Knowing Wuli,Sensing Shili,Caring for Renli: Methodology of the WSR Approach

This paper presents an outline of an Oriental systems methodology: the Wuli Shili Renli approach (WSR). The basic theme of WSR contends that wuli (regularities in objective existence), shili (ways of seeing and doing), and renli (patterns underlying human relations) constitute a differentiated whole that conditions systems projects. WSR suggests that we should design and employ appropriate methods to address and tackle wuli shili and renli elements in a theoretically informed and systemic way. The background, philosophy, process, principles, and some practical applications of the methodology are preliminarily outlined.     

Implications of Knowledge Economy for Citizens: An Empirical Exploration

We describe the application of Priority Pointing, a generically applicable research procedure, to the question how Ireland can become an innovative knowledge economy. Questioning received orthodoxy, we show that Irish culture should put more value on scientific skills, promote a scientifically literate culture, and reform institutional and structural support systems to develop an innovative knowledge-based economy. In autopoietic terms, we illustrate how structure of the social systems and the history of those systems determine the space and capability for future development and innovation. The Systems Science theory used is Nomology, which claims that three different processes of adjusting, convincing, and committing comprehensively describe how the mind structures decisions. Committing and convincing are subjective and correspond to the processes that build the autopoietic aspects of a society or organization. Consequently, the proposed adjustments that emerge from the research should not challenge what we are as citizens, within our autopoietic societal boundary.     

北京公交智能化调度系统总体设计的WSR分析

利用物理 -事理 -人理 ( WSR)方法论的原理分析了一个公共交通智能化系统工程的总体设计过程 ,指出 WSR方法论是现代社会经济与技术条件下处理复杂开放系统 ,尤其是大型工程系统的一个定性与定量相结合的综合集成方法 ,并在实践中对该方法做了进一步的完善和深化.     

Dealing with a Differentiated Whole: The Philosophy of the WSR Approach

This paper seeks to explore a philosophical ground for the formulation and practice of an Oriental systems methodology, the wuli–shili–renli approach (WSR). Drawing insights from ancient Chinese thought, WSR contends that, in sociotechnical systems design/management, we should investigate and follow wuli, shili, and renli, which constitute a differentiable, dynamic whole. Wuli, shili, and renli condition and determine the fate of our projects, meaning different methods are needed to deal with each differentiable aspect. It also points out that, to deal with wuli, shili, and renli properly, we need to engage in encounters with the "dark side" of Confucianism and with the contemporary tendency of scientism.     

Dealing with Human Relations in Chinese Systems Practice

This paper is about the Wuli, Shili, Renli (WSR) systems methodology. An important concept within this, Renli, has been developed from Confucian philosophy to clarify to Chinese researchers the necessity of dealing with human relations in systems practice. At present, the only formal means of operationalizing Renli that people are exploring in China is to import from the West methods for organizing debate. However, the concept of Renli suggests that more is needed than methods alone. In particular, facilitation skills are required. It is argued that the development of facilitation skills can be enhanced if researchers can gain both theoretical and practical knowledge of group dynamics, and engage in activities of self-reflection to look at, and alter, their own roles in these dynamics and the wider sociopolitical system. There are therefore three aspects to Renli: the use of systems methods for organizing debate, the acquisition of facilitation skills, and self-reflection geared toward the development of facilitation skills and enhanced critical awareness of the politics of intervention.     

Information sharing and strategic signaling in supply chains

Information sharing in procurement occurs in rich and varied industry contexts in which managerial decisions are made and organizational strategy is formulated. We explore how information sharing ought to work in procurement contexts that involve investments in inter-organizational information systems (IOS) and collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment (CPFR) practices. How and under what circumstances does a firm that plays the role of a supply chain buyer decide to share information on key variables, such as point-of-sale consumer demand data with its supplier, up the supply chain? This is a key issue that crosses the boundary between supply chain management and information systems (IS) management. The answers that we provide are based on our use of a game-theoretic signaling model of buyer and supplier strategy in the presence of uncertainties about final consumer demand. We also explore the connection between operational costs that are associated with the firm’s information sharing and information withholding strategies. Our results provide normative guidance to supply chain buyers about how to interpret different demand uncertainty scenarios to improve their decisions and generate high value. From the IS management perspective, we show the impacts on the firm of different information sharing approaches that are made possible by present day technologies.     

