Teaching Diagramming at a Distance: Seeing the Human Wood Through the Technological Trees

The Systems Group at the Open University has always seen diagramming as an essential skill for students to learn and use properly if they are to become effective systems practitioners. However, teaching students at a distance to use diagramming effectively has posed challenges to both Lecturers and Students alike. While we have tried to provide some face-to-face opportunities to help teach this skill we have had to rely heavily on technological means most of the time. This paper reviews the role of diagramming in systems studies generally and specifically in Open University courses and assesses the advantages and disadvantages of the various technological methods used to teach diagramming over 30 years by the Systems Group. In so doing we try to determine how much the technology hinders or helps budding systems practitioners.     

From Researching Regions at a Distance to Participatory Network Building: Integrating Action Research and Economic Geography

This paper describes the change in a researcher's practices from one of studying regional industrial development at a distance to one of working closely with a network of agri-food managers. This is accompanied by a discussion of the methodological and theoretical possibilities for an action research inspired economic geography. Some of the core characteristics of a pragmatic conceptualization of action research are revised. It is argued that theoretical developments within economic geography make possible a dialogue between researchers and local actors and that economic geography is challenged to accept that knowledge is generated through such a dialogue. Attempts to create a dialogue between action research and economic geography in a specific Norwegian industrial and geographical context are described. These attempts indicate that the researcher's methodological approach has been transformed from a narrow one relying solely on conventional social science methods to a broader one including participatory action research.     

中国转轨经济中资本结构与企业价值的相关性分析

西方关于资本结构与企业价值关系的研究已较为成熟，但这些研究并未考虑到中国转轨经济中特有的内部人控制现象和不发达的资本市场等特征。通过放宽以上两个假设对中国资本结构与企业价值的关系作了一个深入的理论分析；同时，以深沪两市上市公司数据为样本的实证研究表明，不同企业价值衡量指标的选择会得出资本结构与企业价值关系的不同结论，因此，有必要建立符合中国国情的新的资本结构理论。     

Facilitation as Midwifery: Facilitation and Praxis in Group Learning

This paper is an inquiry into practice for the purpose of reflection and theory proposal. We discuss the way in which we, as facilitators of action research/learning groups in diverse contexts, confront the challenge of assisting people to work and learn together in authentically collaborative ways. We each describe our very different respective practice examples (Eileen's based on productive and defensive routines; Judith's on sociodramatic exploration) and then collectively discern some substantial similarities in the way that we work. We have likened these similarities to the midwifery process, i.e., "colaboring" or facilitating the birth of whole and healthy group process in which honest and bilateral interactions of action and reflection occur. Finally, we present a meta-reflective account of the way that we have confronted the challenges of working together to write this article. We present this account as a model of a series of five deepening levels of challenge in collaborative learning. These levels reflect the challenge associated with a growth in awareness of both our own process of working together, and that of every other group with which we work.     

Analytic and Dynamic Approach to Collaboration: A Transdisciplinary Case Study on Sustainable Landscape Development in a Swiss Prealpine Region

The involvement of stakeholders and the public in societal decision processes has lately received increased attention. We suggest that appropriate and tailored techniques should be selected and integrated to provide the prerequisites for inclusive involvement depending on the issue, type, goals and phase of the decision process in question, i.e. an analytic, systematic and dynamic approach to collaboration. In a transdisciplinary case study design we integrate diverse analytical methods whereby a process of mutual learning between science and people from outside academia is strived for. Our framework for collaboration is illustrated by a case study on sustainable landscape development in the Swiss prealpine region of Appenzell Ausserrhoden.

Birth and Demise of a Social Protection Organization in Venezuela

In this article a context for the study of a social protection organization is presented. This context is based on three ideas: (i) social protection is a requirement for assuming the cohesion and continuation of society; (ii) in an industrialized society, social protection is conceived in connection with salary; and (iii) the organizational form of social protection in Venezuelan society is Social Security guaranteed by a Welfare State. The becoming of our Social Security organization is interpreted with these concepts. The interpretive process consists in the unfolding of the relation between the organizational form and the conceptions about social protection since the birth of the organization 60 years ago. This unfolding simultaneously reveals failure concerning coverage of the risks typical of social security and a radical change in the conception of social protection in Venezuela. These results rest on the non-realization of premise ii of the interpretive context in the case of the Venezuelan society. The article concludes by showing the need to understand the conceptions regarding social protection in contexts different from that of an industrial society (advanced or not).     

