A Conceptual Framework Based on Maturana’s Ontology of the Observer to Explore the Checkland’s Soft Systems Methodology

This paper explores Checkland’s Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) through the lenses of a theoretical framework that incorporates key concepts from Maturana’s Ontology of the Observer (OoO) with the view of complementing Checkland’s SSM application process. We outline and examine paradigmatic compatibility between: Checkland’s ontological position (reality is problematic/chaotic) together with his interpretivist epistemology (multiple perceptions enrich the ever-changing reality); and Maturana’s OoO (we are immersed in the praxis of living in an ontological multi-universe). We argue that OoO resonates with key SSM theoretical underpinnings. After establishing compatibility between these two influential systems thinkers, we advance a conceptual framework in which Checkland’s SSM learning process is re-visited through a the framework grounded on Maturana’s OoO. The proposed framework illustrates how key ideas drawn from Maturana’s OoO can shed light into the way in which some of the main SSM devices (i.e.: Root definitions, Conceptual model) are used in the SSM process. By doing that, SSM is enriched and becomes more flexible as the stakeholders involved are placed within the domain of constitutive ontologies from which, a deeper dialogue can be promoted in a domain of coexistence in mutual acceptance. We argue that this is a suitable way to have more flexible and holistic views for a SSM intervention in particular to promote the learning process and debating proposed changes amongst the stakeholders involved. The proposed framework, when applied, may enhance the power of SSM learning process and when adopted can have substantial implications to complement the SSM process.

     

An Analytical Framework of Social Learning Facilitated by Participatory Methods

Social learning among different stakeholders is often a goal in problem solving contexts such as environmental management. Participatory methods (e.g., group model-building and role playing games) are frequently assumed to stimulate social learning. Yet understanding if and why this assumption is justified is quite limited. Difficulties arise from the complexity and context-dependence of processes influencing social learning. Furthermore, continuing discussion of the exact meaning and theoretical basis of social learning result in a limited capacity to assess and evaluate whether social learning has occurred. In this paper we introduce an analytical framework to develop an in depth understanding of essential processes underlying social learning facilitated by participatory methods. Concepts from different fields of science are discussed and integrated, including resource management, small group research and learning research. The individual and group perspectives are brought together via mental models and emergent roles. We added the direction of learning, being either convergent or divergent, to be able to explore if and when personal views on a problem converge into a shared understanding of a problem. The analysis of convergence and divergence of learning is facilitated through the use of the mental model concept. Methods for measurement of proposed indicators for social learning are also discussed. The framework developed provides a conceptual basis for the analysis of social learning facilitated by participatory methods and an operationalization for application in empirical research.     

Collaborative Inquiry as a Critical Systemic Approach to Improving Ethics and Governance in the Philippine National Police

Improving ethics and governance in policing is often considered an institutional function that police agencies do as ??expert?? institutions. Participation by other stakeholders may be welcome so long as police are able to control the processes and mechanisms of participation. This paper, based on research done with the Philippine National Police, argues that collaborative inquiry could be an effective critical systemic approach to participation by the wider society in police reform. This could enable both police and non-police stakeholders to work together towards mutual understanding and cooperation as equals towards better policing. This participatory approach is not meant to replace the institutional mechanisms that the police use for their own reform effort, but it is supposed to complement them. The research on which this paper is based was an attempt to design a model for collaborative inquiry at the local municipal level of policing in the Philippines, since the municipality is the lowest operational level for the Philippines?? police service. The results of that study suggest that it is possible to establish such a mechanism and make it work, in effect establishing a Close Knit Knowledge Organisation at the lowest level of operational policing.     

