op via ed@doitogether.nl als je interesse hebt, maar nog geen lid van de club bent…. Read more

Vianen

Netherlands

Event Date Fri, Apr 12, 2024 – 11:30 – Fri, Apr 12, 2024 – 15:00 CET+1

Restricted

FREE

SCiO NL

Dutch

Book now

SCiO UK Virtual Development Event – April 2024

SCiO’s Development Event offer an opportunity to draw upon the collective expertise of SCiO members in a friendly and supportive atmosphere. By taking Development Events online, using the Zoom meeting platform, we aim to make them accessible to more SCiO members Development Events are both for members who are just starting out on a journey to explore Systems Thinking approaches, and for those who have many years of exploration and practice…. Read more

Event Date Tue, Apr 16, 2024 – 18:30 – Tue, Apr 16, 2024 – 20:30 GMT+1

Members only

FREE to members

SCiO UK

Online event.

English

Book now

SCiO DACH: Causal-Loop-Diagram, Stock-and-Flow-Diagramm und Garbage-Can-Modell als Tools für die Beschreibung dynamischer Dimensionen von VSM – Vortrag von Dr. Matvei Tobman

Das Viable System Model war durch den Aufbau des menschlichen Nervensystems inspiriert, daher wird es oft als rein morphologisches Abbild eines lebensfähigen Unternehmens betrachtet, Wie auch in der Neurologie erlaubt diese Betrachtungsweise die bestehenden Störungen und Abweichungen auf eines der Systemteile wie Kleinhirn, bestimmte Großhirnareale, oder einzelne Nerven zurückzuführen, somit eine Diagnose zu stellen und eine richtige Therapieform zu wählen.  Wie funktioniert aber ein gesundes “Nervensystem” einer Organisation? Welche Rolle spielen die zahlreichen Verbindungen zwischen de… Read more

Event Date Thu, Apr 25, 2024 – 18:00 – Thu, Apr 25, 2024 – 19:00 CET

Members only + Guests

free

SCiO DACH

Online event.

German

Book now

SCIO-NL monthly meeting (live in Vianen and in Dutch)

SCIO-NL komt elke 2e vrijdag van de maand live bijeen in Vianen (Hagenweg 3c). Er staan geen vaste onderwerpen op de agenda (daarvoor organiseren we specifieke andere meetings), maar de ervaring leert dat er altijd wel een interessant gesprek op gang komt over een systemisch onderwerp. Toegankelijk voor iedereen die de jaarlijkse fee voor de live-bijeenkomsten (€50,-) hiervoor betaald. En voor gasten. Neem contact op via ed@doitogether.nl als je interesse hebt, maar nog geen lid van de club bent…. Read more

Vianen

Netherlands

Event Date Fri, May 10, 2024 – 11:30 – Fri, May 10, 2024 – 15:00 CET+1

Restricted

FREE

SCiO NL

Dutch

Book now

Meeting of minds – over eigenaarschap

Dit jaar werken we rond het thema ‘hoe eigenaarschap cultiveren’. We doelen met eigenaarschap op meer dan enkel het opnemen van verantwoordelijkheid voor de resultaten waarvoor iemand zijn commitment geeft  en het daarop aanspreekbaar zijn. EIgenaarschap slaat in deze conferentie ook op de diepere connectie met het zelf, de verbinding met de eigen roeping, authenticiteit boven volgzaamheid, … Je kan dit thema vanuit verschillende systemische lenzen benaderen en elke lens zal interafhankelijk zijn met andere lenzen. Denk aan organisatieontwerp, veranderkunde, persoonlijke ontwikkeli… Read more

Mechelen

Belgium

Event Date Tue, May 14, 2024 – 12:30 – Tue, May 14, 2024 – 17:30 CET+1

Members only

In functie van aantal deelnemers

SCiO Belgium

Dutch

Book now

Systeemidynamiikan soveltaminen organisaatioiden kehittämisessä

Systeemidynamiikan työkalut auttavat organisaatiota ymmärtämään monimutkaisia yhteyksiä ja riippuvuuksia toimintaympäristössään sekä ennakoimaan päätösten ja toimintamallien pitkän aikavälin vaikutuksia. Auttamalla tunnistamaan ja ymmärtämään takaisinkytkentöjä ja niiden vaikutuksia organisaation toimintaan, ne tukevat tulevaisuuden eri mahdollisuuksien hahmottamista ja valmistautumista niihin. Työkalut voivat auttaa organisaatioita parantamaan strategista suunnittelua, päätöksentekoa ja kykyä sopeutua toimintaympäristönsä muutoksiin. Niillä voidaan tukea kestävämpää kehitystä ja tehokkaampaa … Read more

Event Date Thu, May 16, 2024 – 16:00 – Thu, May 16, 2024 – 17:30 EEST

All welcome

Free

SCiO Finland

Online event.

