Smart Cities and M<Superscript>3</Superscript>: Rapid Research,Meaningful Metrics and Co-Design

The research described in this paper is undertaken under the banner of the smart city, a concept that captures the way urban spaces are re-made by the incursion of new technology. Much of smart is centred on converting everyday activities into data, and using this data to generate knowledge mediated by technology. Ordinary citizens, those that may have their lives impacted by the technology, usually are not properly involved in the ‘smartification’ process. Their perceptions, concerns and expectations should inform the conception and development of smart technologies at the same extent. How to engage general public with smart cities research is the central challenge for the Making Metrics Meaningful (MMM) project. Applying a rapid participatory method, ‘Imagine’ over a five-month period (March – July) the research sought to gain insights from the general public into novel forms of information system innovation. This brief paper describes the nature of the accelerated research undertaken and explores some of the themes which emerged in the analysis. Generic themes, beyond the remit of an explicit transport focus, are developed and pointers towards further research directions are discussed. Participatory methods, including engaging with self-selected transport users actively through both picture creation and programmatically specific musical ‘signatures’ as well as group discussion, were found to be effective in eliciting users’ own concerns, needs and ideas for novel information systems.     

Systems Thinking and Higher Education: The Vanguard Method

Reforms to the higher education sector in the UK are only increasing competitive pressures between institutions. Universities are therefore looking to gain competitive advantage over their rivals both in terms of student experience and through administrative efficiency. This paper will present an alternative view of how to transform the way that the higher education system delivers service to students in an environment where ‘student choice’ will be viewed as of paramount importance. The paper will argue that the prevailing ‘command and control’ (Seddon 2003) management logic, which can be found at work throughout both the public and private sectors, is the primary cause of inferior, expensive service. As an alternative, this paper will explore the benefits of working in a systems thinking way, whilst comparing and contrasting this with the flawed thinking which currently prevails. The Vanguard Method (Seddon 2008) is one particular form of systems thinking which has been developed for use in service organisations (Jackson et al. 2008) and which has been applied to many public sector organisations (ODPM 2005; Middleton 2010; Zokaei et al. 2010). Using a case study methodology (Yin 2009), this paper will address what has been learnt by applying the Vanguard Method in an HEI environment for the first time.     

The Perils of Command and Control

This paper is written by a manager working within a food manufacturing business specialising in the production of snack foods. It is based on a manager’s reflections and shows that the ‘command and control’ management logic (Seddon, Freedom from command and control: a better way to make the work work. Vanguard Education Ltd., Buckingham, 2003) can cause as many problems in manufacturing as it does in service organisations. The paper details how far command and control thinking had driven the business away from doing what its customers actually wanted. Although this paper will look particularly at this specific business, the findings are meant to be representative of what, in the author’s experience, are typical command and control discussions in conventionally managed organisations. The paper will describe the business’ background, its culture and the existing state of affairs. The organisation will be looked at from two perspectives: the business managers’ perspective and the perspective of the people in the work (front line workers and their line managers). The paper will then discuss the current business logic and its impact. It will examine what it was like to work in this system. The paper will go on to look at the model for ‘Check’ (Seddon 2003, p. 112) and its application in manufacturing, before detailing what the managers in the business would have seen if they had applied the model. Finally, it will describe what improvements could have been expected through the move to a logic built on systems thinking principles.     

Prostitution and Human Rights in Indonesia: A Critical Systemic Review of Policy Discourses and Scenarios

This article considers policy making in practice focussing on case studies drawn from ethnographic research on prostitution in Indonesia carried out between 2012 and 2013 (this article is based on field research undertaken in Java, Indonesia, between November 2012 and 28 February 2013). Its theoretical underpinnings is that of ‘critical systemic heuristics’ which contends that policy making with respect to prostitution needs to take into account a range of factors and diverse views based on a process of ‘unfolding values’ and ‘sweeping in’ many variables before a decision is made. Applying ‘critical systemic approach’ or ‘critical heuristics’provides a means to test out the policy making ideas, as opposed to merely implementing the ideas of the powerful. The paper applies critical heuristic thinking to argue that the policy response ought to take into account the voices of those with a lived experience of poverty and prostitution, in order to protect their rights when making policy decisions.     