转换桥理论及其应用

本文详细地讨论了转换桥的含义、分类和桥的网络拓扑，并以ＦＧＲ系统为背景介绍了转换桥的构造、转换控制和转换过程。     

Toward Fostering Systems Learning in Organizational Contexts

This article explores the ways in which the process of systems learning can be nurtured in organizational contexts. I posit that in order to mobilize systems learning at the individual, group, and organizational levels, an integrated, holistic approach must be pursued. It is suggested that the challenge of not only teaching the systems thinking concepts but also using their actual applications in practice is more than just an issue of pedagogical improvement. The cultural and material issues integral to the use of systems thinking must be taken into consideration as well. I argue that our efforts to improve our pedagogical practices to foster systems learning in organizational contexts can benefit from the social constructivist perspective, which represents a system of ideas about learning. The qualities of systems pedagogy resided in social constructivism are proposed as a framework to think with in designing the meaningful systems learning activities. This article also discusses how to create the cultural and material environments in which the process of systems learning can be nurtured.     

Repositing Thinking for Future Social Systems Design: In Tribute to Bela H. Banathy and His Inspiration of the Fuschl Conversations

Contemporary systems activity can be divided into that stressing feasible and practical short-term measures, and that which is more ideal-aware, focussed on mid-longer term futures, and typically involving on-going community or social systems design. The paper highlights the key differences in approach, but then invites closer collaboration in the cause of the possible contribution that systems thinking could make for a longer term future, with Y3K (Year 3000) as a metaphor for this. This analysis, which derives from work undertaken at Asilomar 1995 and Fuschl conversations in 2000 and 2002, finds that contemporary social system design, which is driven by western culture and is action-oriented, needs adaptation before it could contribute to greater future global harmony. A truly comprehensive systems design process must accommodate a wide range of possible parameters in terms of culture, and appreciation of time and progress. An emerging paradigm as basis for thinking and engaging in social systems design work of the future is offered, which also has relevance to general systems practice.     

Appreciating Systems: Critical Reflections on the Changing Nature of Systems as a Discipline in a Systems-Learning Society

The paper reports a reflective inquiry into the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of systems-related courses developed and presented up to 1995 by the former Systems Department in the Open University, UK. The SWOT analysis is considered in the context of the "systems movement" in its broadest sense. Based on the OU experiences the institutional challenges of systems-as-discipline and interdiscipline are explored. Three strategies for the future are suggested: (i) the potential of Systems Departments to demonstrate rigorous and coherent interdisciplinarity; (ii) for systemists to work harder to bridge the divide between their espoused theory and theory in use, particularly in their own institutional settings and (iii) the need for a rigorous pedagogy for "systems practice."     

Systems Practice in China: New Developments and Cross-Cultural Collaborations

This short paper introduces a special issue of Systemic Practice and Action Research on new developments in Chinese systems practice. It focuses on the recent history of systems thinking in China, describing a paradigm shift that is currently taking place from an "objectivist" to a more pluralistic stance. Details are provided of the Hull–Beijing research program, which has contributed to this paradigm shift. In one way or another, all the papers in this special issue can be seen as having a connection with this research program.     

