Systems Thinking: Managing Chaos and Complexity: A Platform for Designing Business Architecture - Softcover

Jamshid Gharajedaghi

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0123859158 ISBN 13: 9780123859150

Publisher: Morgan Kaufmann, 2011

Synopsis

Systems Thinking, Third Edition combines systems theory and interactive design to provide an operational methodology for defining problems and designing solutions in an environment increasingly characterized by chaos and complexity. This new edition has been updated to include all new chapters on self-organizing systems as well as holistic, operational, and design thinking.

The book covers recent crises in financial systems and job markets, the housing bubble, and environment, assessing their impact on systems thinking. A companion website is available at interactdesign.com.

This volume is ideal for senior executives as well as for chief information/operating officers and other executives charged with systems management and process improvement. It may also be a helpful resource for IT/MBA students and academics.

• Four NEW chapters on self-organizing systems, holistic thinking, operational thinking, and design thinking
• Covers the recent crises in financial systems and job markets globally, the housing bubble, and the environment, assessing their impact on systems thinking
• Companion website to accompany the book is available at interactdesign.com

About this title

From the Back Cover

Systems Thinking

Managing Chaos and Complexity:

A Platform for Designing Business Architecture

Third Edition | Jamshid Gharajedaghi

Einstein once wrote, "Without changing our pattern of thought, we will not be able to solve the problems we created with our current patterns of thought." Jamshid develops a pattern of thought that will yield solutions to those problems.

―Russell Ackoff, Professor Emeritus, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

In a global market economy, a viable business cannot be locked into a single form or function anymore. Rather, success is contingent upon a self-renewing capacity to spontaneously create structures, functions, and processes responsive to a fluctuating business landscape. Now in its third edition, Systems Thinking synthesizes systems theory and interactive design, providing an operational methodology for defining problems and designing solutions in an environment increasingly characterized by chaos and complexity.

The current edition has been updated to include all new chapters on self-organizing systems, Holistic, Operational, and Design thinking. Gharajedaghi covers recent crises in financial systems and job markets, the housing bubble, and environment, assessing their impact on systems thinking. A companion website to accompany the book is available at www.interactdesign.com.

Sponsoring clients of the five case studies in the book had this to say about Jamshid Gharajedaghi and his methodology:

Gharajedaghi challenged us to think backwards from an ideal competitive position instead of forwards from our existing position with all its constraints. The result was bolder thinking about change. Jamshid forces a realistic assessment of a company’s strengths and weaknesses, an idealistic view of what it could be, and creates the path from point A to point B.

―Bill Tiefel, President, Marriott Lodging

Gharajedaghi was perfect! He had passion and brilliance. He could challenge our traditional thinking and make us see our actions and opportunities from a different perspective.

―William G. Poist, President and CEO, Commonwealth Energy System

JAMSHID GHARAJEDAGHI, Managing Partner of INTERACT, The Institute for Interactive Management, has more than thirty five years of experience with the practice of systems methodology in design and the development of business architecture, planning, learning and control systems. He was formerly the Director of Research and Adjunct Professor of Systems Sciences at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Review

"Einstein once wrote, "Without changing our pattern of thought, we will not be able to solve the problems we created with our current patterns of thought." Jamshid develops a pattern of thought that will yield solutions to those problems." --Russell Ackoff, Professor Emeritus, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

"Gharajedaghi challenged us to think backwards from an ideal competitive position instead of forwards from our existing position with all its constraints. The result was bolder thinking about change. Jamshid forces a realistic assessment of a company’s strengths and weaknesses, an idealistic view of what it could be, and creates the path from point A to point B." --Bill Tiefel, President, Marriott Lodging

"Gharajedaghi was perfect! He had passion and brilliance. He could challenge our traditional thinking and make us see our actions and opportunities from a different perspective." --William G. Poist, President and CEO, Commonwealth Energy System

"This volume on business management explores the development of complex systems and advocates for iterative design principles as a foundational philosophy for dealing with complex, chaotic systems. The volume discusses system theory and changes to traditional paradigms in light of emerging technologies and business methodologies and explores case studies from industry leaders that showcase these systems philosophies." --SciTech Book News

Edition details

• Publisher: Morgan Kaufmann
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0123859158
• ISBN 13: 9780123859150
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 376