Towards a critique of Critical Systems Thinking within a foucauldian framework: A “demystification process” or an “instrumental use” of Critical Theory

Critical Systems Thinking is an approach which aims at providing a coherent platform to guide systems practitioners through the numerous systems paradigms and systems methodologies currently available. However, it claims not only that it can provide an efficient way for choosing the appropriate methodology based on proper understanding of their strengths and weaknesses, but also that it is grounded within a commitment to critique, complementarism, and emancipation. Furthermore, it has claimed to be deeply rooted in the ideas of Habermas and Foucault. Considering recent research in Foucault's philosophy, this paper attempts to provide of CST a critical examination which can be extended to other areas of the management and systems sciences. In the context of this examination, the conclusion has been reached that CST has at least two options. The first is to redefine itself as a demystification process (of cherished concepts such as emancipation, complementarism, intervention and so on), if it wants to remain somehow ‘inspired’ by Critical Theory. The second one is to redefine its ‘critical’ claims so as to become aligned with managerial activities such as business consultancy and intervention, openly acknowledging an application of Critical Theory that is instrumental, if such an influence indeed exists.     

A Systemic Exploration of Lesotho’s Basic Education through Interactive Management

Lesotho is an inland country striving to improve its economy. Accessible education is perceived as an effective approach to economic growth. Over the years, various projects were commenced to improve Lesotho’s basic education provision. However, the progress is not satisfactory or stable. This paper argues for systemic thinking and adopts Warfield’s interactive management to identify the difficulties in Lesotho’s education projects. Interactive management can help stakeholders to identify system elements, structure the relationship between systems elements and produce a diagraph representing the system in question. The core mechanism of interactive management is a binary matrix which can infer the existence of a relationship between system elements, provided that the relationship is transitive. Four root problems were identified through the interactive management process: ‘board members not educated’, ‘poor service delivery by the Ministry of Education and Training to teachers’, ‘food insecurity’ and ‘reduced and standardisation of school fees at post primary schools’. The developed model demonstrates how system elements are interconnected. The model has potential to be used as a starting point for the Lesotho government to manage on its basic education problems through the identified root causes.     

SOFT CONTROL ON COLLECTIVE BEHAVIOR OF A GROUP OF AUTONOMOUS AGENTS BY A SHILL AGENT

This paper asks a new question： how can we control the collective behavior of self-organized multi-agent systems？ We try to answer the question by proposing a new notion called ＇Soft Control＇ which keeps the local rule of the existing agents in the system. We show the feasibility of soft control by a case study. Consider the simple but typical distributed multi-agent model proposed by Vicsek et al. for flocking of birds： each agent moves with the same speed but with different headings which are updated using a local rule based on the average of its own heading and the headings of its neighbors. Most studies of this model are about the self-organized collective behavior, such as synchronization of headings. We want to intervene in the collective behavior （headings） of the group by soft control. A specified method is to add a special agent, called a ＇Shill＇, which can be controlled by us but is treated as an ordinary agent by other agents. We construct a control law for the shill so that it can synchronize the whole group to an objective heading. This control law is proved to be effective analytically and numerieally. Note that soft control is different from the approach of distributed control. It is a natural way to intervene in the distributed systems. It may bring out many interesting issues and challenges on the control of complex systems.     

基于规则的无人机编队队形构建与重构控制方法

针对已有方法在无人机编队队形控制方面的不足,结合无人机系统有限范围感知的特点提出一种基于规则的队形控制方法。首先,利用目标位置选择算法为编队成员选择刚体中的期望位置点,使分布式条件下的复杂无人机编队队形控制问题转化为个体对自身期望位置点的追踪问题;其次,通过控制协议的设计引导编队成员对自身的期望位置点进行追踪和避免碰撞;最后,在netlogo平台上实现了队形的控制;进一步,将目标位置选择算法与基于全局信息的“禁忌搜索”优化算法的效果进行了对比。实验表明:本文的控制方法简单,生成的航迹图简洁、平滑,其效果与基于全局信息的优化效果接近,且可生成任意队形和对突发威胁能主动有效的规避。     

Insights into Operationalizing Communities of Practice from SSM-Based Inquiry Processes

Two systemic inquiries, based on soft systems methodology (SSM), into the potential for using community of practice (CoP) theory by an Australian-government created research and development corporation to change its knowledge management (KM) strategy, are reported. Key staff were engaged in the inquiry into how to build a third-order KM strategy based on CoPs; an exploration of key published work on CoPs yielded four SSM activity models—‘being a community practice system’; ‘doing the work of imagination sub-system’; ‘doing the work of alignment sub-system’ and ‘doing the work of engagement sub-system’. These models can be used as heuristics to aid the purposeful design of CoPs in other settings. SSM, enacted as a systemic inquiry, can be understood as a form of systemic action research, which was well equipped to deal with CoP theory and, when enacted participatively, can generate important systemic insights. The inquiry began the process of fostering an appreciation of third order KM but, on the evidence available, did not lead to on-going commitment to a CoPs-based KM strategy. Future research should acknowledge how the framing of research situations influences the research process, the importance of the design of practice change settings and the limited evidence for purposeful interventions leading to successful CoPs.     