Finnish

Book now

SCiO UK Virtual Open Meeting – May 2024

Virtual Open Meeting: A series of presentations of general interest to Systems and Complexity in Organisation’s members and others. About this Event SCiO organises Open Meetings to provide opportunities for practitioners to learn and develop new practice, to build relationships, networks hear about skills, tools, practice and experiences. This virtual session will be held on Zoom. An agenda will be posted as soon as speakers are confirmed. … Read more

Event Date Mon, May 20, 2024 – 18:30 – Mon, May 20, 2024 – 21:00 GMT+1

All welcome

No charge, free event

SCiO UK

Online event.

English

Book now

SCiO UK Virtual Development Event – June 2024

SCiO’s Development Event offer an opportunity to draw upon the collective expertise of SCiO members in a friendly and supportive atmosphere. By taking Development Events online, using the Zoom meeting platform, we aim to make them accessible to more SCiO members Development Events are both for members who are just starting out on a journey to explore Systems Thinking approaches, and for those who have many years of exploration and practice…. Read more

Event Date Tue, Jun 18, 2024 – 18:30 – Tue, Jun 18, 2024 – 20:30 GMT+1

Members only

FREE to members

SCiO UK

Online event.

English

Book now

SCiO UK Virtual Open Meeting – July 2024

Virtual Open Meeting: A series of presentations of general interest to Systems and Complexity in Organisation’s members and others. About this Event SCiO organises Open Meetings to provide opportunities for practitioners to learn and develop new practice, to build relationships, networks hear about skills, tools, practice and experiences. This virtual session will be held on Zoom. An agenda will be posted as soon as speakers are confirmed. … Read more

Event Date Mon, Jul 8, 2024 – 18:30 – Mon, Jul 8, 2024 – 21:00 GMT+1

All welcome

No charge, free event

SCiO UK

Online event.

English

Book now

SCiO UK Virtual Development Event – August 2024

SCiO’s Development Event offer an opportunity to draw upon the collective expertise of SCiO members in a friendly and supportive atmosphere. By taking Development Events online, using the Zoom meeting platform, we aim to make them accessible to more SCiO members Development Events are both for members who are just starting out on a journey to explore Systems Thinking approaches, and for those who have many years of exploration and practice…. Read more

Event Date Tue, Aug 13, 2024 – 18:30 – Tue, Aug 13, 2024 – 20:30 GMT+1

Members only

FREE to members

SCiO UK

Online event.

English

Book now

SCiO UK Virtual Open Meeting – September 2024

Face-to-Face Open Meeting: A series of presentations of general interest to Systems and Complexity in Organisation’s members and others. About this Event SCiO organises Open Meetings to provide opportunities for practitioners to learn and develop new practice, to build relationships, networks hear about skills, tools, practice and experiences. This all-day session will be held in the Penthouse Room at the Alliance Manchester Business School. An agenda will be posted as soon as speakers are confirmed. … Read more

Manchester

United Kingdom

Event Date Wed, Sep 18, 2024 – 09:30 – Wed, Sep 18, 2024 – 17:00 GMT+1

All welcome

£30, paid via EventBrite

SCiO UK

English

Book now

SCiO DACH: Was sind Flight Levels und wie haben sie mich hierher gebracht? – Vortrag von Slawomir Biedulski

Organisationsweite Kollaboration: DAS Ziel agiler Transformation in Unternehmen – was leider häufig so schwer zu erreichen scheint. Was auf Teamebene, z.B. durch die Nutzung eines agilen Frameworks, häufig gut gelingt, sieht über die Teamgrenzen hinweg nicht selten ganz anders aus. Flight Levels als Denkmodell verspricht hier einen neuen, leichtgewichtigen Zugang zur Lösung von Barrieren und Anbindung sogenannter „agiler Inseln”. Aktuell ist Biedulski als Agile Coach, Flight Levels Coach und Organisationsberater bei der Colenet GmbH tätig. … Read more

Event Date Thu, Sep 26, 2024 – 18:00 – Thu, Sep 26, 2024 – 19:00 CET

Members only + Guests

free

SCiO DACH

Online event.

German

Book now

SCiO UK Virtual Development Event – October 2024

SCiO’s Development Event offer an opportunity to draw upon the collective expertise of SCiO members in a friendly and supportive atmosphere. By taking Development Events online, using the Zoom meeting platform, we aim to make them accessible to more SCiO members Development Events are both for members who are just starting out on a journey to explore Systems Thinking approaches, and for those who have many years of exploration and practice…. Read more

Event Date Tue, Oct 15, 2024 – 18:30 – Tue, Oct 15, 2024 – 20:30 GMT+1

Members only

FREE to members

SCiO UK

Online event.

