Zee Woon Lee  David N. Ford  Nitin Joglekar 《Systems Research and Behavioral Science》2007,24(6):551-566

Minimizing duration is critical to success in many development projects. Resource allocation policies during such projects determine the fractions of resources that are to be assigned to constituent tasks. The choice of allocation policy can strongly influence project durations. But policies for reduced project duration are difficult to design and implement because of closed loop flows of work that generate dynamic demand patterns and delays in shifting resources among activities. Resource demand estimates and resource adjustment times are two policy features that managers can readily alter to influence project durations. These features are used to describe allocation policies in a relatively simple project model. Myopic and foresighted policies are distinguished by their use (or lack thereof) of rework and multiple backlogs in allocation. Optimal policies under perfect and limited managerial control are described by testing myopic and foresighted policies across a range of project complexities and adjustment times under deterministic and uncertain conditions. Counter‐intuitive results from this analysis indicate that minimum resource allocation delay does not produce minimum durations, and increasing uncertainty decreases durations under certain conditions. The model is used to explain these results. Managerial implications and future research topics are discussed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

    

Stephen C. Cook  Timothy L. J. Ferris 《Systems Research and Behavioral Science》2007,24(2):169-181

The engineering discipline of systems engineering was developed as means to address the design, implementation and operation of large, complex technical systems. Whilst systems engineering includes methods for addressing the whole life‐cycle of the end product system, and processes for determining what should be made, it still reflects many aspects of the traditional engineering worldview. During the past decade or so, there has been a growing trend within the systems engineering community to appreciate that systems engineering has much wider concerns than just addressing the end product system, and properly encompasses the social aspects of the interaction of people with the end product system, and also the organizational system in which the development is done. Over this period, the framework of ideas that underpins systems engineering has also progressed from engineering science to a transdisciplinary position that incorporates many of the established systems approaches to management. In this paper, we examine the nature of contemporary systems engineering and conclude that systems engineering is a metamethodology for the development and evolution of large, socio‐technical systems. We argue that, as such, systems engineering is an appropriate methodology for any problem situation where the solution can be expected to involve a substantial technical component. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

    

Marjolein C. Achterkamp  Janita F. J. Vos 《Systems Research and Behavioral Science》2007,24(1):3-14

Although (the relevance of) stakeholder management receives considerable attention in literature, the problem of actual stakeholder identification is yet unresolved. This article analyses the potential contributions of critical systems thinking to solving this problem. Especially Ulrich's notion of boundary critique, by which he focuses on stakeholder roles and particularly the role of ‘the affected’, seems a fruitful contribution. By adapting the role definitions towards a project context, including project dynamics, and adding operating instructions, a method has been developed that can be used for actual stakeholder identification in organizational projects. This method is demonstrated on two projects. The results show that this adapted version of boundary critique, which in its original form mainly is used in the context of civil society, is also relevant in an organizational profit‐based context. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

    

Misha Hebel  Christopher J. Davis 《Systems Research and Behavioral Science》2005,22(6):525-536

Whether carried out by external consultants or internally, evaluation of business activity frequently relies on the use of criteria that arise from industry norms, benchmarking or other sources outside the organization. The research presented in this paper questions the utility of measures that use such criteria. Based on the authors' research, we show how reliance on predetermined criteria can simultaneously ossify the evaluation process and alienate the organizational community being evaluated. We aim to show how systems theory can provide a means to address the shortcomings of contemporary evaluation practice. Techniques that enable systems concepts to be operationalized in the work setting are described and the results of their use are discussed. By challenging the dominance of rational economic evaluation criteria, the paper provides an agenda for change for managers, evaluators and researchers. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

    

J.Donald R. de Raadt  Veronica D. de Raadt 《Systems Research and Behavioral Science》2005,22(3):233-247

This paper supports the inclusion of Christianity in the European constitution. It does this by analysing the role that an ethical vision plays in sustaining a community and the impact on other critical factors such as ethics, work, management, social structure and education that ensues when vision is undermined. It examines in particular the contribution that the Christian vision has made to communities in the past and the systemic role it can play in ensuring their long‐term viability today. The study applies a multi‐modal systems framework to analyse the links between the vision and these critical factors and projects that may unfold in communities once they lose their vision. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

    

Daniel B. Müller  Sybrand P. Tjallingii  Kees J. Canters 《Systems Research and Behavioral Science》2005,22(3):193-208

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N Narasimhachari  V B Joshi  S Krishnan 《Experientia》1968,24(6):538-539

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  总被引：15，自引：0，他引：15  

P J Winterburn  C F Phelps 《Nature》1972,236(5343):147-151

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W H Seegers  L E McCoy  D A Walz  J Reuterby  T J Andary 《Experientia》1974,30(10):1130-1132

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  总被引：53，自引：0，他引：53  

E A Bevan  A J Herring  D J Mitchell 《Nature》1973,245(5420):81-86

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