风险中性高阶矩:特征、风险与应用

本文采用香港恒生指数期权中的虚值期权计算香港股票市场风险中性高阶矩, 通过其与另一种高阶矩预期——运用历史分布通过AR(1)-GARCH(1,1)模型估计出来的现实世界高阶矩预期之间的关系分析高阶矩风险溢酬.研究结果发现: 在香港股票市场中,偏度、峰度等高阶矩具有非常显著的风险溢酬, 且风险溢酬均小于0. 这表明香港市场的投资者热衷于冒险, 以在短时间内获得较大收益.另外,考察了香港股票市场的期权价格结构,我们发现从恒生指数期权中得到的香港股票市场隐含波动率几乎是一条水平的直线. 在对香港市场整体高阶矩进行分析时,也发现其偏度与峰度不能拒绝市场整体分布为正态分布的假设.     

基于目标导向的多属性决策属性价值公度方法

MACBETH方法在多个属性维度上确定出的一组属性Good值(或Neutral值)并不能真地具有保证属性价值公度的完全相同的偏好涵义.为克服该方法缺陷,基于包容性属性价值函数,通过引入数据包络分析技术和马尔可夫理论给出了以目标参照方案为导向的目标导向属性价值函数和多属性决策属性价值公度的方法程序.相比于具有较大随意性确定属性Good值和Neutral值的MACBETH方法,依赖目标导向属性价值函数的多属性决策属性价值公度程序具有更明显的科学合理性,因此具有发展MACBETH方法,推动实际决策应用该方法及相关多属性偏好关联决策模型的创新价值.基于决策实验的应用分析直接验证了多属性决策属性价值公度方法程序的科学有效性,间接验证了包容性属性价值函数和目标导向属性价值函数的科学理性.     

Dialogue and Revolution: Proposal for Critical-Pragmatic Recursive Praxis to Support Operationalisation of Methodological Virtues

Systemic Practice and Action Research (SPAR) denotes a family of approaches with different theoretical foundations, the constructive encounter between which may propel the movement forward. A persistent scholarly debate persists between the so-called emancipatory and pragmatic strands, motivating perceptions of the impossibility to jointly accomplish both ‘dialogical’ and ‘revolutionary’ commitments of the movement. This reflects that SPAR is still grappling with how to maintain a normative foundation while prioritising local change processes, thus reconciling what is universally ‘right’ with the locally ‘good’ in order to foster an operational view of the nature of reciprocity and justification. In this paper, I mobilise experiences from five action research projects in the field of natural resource governance to undertake a methodological introspection to examine how we as SPAR professionals may negotiate our approach during project implementation and the encounter of concrete realities and stakeholder interests. The objective is to offer an alternative view on the relationship between the ‘dialogical’ and the ‘revolutionary’ elements of SPAR; a view which rejects a dichotomisation in favour of a critical-pragmatic recursive praxis that depends on the capacity of the researcher to negotiate methodological virtues with co-researchers in the process.     

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.

     

Critical considerations in the development of systems thinking and practice

This paper is concerned with the development of ‘Systems Thinking.’ In particular, it considers and critiques ‘traditional Systems Thinking’ within the framework of Critical Systems Thinking. Before embarking on such a venture it is necessary to derive a base context from which to develop argument and analysis. Therefore the outline of this paper is as follows: A contextual setting for Systems Thinking, Theoretical Considerations, Soft Systems Thinking and Methodology, and A Critical Systems Thinking (CST) approach. The account of the development of Systems Thinking is followed by a synopsis of a theoretical framework for Systems Thinking which will allow us to gain an understanding of contemporary views. The paper then goes on to review SSM and CST in order to provide a platform for a critique of traditional forms of Systems Thinking. The final section briefly discusses the applicability of CST to the ‘real-world’ context by outlining some current studies being undertaken by the author.     