English

Book now

SCiO UK Virtual Open Meeting – November 2024

Virtual Open Meeting: A series of presentations of general interest to Systems and Complexity in Organisation’s members and others. About this Event SCiO organises Open Meetings to provide opportunities for practitioners to learn and develop new practice, to build relationships, networks hear about skills, tools, practice and experiences. This virtual session will be held on Zoom. An agenda will be posted as soon as speakers are confirmed. … Read more

Event Date Mon, Nov 18, 2024 – 18:30 – Mon, Nov 18, 2024 – 21:00 GMT

All welcome

No charge, free event

SCiO UK

Online event.

English

Book now

SCiO DACH: Die Natur der Komplexität und Konzepte damit umzugehen – Vortrag von Michael Frahm

Michael Frahm, Jahrgang 1979. Ausbildung in Stuttgart, Kaiserslautern, Saarbrücken in Bauingenieurwesen und Wirtschaftsrecht. Managementkurse an der HEC Paris, der HHL und an der Northwestern University. Im Jahr 2010 Gewinner des Young PM Awards der GPM. Zertifizierung zum Senior PM der IAPM und Zertifizierung als Advanced System Thinking Practitioner der SCiO. Verfasser von Bauprojektmanagement Büchern mit System Perspektive. Zahlreiche Artikel und Vorträge zu Ingenieurwesen und Management. Dozent für das Management von Großprojekten und Systems Practice. Mehr als 15 Jahre Erfahrung im Bauwes… Read more

Event Date Thu, Nov 28, 2024 – 18:00 – Thu, Nov 28, 2024 – 19:00 CET

Members only + Guests

free

SCiO DACH

Online event.

German

Book now

SCiO UK Virtual Development Event – December 2024

SCiO’s Development Event offer an opportunity to draw upon the collective expertise of SCiO members in a friendly and supportive atmosphere. By taking Development Events online, using the Zoom meeting platform, we aim to make them accessible to more SCiO members Development Events are both for members who are just starting out on a journey to explore Systems Thinking approaches, and for those who have many years of exploration and practice…. Read more

Event Date Tue, Dec 10, 2024 – 18:30 – Tue, Dec 10, 2024 – 20:30 GMT

Members only

FREE to members

SCiO UK

Online event.

English

Book now

SCiO DACH: Kybernetik-Stammtisch und Abschlussfeier

Online-Jahresabschlussfeier für alle Mitglieder. Es besteht die Möglichkeit kurz zusammengefasste Ergebnisse der eigenen Forschung/Arbeit im Bereich Systems Practice des vergangenen Jahres den übrigen Mitgliedern vorzustellen…. Read more

Event Date Thu, Dec 19, 2024 – 18:00 – Thu, Dec 19, 2024 – 19:00 CET

All welcome

free

SCiO DACH

Online event.

German

Book now

March 23, 2024

Typologies in pieces: Fragmentation, reconnection, and granularityAnna PanagiotouMarch 23, 2024

Typologies in pieces: Fragmentation, reconnection, and granularity – The Cynefin Co

Typologies in pieces: Fragmentation, reconnection, and granularity

[Regular readers will know of my scepticism about MDPI as a publisher, as judged by my understanding of the value of their systems journals. I really conclude that something is broken here. I don’t *think* it’s me, but if it is, it might be by trying to read some of this. Trying to make it make sense, I idly followed the profile of the ‘Academic Editor, Prof. Vladimír Bure, who is a Professor (I think of Systems Engineering) at the University of Hradec Kralove – and perhaps the strangely wide range of topics in his published articles (https://sciprofiles.com/profile/255730) fits in Systems Engineering? And tried A System Dynamics Perspective on Workplace Spirituality and Employee Behavior (from the Administrative Sciences Journal – perhaps he can’t publish in Systems as he’s the Academic Editor?) – as the paper I might be most likely to make some sense of and… look, here’s a typical paragraph (the first):

“The corporate sphere has perpetually prioritized productivity and profitability. Researchers from developed nations consistently analyze potential factors impacting productivity and performance, aiming to propose strategies for optimizing resource utilization. It can be asserted that the most pivotal resource influencing organizational productivity is its human resources—the individuals comprising the organization. When organizational members experience satisfaction, their productivity and creativity tend to soar. Personal accomplishment and heightened morale are closely intertwined with superior performance, directly impacting the organization’s productivity and profitability. Conversely, a discontented work environment is prone to low morale, elevated turnover, burnout, stress-related issues, and increased absenteeism (Srivastava and Pradhan 2021).”