国内系统科学内涵与理论体系综述

国内系统科学界对系统科学理论体系的阐述大致可划分为三类：一是静态集合论,把系统科学看做各论的静态集合;二是动态集合论,从历史演化的视角整合系统科学各论;三是重建论,把系统科学看作一门新学科,在已有系统科学各论基础上,重构系统科学理论体系。     

委托-代理关系中中间人介入方式的博弈分析

对委托—代理关系中中间人的介入方式（承包形式和聘用形式）进行了分析。通过对在这两种形式下委托人、中间人和工人的利益分析得出：中间人的这两种介入方式各有利弊，解释了在实际中中间人的这两种介入方式都存在的合理性。     

解析法及其在复杂问题研究中的地位和作 用简

本文探讨了自然科学复杂问题研究中的解析法、实验法和仿真法各自不同的内涵和思维活动特征,论述了三种研究方法的特点、作用、地位和相互之间的关系。以风力机气动设计为例,重点论述了解析法的研究步骤,对研究过程中出现的本质与现象、对立与统一、主要矛盾与次要矛盾、复杂与简化、局部与整体等辩证法范畴的问题进行了分析。     

A Model of Vary in Distance Leslie Matrix of the Giant Panda's Population at Wu-YiPeng,Wolong

ＡＭｏｄｅｌｏｆＶａｒｙｉｎＤｉｓｔａｎｃｅＬｅｓｌｉｅＭａｔｒｉｘｏｆｔｈｅＧｉａｎｔＰａｎｄａ’ｓＰｏｐｕｌａｔｉｏｎａｔＷｕＹｉＰｅｎｇ，ＷｏｌｏｎｇＸＵＥＪｕｅｍｉｎＨＡＮＣｈｕｎｌｉａｎＳｈａｎｘｉＵｎｉｖｅｒｓｉｔｙ，０３０００６Ｓ...     

PART 2: Critical Systemic Praxis to Address Fixed and Fluid Identity and Politics<Superscript>1</Superscript> at the Local,National and International Level

This paper argues for a model of systemic governance that can take account of diverse identities and political positions (Deleuze and Guattari in Bogue, 1989). Participatory Action Research can assist in working with diverse viewpoints when managing and making policy decisions across many organizations locally, nationally and internationally. Understanding the point of view of ‘the other’ and the recursive nature of identity and politics is the first step towards sustainable governance. Enabling multiple viewpoints to be heard is both an idealistic and sustainable end and a means to manage risk. Accountability needs to ‘sweep in’ and ‘unfold’ (Churchman, 1979a,b, 1982) social, cultural, economic and environmental factors (adapting Elkington, 1997, drawing on Banathy, 1996, 2000; Laszlo, 1991; Laszlo, and Laszlo, 2004). Participatory governance needs to address questions about fixed and fluid politics and identity. These questions address cultural norms, bonds and boundaries (Elias and Lichterman, 2003) to guide reflection on cases that strive to achieve accountability. Experiential learning through participatory action research with the most marginalised in society and listening to significant others (whose systemic praxis) is the basis for the theory on systemic governance.¹Paper is drawn from forthcoming book entitled: “Systemic Governance: Working and re-working the conceptual and geographical boundaries of governance and international relations” (2005) and parts of the paper were presented at the 49th Annual Conference of the International Systems Sciences Asilomar 2004. A more detailed version of the case study on the hijab has been submitted for consideration as a publication on human rights and governance to Systems Research and Behavioural Science October 2004. References to Churchman’s work have also been made in Critical Systemic Praxis for Social and Environmental Justice (2003)Kluwer.     

