Systems Concepts in Action: A Practitioner's Toolkit

Williams, Bob

ISBN 10: 0804770638 / ISBN 13: 9780804770637

Published by Stanford University Press, 2010

About this Item

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Bibliographic Details

• Title: Systems Concepts in Action: A Practitioner's Toolkit
• Publisher: Stanford University Press
• Publication Date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0804770638
• ISBN 13: 9780804770637
• Binding: paperback
• Condition: Very Good

About this title

Synopsis

Systems Concepts in Action: A Practitioner's Toolkit explores the application of systems ideas to investigate, evaluate, and intervene in complex and messy situations. The text serves as a field guide, with each chapter representing a method for describing and analyzing; learning about; or changing and managing a challenge or set of problems.

The book is the first to cover in detail such a wide range of methods from so many different parts of the systems field. The book's Introduction gives an overview of systems thinking, its origins, and its major subfields. In addition, the introductory text to each of the book's three parts provides background information on the selected methods. Systems Concepts in Action may serve as a workbook, offering a selection of tools that readers can use immediately. The approaches presented can also be investigated more profoundly, using the recommended readings provided. While these methods are not intended to serve as "recipes," they do serve as a menu of options from which to choose. Readers are invited to combine these instruments in a creative manner in order to assemble a mix that is appropriate for their own strategic needs.

About the Author

Bob Williams is an organizational consultant and evaluator. He is coeditor of Systems Concepts in Evaluation: An Expert Anthology. Richard Hummelbrunner is a consultant in the field of local and regional development. He is coauthor of Instrumente systemischen Handelns: Eine Erkundungstour.