…which certainly is a collection of words? Then there’s the cover story of this actual journal, which is… a systematic review of papers? Which misspells “water shed” in the abstract. There’s an editorial for a special edition on public health, the articles of which appear (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/systems/special_issues/STMPH) to have been published in 2022 and 2023 (one of the two authors is from a Department of Computer Science & Software Engineer, does that make sense?), there’s at least one name I recognise, and I dunno, maybe they are all good and worthy papers but there seems to be no coherence of topics, methods, theory, citations or… anything? I suspose they do broadly all fit within the declared scope: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/systems/about

Most papers seem to be published within a month of submission – some within two weeks – and there’s a fee of CHF 2,400 (about £2,100) for publication, and apparently they are a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (did they deliberately name it COPE?!) and ‘take the responsibility to enforce a rigorous peer-review together with strict ethical policies and standards…’

Can anyone put me out of my misery? Am I just not understanding? Does it make sense? The ISSS affiliation and several names on the (apparently hundred-strong) editorial board remain]

Cover Story: Complex Systems Science (CSS) and Community-Based Research (CBR) have emerged as complementary disciplines. Yet, understanding their recent integration to tackle complex issues remains incomplete. Using DistillerSR, we conducted a scoping review of articles employing both CSS and CBR. Employing natural language processing, including a named entity recognition model and dynamic topic modeling, we analyzed the manuscript data. The findings show CBR topic frequency surpassing CSS, often utilizing CSS concepts and analytical techniques. Key topics driving this trend include social system collaboration, business management, food and land use, and watershed management. This review sheds light on the integration of CSS and CBR and its implications for addressing complex social, economic, and health-related issues. View this paper

Systems, Volume 12, Issue 3 (March 2024) – 42 articlesCover Story (view full-size image): Complex Systems Science (CSS) and Community-Based Research (CBR) have emerged as complementary disciplines. Yet, understanding their recent integration to tackle complex issues remains incomplete. Using DistillerSR, we conducted a scoping review of articles employing both CSS and CBR. Employing natural language processing, including a named entity recognition model and dynamic topic modeling, we analyzed the manuscript data. The findings show CBR topic frequency surpassing CSS, often utilizing CSS concepts and analytical techniques. Key topics driving this trend include social system collaboration, business management, food and land use, and watershed management. This review sheds light on the integration of CSS and CBR and its implications for addressing complex social, economic, and health-related issues. View this paper

Systems | March 2024 – Browse Articles

https://www.mdpi.com/2079-8954/12/3?utm_campaign=releaseissue_systemsutm_medium=emailutm_source=releaseissueutm_term=coverlink

[and see a dissenting view in this tweet:]

Turns out functioning living systems are in fact hierarchically organized.
They also have boundaries.

Social hierarchies can reduce violence and conflict (see @C4COMPUTATION)
and smarter agents sort into hierarchies faster (@XianyangCB ).

We can acknowledge that *some*… https://t.co/yEUKrLlr7n

— Anna Riedl (@AnnaLeptikon) March 27, 2024

Scientific narratives project social hierarchies onto nature. That’s why we need better metaphors to describe cellular life

Charudatta Navare is a science writer and a science education researcher. He holds a PhD from the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai, India.

Edited by Pam Weintraub

Biology is not as hierarchical as most textbooks paint it | Aeon Essays

https://aeon.co/essays/biology-is-not-as-hierarchical-as-most-textbooks-paint-it

[This weekly newsletter, currently directly compiled by RedQuadrant consultant Amber Griffiths, contains links to my Tuesday LI/blog posts, everything featured here on syscoi.com in the past week, and key things I’ve tweeted or shared]

LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/transduction-transformation-6867141552511295488

[With the generous inclusion of my Substack (I’ll share the perhaps more accessible LinkedIn version directly here in a minute), there’s a lot here that will be of interest to SysCoI readers]

Over 50+ newsletters that help me find signal out of noise 📡

TIJN TJOELKER

MAR 27, 2024

My Favourite NewslettersOver 50+ newsletters that help me find signal out of noise 📡TIJN TJOELKERMAR 27, 2024

My Favourite Newsletters – by Tijn Tjoelker – The Mycelium

https://tijntjoelker.substack.com/p/newsletters

Alidad explains Open Systems Theory:

Alidad Hamidi is a consultant who helps guide organizations to their full potential. Alidad is an expert on self-management and offers training and consulting services that enable it. He is passionate about applying Open Systems Theory in service to achieving improved business outcomes through self-management, including faster time to market, better products, and happy customers. Alidad is located in Sydney Australia and you can connect with him on LinkedIn.

ALIDAD HAMIDI on: OPEN SYSTEMS THEORY