复杂性的定义,对象与层次问题:一个综述

首先概要性地回顾了复杂性认知的沿革,指出了当前复杂性研究兴起的背景和原因.然后,对现代复杂性研究中的3个重要问题:定义问题,对象问题和层次问题进行了评价.定义问题:对现有几种定义的特点,以及现阶段能否给出恰当的定义的争论进行了评述;对象问题:分析了目前存在的4种趋势,既有直接研究抽象和具体对象的区别,也有不直接选择研究对象,但基于方法论和基于系统思辩探讨复杂问题研究途径的区别;层次问题:指出对象的差异也导致了当前复杂性探讨层面的差异,即出现了同时在方法,方法论和系统思辩3种不同层面展开复杂性研究的局面.通过分析和评价这些区别,指出了当前的复杂性研究为什么会出现这种既繁荣又难以相互融通的局面.     

Some Common Ground That Can Provide a Basis for Collaboration Between Action Researchers and Scientists: A Philosophical Case That Works in Practice

By analysing 22 case studies of good research, both action research and agricultural science, I believe I have found some criteria of good research that is common to all of them. These criteria match the philosophical pragmatists argument that the best a researcher can do is to provide a warranted assertion from a methodology which is fit for the specific research purpose and is internally consistent. They also include Popper's requirement that a methodology needs to seek disconfirming evidence and Habermas's requirement that subjective data is important in all research. These criteria have provided me with a basis for collaboration with my scientific colleagues and can provide a basis for collaboration between other researchers, whatever their methodology.     

必须用系统协调的观点和方法构建和谐社会

社会系统是由相互联系、相互作用和相互制约的各子系统组成的一个有机整体。和谐社会要求社会系统中的经济子系统、政治子系统、文化意识子系统相互协调、相互适应、相互一致。在市场经济条件下,经济体制改革需要政治体制改革相配套,否则社会子系统之间就会不平衡,和谐社会就难以实现。     

系统科学视域中的突发公共事件及对策分析

突发公共事件的突发性、动态性、复杂性和不可预测性迫切需要用系统科学的方法对其进行研究。文章采用系统科学的视角,把突发公共事件看作一个复杂性系统,从事件的产生过程分析事件的成因、特点,根据事件的成因过程提出政府要担当主导事件的序参量,把握事件发展趋向。为此,政府要注意事件和时间流逝的内在关系,降低事件发展的不确定性;打破主客二元关系,获得有效消息;重视信息反馈,输出合目的性信息,此外,政府还要重视细节,避免因细小因素对社会系统进化过程中造成的重大扰动。     

DEA数据标准化方法及其在方向距离函数模型中的应用

方向距离函数是对径向DEA模型的推广,它能够方便地处理存在非期望产出的情况,但其效率测量未解决单位不变性问题,这是制约方向距离函数在实践中应用的一个障碍。DEA数据标准化方法为效率测量方法提供了保持单位不变性的通用方法,同时采用标准化数据后,径向和非径向模型的效率测量结果保持不变。基于DEA数据标准化方法建立了具有单位不变性的方向距离函数效率测量方法。     

现代系统科学理论:构建德育内容体系的新思维

本文认为,个体的生活成长轨迹和道德需求能较好地把德育主体、环境和过程三者之间形成一种和谐的有机联系,并且个体的生活成长轨迹为我们构建德育内容体系提供了清晰的路径,依据人的生活成长的道德需求把德育内容体系分为六个部分:家庭活动德育内容、社会活动德育内容、学习活动德育内容、职业活动德育内容、生态科技德育内容、自我发展完善德育内容。     

我国科学技术发展的系统学分析

科学技术是一个大系统，耍充分发挥其“整体大于部分之和”的“剩余功能”，就必须保证科学技术系统自身的全面、协调发展，即自然科学与人文社会科学全面发展，基础研究、应用研究与发展研究协同统一，技术引进与自主创新统筹兼顾。     

信息科学管理的整体性系统思维方法与实践研究

本文运用了整体性思维方法对信息科学管理做了详细的叙述,对编制整体管理软件的合理性,实用性问题进行了相关研究,并提出了一些建议。     

科技进步与道德建设良性互动的系统分析

科技和道德都是人类社会实践活动的产物，科技进步与道德建设相辅相成、相互促进，共同构成一个良性互动的系统。用系统分析的方法探讨科技进步与道德建设的良性互动关系，并试图构建实现二者协调发展的互动机制。