A Systemic Framework to Develop Sustainable Engineering Solutions in Rural Communities in Colombia

In several rural areas in Colombia there is a serious lack of water quality supply. Thereby the problematic situation is understood as complex one that involves stakeholders with pluralistic interests, multiple variables and requires the development of sustainable and suitable solutions. In order to address this issue, this paper proposes an integration of engineering design framework (CDIO) with a systemic approach. Particularly the approach emphasizes on systemic elements such as autonomy, systems within systems, cooperation between stakeholders and cause effect relations; it also proposes a previous observing phase for engineering design framework. Thus the proposed systemic framework aims to generate projects that improve living conditions in rural communities and promote the production of knowledge between the stakeholders to ensure sustainability in the long term. To illustrate the proposal, this work contains a case study that discusses a project carried out by a research team—Ingenieros Sin Fronteras Colombia—in a rural district near to Colombia’s capital. The experience, which involved and benefited 16 families in the community, provided strong evidence to support the proposed framework. The paper concludes with a discussion about the replication of this proposal in other contexts.     

一种协同渲染环境下的场景管理策略

随着计算机图形学和虚拟现实技术的发展,场景的实时渲染逐步成为计算机图形学中一个令人关注的重要问题,而各种高沉浸感虚拟现实环境的出现使得多场景的协同实时渲染成为必要。因此,为实现多场景的协同实时渲染,提出并实现了一个协同渲染环境,并对其中采用的场景管理技术进行研究,采用八叉树和场景树相结合的方法对场景中的静态和动态实体分别进行管理,以此为基础,实施了场景管理与绘制相分离的策略。实践证明,利用这种场景管理的思想,结合通信机制,能实现多场景间的协同实时渲染,从而验证了这种场景管理思想的有效性。     

敏捷供应链管理的综合集成研讨厅

敏捷供应链是企业适应市场环境的变化而演化出的运作模式，是属于开放的复杂巨系统范畴，而处理开放的复杂巨系统的有效方法是综合集成研讨厅体系，论文首先介绍了复杂性、复杂系统；分析了敏捷供应链的复杂性，指出敏捷供应链是一个开放的复杂巨系统；提出用综合集成研讨厅体系的思想研究敏捷供应链管理问题，给出了一个敏捷供应链管理的研讨框架，为敏捷供应链管理问题的研究提供了一个新的思路；提出将ARIS(集成信息系统体系结构)引入到综合集成研讨厅中，对供应链进行建模仿真，以支持核心企业实施敏捷供应链管理。     

新型农产品流通服务体系的协同模式研究

研究的重点是协同商务在农产品流通中的应用.首先,将农产品流通划分为生产服务层、流通服务层、消费服务层,提出了一个结构化的分析框架,并分析了现有体系存在的关键问题;基于这个框架研究设计了以农产品批发市场为核心的新型农产品流通协同服务体系,并重点研究其中的信息共享、协同运作模式,以及协同系统的功能结构.以农产品批发市场为核心的新型农产品流通协同服务体系的应用,有利于提升农产品批发市场的功能,提高流通的组织化程度,推动农产品流通的变革与发展.     

Competences for Citizen-Driven Innovation in Crisis Resolution

We argue that civic change processes must be based on a broad system understanding, strong values, and citizen participation. This article addresses how each citizen could become a responsible, self-reliant problem solver and troubleshooter by exploiting their own inherent innovation potential. We call for a society, which takes advantage of the collaborative capabilities and creativity of all its members as principal remediators of societal problems, instead of solely relying on governmental action, private sector management, and/or science, with all their oftentimes unwanted ancillary effects, including possibly even a curtailment of innovativeness. We use the C2P2S framework of problem solving competence as a model to describe five competence dimensions which we consider crucial for problem solvers, including citizens, in crisis resolution. Changes within governmental, political, and private sector management policies must accompany citizen participation in order to foster and support collaboration. Supportive measures should include educational tools to help citizen groups become proactive stakeholders and to develop the competence sets required to socially responsibly participate in innovation generation in order to meet society’s challenges.     

