Systemic Analysis of the Soccer (Football) Value Chain: Learning from the Brazilian Context

Soccer (football) is identified as the most popular sport in the world with a high turnover of economic-financial resources. The different segments of the soccer (football) value chain exert mutual influence on the variables that rule the dynamics of this sector. In this sense it is necessary to identify the variables that represent the soccer (football) value chain systemically; to understand the interrelationships between these variables, the main difficulties derived from this interrelationship and to point out variables that require actions to increment the results of the soccer (football) value chain as a whole. Hence, this study applied a semi-structured questionnaire with open-ended questions about the problems and leveraging variables that exist in this sports modality. A causal linkage diagram was elaborated based on the answers to the interviews, showing the systemic structure of the soccer (football) value chain in Brazil, whose premise it is to identify the existing circularities and the possibly existing points of leverage. The systemic structure pointed to the economic participation of soccer (football) in the Gross Domestic Product as a central variable to be leveraged, which tends to synthetize the results of the joint action of the actors in this chain. Furthermore, the variables that may limit or amplify the growth were identified. The systemic structure showed that the soccer (football) commodity chain is complex because of the great number of variables and interrelationships needed to represent its dynamics. The relationship between the actors also proved to be a factor of impact on economic and social development.     

Corporate Social Responsibility as a Messy Problem: Linking Systems and Sensemaking Perspectives

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become an essential topic with regard to the relationship between business and the wider society. It is a complex and controversial phenomenon that can best be addressed via systems theory and the sensemaking perspective. This paper proposes a way to link a dialectical systems perspective with communications that includes the sensemaking and dialogic collective approaches, which help to build systems of organised activities that aim to find solutions to complex problems from a holistic perspective. Companies are increasingly aware that if they wish to be successful actors in their business and societal relationships, the traditional sole focus on maximising profit is counterproductive, especially in terms of sustaining their value chains. A holistic approach to CSR and the value chain involves companies integrating their stakeholders along their value chains, especially at the downstream and upstream extremes (their customers and suppliers). This paper illustrates its theoretical perspectives with a case study of JYSK, a multinational company based in Denmark, which demonstrates how the company based its actual management of CSR on its willingness to learn from its own actions and from the actions of others.     

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.     

“It was Hard to Come to Mutual Understanding …”—The Multidimensionality of Social Learning Processes Concerned with Sustainable Natural Resource Use in India, Africa and Latin America

Sustainable natural resource use requires that multiple actors reassess their situation in a systemic perspective. This can be conceptualised as a social learning process between actors from rural communities and the experts from outside organisations. A specifically designed workshop oriented towards a systemic view of natural resource use and the enhancement of mutual learning between local and external actors, provided the background for evaluating the potentials and constraints of intensified social learning processes. Case studies in rural communities in India, Bolivia, Peru and Mali showed that changes in the narratives of the participants of the workshop followed a similar temporal sequence relatively independently from their specific contexts. Social learning processes were found to be more likely to be successful if they 1) opened new space for communicative action, allowing for an intersubjective re-definition of the present situation, 2) contributed to rebalance the relationships between social capital and social, emotional and cognitive competencies within and between local and external actors.     

Systemic Cognition During the Sub-Prime Crisis: Lessons and Research Implications

This paper uses the example of the global financial crisis (GFC) of 2008?C2009 to demonstrate how patterns of systemic cognition influenced outcomes during the crisis. This paper focuses on systemic patterns that emerged during the sub-prime crisis. By reviewing systemic patterns and reflecting on the assumptions of actors it is believed that further insight for research potential could be revealed. I argue that patterns of systemic ??cognition?? that emerge during complex social events can be captured and reflected on. This provides useful insight into the interpretative structures of messy problems that in turn reveals previously undiscovered systemic thinking. The paper uses this illustration of the GFC to structure a debate about future research possibilities.     

Systems Thinking and Systems Practice: Working in the Fifth Dimension

This paper describes how a messy organizational problem was tackled using a systems approach which led to a resolution of the problem and to an improvement in the working relationships of the people involved. The example also shows how people who are not familiar with systems thinking, as such, can quickly be helped to develop a shared systemic view of a complex situation using activity modeling. At a deeper level, the paper also shows how the underlying dynamics of the problem situation was altered as a result of using a cooperative, dialogical working method, leading to an improvement in the quality of service provided by that part of the organization. The paper uses Peter Senge's five disciplines of a learning organization, together with various systems concepts, as a framework for describing how the process of change was brought about through the simultaneous management of task and social processes, leading to both individual and organizational learning.     

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.     