基于产品体验性的供应链交货模型与仿真研究

消费者对线上购买产品的交货时间要求愈来愈高,根据产品体验性和市场地位确定产品交货时间对零售商变得更加重要。通过构建三种渠道权利结构下的供应链交货模型,分析了产品体验性对最优交货时间、考虑交货时间的零售商决策模式选择和交货后供应链利润的影响,并通过数值仿真验证了模型的正确性和可靠性。研究表明：不同权力结构下零售商最优产品交货时间均随着产品体验性降低而延长;产品体验性不影响零售商决策模式的选择,但对零售商主导下的供应商总收益影响较为明显。     

极坐标系中带多普勒量测的雷达目标跟踪

将仅仅考虑位置量测的二维去偏一致转换量测卡尔曼滤波算法进行推广,以解决包含多普勒量测且斜距误差和多普勒误差相关的雷达目标跟踪问题。首先用斜距和多普勒量测的乘积构造伪量测,以减小多普勒量测和目标运动状态之间的强非线性程度;然后用嵌套条件方法得到了转换量测误差前两阶矩的一致性估计;最后根据伪量测是目标运动状态二次函数的特性,用二阶EKF最优地实现了非线性跟踪滤波,其中为了进一步减小二阶EKF的近似误差,利用Cholesky分解实现了位置量测和伪量测的序贯处理。Monte-Carlo仿真结果表明采用新算法可以明显改善跟踪滤波器的性能。     

广播星历等效伪距误差在中国区域的建模分析

在卫星导航系统服务区域内,由广播星历产生的等效伪距误差随用户位置的改变发生变化。将服务区域内用户的位置在切平面上投影,可以对服务区域内用户的星历等效伪距误差的特性分析加以简化。通过对GEO、MEO和IGSO三种导航卫星的分析,中国区域内的星历等效伪距误差可以用一个平面方程进行表示。研究结果对星历等效伪距误差模型及其改正方法的建立具有一定的参考价值。     

The Role of Formalisation, Participation and Context in the Success of Public Involvement Mechanisms in Resource Management

In the face of complex and uncertain issues, one important goal of public participation in resource management and research is to foster communication and the inclusion of non-expert knowledge—thus the effective flow of information between project organisers and stakeholders. We compare different methods (instruments, tools) that were employed in the German–Austrian ‘PartizipA’ project to structure information flows in participatory processes. Depending on their goals and context, more or less ‘formalised’ and ‘participatory’ methods were applied, the most important being guided interviews, focus groups, agent-based modelling, nutrient modelling, cognitive mapping and group model building as well as the development of a common document. Two regional case studies, both concerned with European-induced institutional change, are portrayed in which the specific participatory methods were embedded. The Austrian case study involved the analysis and modelling of agricultural land use in the region of St. Pölten against the background of the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, while the implementation of recent European water policy was the issue in the German agricultural region north of Osnabrück. Presenting both cases in their regional context, the applied methods are first described according to the logic of the entire respective process. Subsequently, the specific methods are systematically analysed and compared according to their objective, context and degrees of participation and formalisation. Finally, we evaluate all methods regarding their effectiveness in terms of goal attainment and their potential generalisation, seeking to respond to the question of when a particular method might best be used.     

Re-framing Prostitution in Indonesia: A Critical Systemic Approach

This study applies critical systems thinking as a process to respond to and offer recommendations to address prostitution policy in Indonesia. The article addresses social, economic and environmental aspects of prostitution. The analysis centres on the way in which prostitution is framed by the different interest groups in Indonesia, and highlights the current crisis in policy-making praxis in Indonesia. The article develops a case for systemic policy praxis, and aims to: (1) Make a case for re-framing the issue of prostitution in the sense that it addresses the ‘capabilities’ prostituted women and children ought to have (see Sen in Development as freedom, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1999 and Nussbaum in Women and human development: the capabilities approach, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2000). (2) Re-frame the policy response to prostitution to address life chances and human dignity. (3) Assert that the lack of attention to a just and fair human rights for all is due to a policy-making gap where ‘systemic intervention’ is required to restore human dignity.     

Perfect adaptation of general nonlinear systems

Perfect adaptation describes the ability of a biological system to restore its biological function precisely to the pre-perturbation level after being affected by the environmental disturbances. Mathematically, a biological system with perfect adaptation can be modelled as an input-output nonlinear system whose output, usually determining the biological function, is asymptotically stable under all input disturbances concerned. In this paper, a quite general input-output mathematical model is employed and the ‘functional’ of biological function (FBF) - output Lyapunov function - is explored to investigate its perfect adaptation ability. Sufficient condition is established for the systems with FBF to achieve perfect adaptation. Then a sufficient and necessary condition is obtained for the linear systems to possess an output Lyapunov function. Furthermore, it is shown that the ‘functional’ of receptors activity exists in the perfect adaptation model of E. coli chemotaxis. Different with the existing mathematical surveys on perfect adaptation, most of which are based on the standpoint of control theory, we first investigate this problem using ways of nonlinear systems analysis.