基于HLA的兵器靶场协同仿真框架设计

由于武器系统越来越复杂,武器研制过程中的试验费用日益高昂.兵器靶场迫切需要用仿真手段进行靶场试验以提高试验效益.通过对兵器靶场仿真技术发展现状和技术需求进行分析,指出武器系统的仿真试验涉及多个子系统和多个学科领域,提出把协同仿真技术应用于靶场试验.在对协同仿真技术进行分析比较后,设计出了基于HLA的兵器靶场协同仿真平台的框架,并对各组成部分的功能进行了详细阐述,最后总结出了实现协同仿真工具集成的若干方法.     

A Process Model of Collaborative Management Research: The Study of Collective Creativity in the Luxury Industry

This article explores collaborative management research (CMR). As one of the streams within the action research family, CMR is one approach that has been identified as a potent method for advancing scientific knowledge and bringing about change in organizations. The article proposes a hybrid model of the CMR research process in organizations. Following a brief introduction of collaborative management research, we advance an emerging, inductively derived, hybrid process model of CMR. Three critical clusters for achieving the intended outcomes of collaborative management research include: (1) contextual factors, (2) quality of the collaboration, and (3) the development of the collaborative research process itself. Within each cluster, concepts, variables, and processes were identified and linked together to form a hybrid model of CMR process. An illustration of a collaborative management research project that focused on the study of collective creativity with an Italian fashion and design company is followed by a reflective analysis. The discussion provides directions for future research and implications for practice.     

A Systemic View of Change Management and Its Conceptual Underpinnings

This paper presents a critical analysis of a systemic view of change management and its conceptual underpinnings. It reflects upon the systemic view from perspectives of modernism and postmodernism. The understandings so developed are then synthesised in terms of structuration theory. It is argued that organisational change is characterised by diversity and interactions, which necessitates a systemic approach using multiple methods in one intervention. By making transparent the conceptual underpinnings, it is shown that this systemic view can help build an improved understanding of organisational change characterised by diversity and interactions, and it can support the use of multiple methods to manage organisational change in one intervention.     

基于知识的产品协同设计系统体系结构研究

从产品生命周期的视角，提出基于分布式广义知识库系统支持的产品协同设计系统的体系结构，该结构包括三个层次：基础层、应用层和决策层。研究基于知识的工程系统支持CAD协同、产品信息建模及可视化仿真的方法，系统论述各层次的设计数据管理和交换机制。在基于知识的工程环境下，研制面向产品生命周期的协同设计系统框架。给出断路器开发实例，实现其生命周期协同开发的数据和知识的交流与共享。     

面向C4ISR系统联合作战的跨组织进程互操作研究

军事组织间的互操作是联合作战成败的关键,瞬息万变的战场环境中各组织如何协调、整合业务进程以完成共同的使命任务对协作模式的灵活性,协作组织的自主性等提出了更高的要求.传统的基于公共视角的业务进程协作模式已不能适应现代联合作战的需求.本文首先提出了一套灵活的可见性控制机制,基于可见性控制机制给出了一套新的协作进程建模框架,在该框架中各协作方从自身视角出发分别构建独立的协作进程,并支持系统加入退出时协作伙伴的自主选择及协作进程的扩展.论文同时给出了协作进程建模框架的数学形式化描述及相关算法.     

基于改进群组G1赋权的生态评价模型及省份实证

利用“驱动力-压力-状态-影响-响应(DPSIR)”模型构建了生态系统综合评价指标体系框架, 通过对指标海选, 筛选和理性分析最终确立了生态系统的综合评价体系, 应用改进群组G1方法确定指标权重, 对我国14个省区的生态进行实证分析. 首先,通过采用DPSIR概念框架构建指标体系, 将人的需求、经济发展和社会进步等要素纳入生态系统评价中, 克服现有生态评价片面关注环境与资源状况或只关注环境保护与治理状况的不足; 其次,通过赋值向量相似度或等价变形后的序关系相似度给专家赋权的方式来反映专家的知识和经验; 最后,通过在压力准则层中加入自然灾害指数反映自然灾害对生态的影响, 改进了DPSIR模型只考虑到人类的活动对于自然环境和资源的压力的片面性.     