Structuration Theory and Self-Organization

Social systems theory is dominated by a reductionistic individualism and a dualistic functionalism. Especially the latter does not, adequately integrate the human being. In order to avoid dualism, mechanistic determinism, and reductionism, a dialectical concept of social systems that is based on the notion of self-organization seems necessary. In order to establish a dialectical theory of social self-organization it is appropriate to integrate aspects of Anthony Giddens' structuration theory. Giddens acknowledges the importance of knowledgeable human actors in society and argues that structures are the medium and outcome of actions (theorem of the duality of structure). Structures both enable and constrain social actions. This idea corresponds to saying that social systems are re-creative, i.e., self-organizing social systems. Re-creativity is based on the creative activities of human beings. Social structures exist in and through the productive practices and relationships of human actors. The term evolution can be employed in a nonfunctionalist way that acknowledges the importance of knowledgeable human actors in social systems by conceiving the historical development of society based on a dialectic of chance and necessity and theprinciple of order through fluctuation in situations of instability and bifurcation. All self-organizing systems are information-generating systems. Giddens' concept of storage mechanisms that allow time–space distanciation of social relationships helps to describe the relationship of information and self-organization in social systems.     

Operationalising “Double-Loop” Learning in Service Organisations: A Systems Approach for Creating Knowledge

Learning organisation literature has widely discussed the connections between “double-loop” learning and its significance to organisational performance, but paying little attention to tools and systems that can operationalise “double-loop” learning in organisations. This paper investigates the impact of applying a systems approach for service operations design, expressed as the Vanguard Method (Seddon, Freedom from command and control: a better way to make the work work, 2003), in order to activate “double-loop” learning in service organisations. Two case studies were conducted in the banking mortgage operations and adults’ social care services in the UK, using the dimensions of the learning organisation questionnaire (DLOQ), semi-structured interviews, observations, and documents. The findings of the cross-case analysis support the link of applying the Vanguard Method with operationalising “double-loop” learning through three main factors, namely systematic-operations improvement, organisational capacity development, and outside-in mode of work; that are all embedded into the seven dimensions of the DLOQ. The value of this paper is the introduction of a service operations design tool that can activate “double-loop” learning performance in the fast changing knowledge era. It also provides an impetus for service organisations to creatively influence employees’ competencies to effectively improve internal systems.     

网络节点(集)重要性的一种度量指标

度量网络节点(集)的重要性一直是社会网络分析领域和系统科学研究领域的一个值得研究的问题。系统科学的研究方法用网络的连通性来反映系统某种功能的完整性，通过度量节点删除对网络连通的破坏程度来反映网络节点(集)的重要性．但目前这一思想并没有得到真正意义上的量化，如果不考虑连通分支的大小和形状，就不能很好地反映出不同节点或不同网络之间在结构和位置特性上的差异。本文用节点(集)被删除后形成的所有不连通节点对之间的距离(最短路)的倒教之和来反应节点删除对网络连通的破坏程度即所删节点(集)的重要性。这一工作使重要性等价于破坏性的思想得到了精细的量化。     

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.     

A Review of Diagramming in Systems Practice and How Technologies Have Supported the Teaching and Learning of Diagramming for Systems Thinking in Practice

The educational process arguably involves a mediated discourse between teachers and learners to aid sense or meaning making for both parties. That mediation, particularly in distance teaching models, is often done through the use of educational resources, whereby teachers develop and/or select the educational resources which the learners then study or engage with through purposeful activities. Some issues or topics are so complicated or complex that words or numbers may be insufficient to represent the meanings contained within them and this is particularly relevant to systems studies which examine complex adaptive systems. Equally diagrams can break out of the linear and systematic nature of printed text to show non-linear and systemic features. This latter trait has been enhanced through the emergence in recent years of digital technologies whereby hypertext and other web applications now make it easier to create dynamic and/or interactive diagrams. And yet there has been little recent research into the influence of such technologies on the learning of systems diagramming skills at a distance. These issues are examined through a review of the literature and the reporting of previously unpublished surveys within The Open University on the value of diagrams to systems studies and the role of technology in influencing the study of diagramming in the teaching of systems thinking in practice. This review indicates that diagrams are seen as an important feature of systems studies and that digital technology can be effective in supporting the teaching and learning of systems diagramming skills at a distance. It also notes that new investigations are needed to examine whether more recent developments in digital technologies have made them more effective and/or efficient for teaching and using such skills in practice.     

Practical Contributions of the Systems-Based Evolutionary Learning Laboratory to Knowledge and Stakeholder Management

This paper reports on a case study on improving the quality of life for women smallholder farmers in Vietnam, using the systems-based Evolutionary Learning Laboratory (ELLab) approach. The study aims to provide evidence of practical contributions of the ELLab to project stakeholder and knowledge management through the case study. A transformative learning framework was developed to provide initial reflections on the planning phase of the project. Practical contributions of the ELLab process to stakeholder identification and management, and knowledge creation during project planning and implementation are discussed. Strong evidence was found of transformations in awareness and perspectives amongst project actors that subsequently led to systemic and executable action plans. This clearly proved the value of the ELLab approach in informal transformative learning.     

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.     

