Pensamiento sistémico

Systems Thinking: Creative Holism for Managers
Michael C. Jackson
University of Hull, UK

Systems Thinking: Creative Holism for Managers

Systems Thinking: Creative Holism for Managers
Michael C. Jackson
University of Hull, UK

Copyright # 2003 John Wiley & Sons Ltd, The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 8SQ, England Telephone (þ44) 1243 779777 Email (for ordersand customer service enquiries): cs-books@wiley.co.uk Visit our Home Page on www.wileyeurope.com or www.wiley.com All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except under the terms of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 orunder the terms of a licence issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4LP, UK, without the permission in writing of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons Ltd, The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 8SQ, England, or emailed to permreq@wiley.co.uk, or faxed to (þ44) 1243770620 This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold on the understanding that the Publisher is not engaged in rendering professional services. If professional advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. Other Wiley Editorial O⁄ces John Wiley & SonsInc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA Jossey-Bass, 989 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94103-1741, USA Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH, Boschstr. 12, D-69469 Weinheim, Germany John Wiley & Sons Australia Ltd, 33 Park Road, Milton, Queensland 4064, Australia John Wiley & Sons (Asia) Pte Ltd, 2 Clementi Loop #02-01, Jin Xing Distripark, Singapore 129809 John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd, 22 Worcester Road,Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada M9W 1L1 Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 0-470-84522-8 Project management by Originator, Gt Yarmouth, Norfolk (typeset in 111/13ptGaramond) 2 Printed and bound in Great Britain by TJ International, Padstow, Cornwall This book is printed on acid-free paper responsibly manufactured from sustainable forestry in which at least two trees are planted for each one used for paper production.

Dust as we are, the immortal spirit grows Like harmony in music; there is a dark Inscrutable workmanship that reconciles Discordant elements,makes them cling together In one society.

Wordsworth (The Prelude, 1850)

Contents

Preface Introduction

xiii xix

Part I Holism and Systems Practice 1 The Systems Language 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Philosophy 1.3 Biology 1.4 Control Engineering 1.5 Organization and Management Theory 1.6 The Physical Sciences 1.7 Why is the Systems Language so Powerful? References 2 Applied Systems Thinking2.1 Introduction 2.2 Hard Systems Thinking 2.3 The Development of Applied Systems Thinking 2.3.1 Problem contexts 2.3.2 Systems methodologies related to problem contexts 2.4 The Main Strands of Applied Systems Thinking 2.5 Conclusion References 3 Creativity and Systems 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Creativity and Metaphor

1 3 3 4 5 7 9 11 12 13 15 15 16 17 18 20 24 28 28 31 31 32

viii

Contents3.3 Creativity and Paradigms 3.4 Conclusion References

37 39 41

Part II Systems Approaches Type A Improving Goal Seeking and Viability 4 Hard Systems Thinking 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Description of Hard Systems Thinking 4.2.1 Historical development 4.2.2 Philosophy and theory 4.2.3 Methodology 4.2.4 Methods 4.2.5 Recent developments 4.3 Hard Systems Thinking in Action 4.4 Critique of Hard...