高分辨SAR目标成像方向性结构特征增强

针对传统稀疏特征增强的方式仅能完成对目标场景中特显点的增强,对复杂的目标结构特征无能为力的问题,考虑目标细节特征的复杂性,提出方向性结构全变分(directional total structure variation,DTSV)正则子进行结构先验表征,实现对成像目标复杂结构特征任意梯度变化的拟合,进而实现对结构特征的...     

Managing Complexity—The Path Toward Intelligent Organizations

Coping with complexity is at the heart of management and leadership in the turbulent environments faced by the organizations and societies of our day. The systems approach provides transdisciplinary theories and tools for dealing with this challenge more effectively than efforts merely based on disciplinary insights or pragmatic recipes. In this paper, a concept of "intelligent organizations" is introduced. A framework for the design of intelligent organizations is proposed that links three organizational cybernetic models: the Model for Systemic Control, the Viable System Model, and the Team Syntegrity model.² The proposition is that a combined use of these models, guided by the integrative conceptual framework, enables a more effective response to complex situations than merely pragmatic approaches to "integrative management." Provisional empirical evidence gathered from applied research indicates that the proposed framework is capable of enhancing such superior potential for effective response. As such, it promises to meet the specific needs of the new types of organizations that have already begun to emerge in the knowledge societies.     

A Formal Framework for Spreadsheet System

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基于分布式协同进化的星座自主任务规划算法

星座协同自主任务规划是卫星自主化管理与控制技术中的重要一环。首先, 提出了一种分布式星座协同迭代优化策略, 星座内各星作为独立智能体通过“接收”“更新”“发布”的三阶段协作行为共同参与对整体任务方案的协调寻优。其次, 在该策略的基础上设计了一种分布式协同进化算法, 通过分布于不同卫星的多个亚种群在信息交互中并行进化以持续优化各星方案组合。最后, 在S698PM嵌入式开发环境下进行仿真实验, 通过与贪婪算法、集中式遗传算法以及CPLEX的对比测试, 验证了所提方法在恶劣通信环境下与大规模问题中的适用性和有效性。     

Interactive Management: An Emancipatory Methodology

An erosion of the power of people and their communities to control any more than a fragment of their future continues. Educational and governmental policy decisions are, for the most part, mandated from above and/or outside the community. This paper introduces a model which reflects Freire's humanizing pedagogy. This method is a vehicle, an avenue of empowerment for people and their communities to control their own destiny and the future of their community. The model is Interactive Management (IM) and its derivative, The CogniScope System. IM is a specialized system of management using collaborative teamwork to define and resolve highly complex issues. The process includes the integration of the diversity of perceptions of the participants with regard to the given ssues, builds consensus and joint ownership of the process and/or product, and creates a collaborative action plan to accomplish the participants' goals. The principal intangible outcome of the process, however, is the reflective participation, which leads to action, and the learning that occurs among the community of stakeholders present. The process of Interactive Management (IM), enhanced through the use of the CogniScope System, is described and examples of its application by First Nation peoples are shared.     

基于图模型自主优化的多无人机多目标攻击

为在多无人作战飞机(unmanned combat aerial vehicle, UCAV)执行多目标攻击中适时确立决策优化的方向、改变任务优化所需的基本条件,采用图模型中的动态贝叶斯网络(dynamic Bayesian network, DBN)构建了空天威胁体感知模型,提出了基于图模型自主优化系统的分层架构和多UCAV自主协同规划方法。该方法利用数据融合形成的DBN状态转移网络及观测转移网络参数的变化表现复杂空天环境的变化,并充分利用DBN的学习和推理算法,实现了对威胁体的在线动态感知,达到了按照确定原则完成UCAV攻击目标重新分配与航迹协同等任务的目的。仿真结果表明了这种自主优化规划方法的正确性和可行性。