Second-Order Cybernetic Analysis to Re-construct Farmers’ Rationale When Regulating Milk Production

This paper presents an activity and knowledge analysis using second-order cybernetics for analysing human activities in social-ecological systems. We do this with the case of smallholder farmers producing milk in Nakuru County, Kenya. The analysis is based on farmers′ actions and the knowledge behind their actions. Using this approach, we analysed how smallholder farmers regulate milk production and how they influence milk quality. Farmers influence milk quality with their routine and problem-solving management actions. The knowledge behind these actions can be represented as rules. We found that Routine Control Rules that influence milk quality aim to (i) minimize contamination (ii) maintain udder health, and (iii) preserve milk. Problem-Solving Control Rules aim to deal with disturbances associated with (i) market imperfection (ii) microbiological contamination (iii) disease, and (iv) unfavourable milk composition. The approach revealed key restrictions and disturbance factors influencing milk quality in smallholder dairy systems. It also allowed for co-identification of best practices and entry points for contextualized innovations, i.e. innovations that fit into the respective production context. The co-analysis led to changes in farmers’ practices, as it fostered the co-development of milk quality standards to be applied at the community level as preparation for collective marketing activities. When emphasis is placed on finding restrictions and developing innovations, the approach can be further applied to other land-use systems.     

任意初始状态下非正则系统的迭代学习控制设计

迭代学习控制已广泛应用于各种机器人控制系统,但目前的方法大多数都假设系统具有零初始误差。在实际工程应用中,迭代学习的初始状态往往会发生漂移,现有的学习算法不能正确地使用。针对具有非零初始误差的非正则线性离散系统,研究了其迭代学习算法,提出了两种新型的初始状态的学习方法,利用2 D系统理论,对迭代学习进行了2 D分析,以保证所提出算法的稳定性。由于不需要假设系统初始误差为零,该算法更符合工程实际,仿真验证了算法的有效性。     

How Systemic Inquiry Releases Citizen Knowledge to Reform Schools: Community Scorecard Case Studies

Despite the relevance of systemic practice for repairing broken public systems, documented instances where it empowers marginalised groups en masse to be action researchers are rare. Public school systems that fail to educate millions of pupils are ripe for systemic inquiry. Using evidence, this article identifies conditions under which such inquiry fosters school system accountability and increases pupil learning. By tracing the emergence of a type of community scorecard practice called Citizen Voice and Action (CV&A), it explains how and why marginalised groups use CV&A’s systems-enhanced participatory research to engage with and reform unresponsive public systems. It also shows how soft systems thinking and further action research enhanced scorecard methodology. Brief case studies of CV&A use in Ugandan primary schools illustrate and explain how communities reform schools by using CV&A to systematically foster accountability. Discussion identifies how processes free them to create and use systemic knowledge. This theorising helps explain conditions under which systemic inquiry into school and other public systems is being generalised and scaled up.     

Biased Learning Creates Overconfidence

The aim of this paper is to develop a multi-period economic model to interpret how the people become overconfident by a biased learning that people tend to attribute the success to their abilities and failures to other factors. The authors suppose that the informed trader does not know the distribution of the precision of his private signal and updates his belief on the distribution of the precision of his knowledge by Bayer’s rule. The informed trader can eventually recognize the value of the precision of his knowledge after an enough long time biased learning, but the value is overestimated which leads him to be overconfident. Furthermore, based on the definition on the luckier trader who succeeds the same times but has the larger variance of the knowledge, the authors find that the luckier the informed trader is, the more overconfident he will be; the smaller the biased learning factor is, the more overconfident the informed trader is. The authors also obtain a linear equilibrium which can explain some anomalies in financial markets, such as the high observed trading volume and excess volatility.     

基于STPA-ANP模型的民机系统安全性分析

随着民机系统复杂程度不断提高, 传统的安全性分析方法已不能完全满足危险源高效识别的要求, 为有效分析和评估民机系统安全性, 提出系统理论过程分析(system-theory process analysis, STPA)和网络分析法(analytic network process, ANP)相结合的安全性分析方法。针对STPA没有给出完整的关键致因分析与评估过程, 将STPA与ANP关键结构对应结合, 对危险控制动作进行致因分析和评估, 得到危险控制动作关键致因。以某型民机数字式飞控系统为例展开分析, 通过形式化建模验证及仿真验证, 证明该模型方法可以准确和完整地识别分析系统潜在危险并确定危险关键致因, 为民机系统安全性分析提供支持。     

A Soft System Framework for the Conservation Management of Material Cultural Heritage

Experience gained from cultural heritage management in Norway and the UK has led to the development of a framework describing the key conservation activities required to sustain a diverse range between material cultural heritage assets. A soft system approach allows the complex interaction between various activities and external factors impacting on cultural heritage management to be examined as a single entity, for example, the contributions made by human interaction, environmental impact and the properties of the material heritage itself, on the preservation or loss of a cultural object. By constructing such a framework it is possible to identify potential indicators that can be used to measure the quality of conservation activities. Arguments are presented for grouping these indicators of impact into social, economic and environmental categories and examples are given of how this approach can be universally applied to real situations.