Bridging the Systematic Thinking Gap Between East and West: An Insight into the Yin-Yang-Based System Theory

Paralleling with the contribution of Western systems thinking to the development of modern Chinese system theory, the authors notice that the concept of yin-yang is scattered in many social science researches in the West. However, those researches were still not rich enough to yield insights into the core value of yin-yang and, in turn, there is seemly no one unified guiding law or principle which governs both its theoretical and empirical applications. In this study, axiom system of the Yin-Yang-based system has been proposed and elaborated through the comparisons of systematic thinking between East and West. After incorporating the concept of causal chains, it can also be used to work as quantitative tool for business decision analysis in management practices. The aim of this study is to bridge the contemporary systematic thinking gap between East and West and to provide a complement to aid in further development of system theory.     

美国能源发展战略的动向及其对我国的启示

2000～2001年席卷全美的能源危机．敲响了能源问题被忽视的警钟．为此，美国政府组织强大阵容，在大量调查的基础上，制定了美国预计到2020年的能源政策，之后美国国会又通过了能源法案。在我国能源供应市场化和国际化的进程中，美国能源发展战略的新动向给我国能源安全路径选择提供了重要启示。本文在分析其战略动向的基础上，结合我国实际，探讨了我国的能源发展战略。     

Storying Systems: Managing Everyday Flux Using Mode 2 Soft Systems Methodology

This paper examines work with managers who used a narrative approach to systemic thinking. Storytelling is incorporated within Mode 2 SSM involving a flexible approach to the analysis of complex or "messy" situations at work. Mode 2 SSM is presented as a thinking mode by those within the problem situation, involving the use of various devices of rich pictures, relevant systems, and root definitions, whereby managers and others may make sense of their experiences from within the flux of everyday life. The focus of the approach is learning through reflection on events and activities to consider potential actions and improvements in difficult situations. The findings show the initial difficulty and disappointment of learning to deal with complexity and the unexpected but how quickly the "gain outweighs the pain," as managers learned to attune themselves to the flux of situations, to identify how to work with flows and energies more creatively, and to become conscious of what was happening on the edge of awareness.     

Truth and openness: an epistemology for interpretive systemology

Both an ontoepistemology for reductionist modern science (counter-ontoepistemology) and an ontology for interpretive Systemology have been outlined in the two preceding papers in this special issue ofSystems Practice. In the present article, the notion of “truth” is interpreted in terms of both the ontoepistemology of “reductionism” and the ontology of interpretive systemology. Both interpretations are discussed. Such a discussion represents the objective of this paper, that is, to outline the epistemological “face” of the ontoepistemology of interpretive systemology. In order to design that “epistemological face,” the relation between ontology and epistemology must be clarified. Such a relation is seen from the standpoint already provided by the ontology. After the discussion on the notion of truth, the general shape of a systemic-interpretive inquiring process is outlined.     

M.H.DIS模型在我国上市公司信用评估中的应用研究

针对我国目前缺乏适用的、高效的系统信用评估模型的现状,研究了由希腊学者提出的M.H.DIS信用评估模型.在对该模型的详细介绍的基础上,选用我国55家上市公司1999年财务数据作为训练样本,利用Matlab软件根据M.H.DIS模型的基本思想,构建了经验信用评估曲线,并利用60家上市公司2000年财务数据为检测样本进行检验,获得较好的实证检测效果.通过以上研究分析,文章提出该模型适合我国目前基本国情,具有良好的推广前景.     

俄罗斯系统理论研究

俄罗斯国内的系统理论研究有着不可忽视的历史地位,是推动世界范围内系统理论发展的一股重要力量,然而却没有得到我国学术界足够的重视。本文通过对原始材料的梳理,分析得出俄罗斯系统理论研究的思想发端,发展潮流中主要代表人物及其思想,最新动向等等,以期能起到抛砖引玉的作用。     

基于WSR方法论的信息系统项目评价研究

以物理 -事理 -人理 (WSR)系统方法论为指导 ,分析了信息系统项目评价的重要性和特殊性。探讨了物理、事理、人理之间的关系 ,WSR的特性以及应用途径。提出了评价信息系统项目新的指标体系模型和算法———DHGF集成法。