What is System Dynamics? - A Closer Look
SBS' simulations are designed using the principals of system dynamics. System dynamics is a methodology for studying and managing
complex feedback systems, such as one finds in business and other social
systems. In fact it has been used to address practically every sort of
feedback system. While the word system has been applied to all sorts of
situations, feedback is the differentiating descriptor here.
"Feedback" refers to the situation of X affecting Y and Y in turn affecting X perhaps
through a chain of causes and effects. One cannot study the link between X
and Y and, independently, the link between Y and X and predict how the
system will behave. Only the study of the whole system as a feedback
system will lead to correct results.
The methodology:
- identifies a problem,
- develops a dynamic hypothesis
explaining the cause of the problem,
- builds a computer simulation
model of the system at the root of the
problem,
- tests the model to be certain
that it reproduces the behavior seen in the real world,
- devises and tests in the model
alternative policies that alleviate the problem, and
- implements this solution.
Rarely is one able to proceed
through these steps without reviewing and refining an earlier step. For
instance, the first problem identified may be only a symptom of a still
greater problem.
The field developed initially from the work of
Jay W. Forrester.
His seminal book Industrial Dynamics (Forrester 1961) is still a
significant statement of philosophy and methodology in the field. Since
its publication, the span of applications has grown extensively and now
encompasses work in
- corporate planning and policy design
- public management and policy
- biological and medical modeling
- energy and the environment
- theory development in the
- natural and social sciences
- dynamic decision making
- complex nonlinear dynamics
What is the relationship of Systems Thinking to System Dynamics?
Systems thinking looks at exactly the same kind of systems from the
same perspective. It constructs the same causal loop diagrams. But it
rarely takes the additional steps of constructing and testing a computer
simulation model, and testing alternative policies in the model.
What's the System Dynamics Society?
The System Dynamics Society is an international, nonprofit
organization devoted to encouraging the development and use of systems
thinking and system dynamics around the world. With members in fifty-five
countries, the Society provides a forum in which researchers, educators,
consultants, and practitioners in the corporate and public sectors
interact to introduce newcomers to the field, keep abreast of current
developments, and build on each other's work.
Systems Thinking Papers
:
Introduction
to Systems Thinking A short, non-technical introduction
to systems thinking (requires the free Adobe Acrobat Reader
3.0 or later)
How
Systems Thinking Can Improve the Results of Innovation
Efforts An examination of how using systems thinking
can prevent the potential waste of valuable
innovation efforts (requires the free Adobe Acrobat Reader
3.0 or later).
To request a copy of Worldview &
Economics: A Systemic Analysis (copyright 1994
Daniel Aronson, 52 pp) , send email to thinking@thinking.net
Links to Sites Related to Systems
Thinking
The System Dynamics
Society
http://www.systemdynamics.org/
The homepage of the System Dynamics Society,
including a history of system dynamics, a brief description of
its tools and applications, information about the annual
system dynamics conference, and information on the System
Dynamics Review, a refereed journal.
Systems Thinking
Practice
http://www.sgzz.ch/links/stp/index.html
A
map of systems thinking, cybernetics, cognition, and other
resources on the Web
The Learning Org Discussion
Pages
http://world.std.com/~lo/
The
home of the Learning-Org list, which has over 1400 members on
several continents.
Messages are organized by thread, date,
and subject. You can participate in the Learning-Org list
directly from these pages.
Mental Model
Musings
http://www.outsights.com/systems/welcome.htm
This
link will take you to an article that provides a good overview
of the history,
development, and principles of systems
thinking. There are also additional links there
to other
systems thinking-related issues, such as the different
systemic situations that
appear frequently across
disciplines. These are known as "Archetypes."
System
Dynamics: Archetypes
http://www.outsights.com/systems/arch/arch.htm
This
link takes you to a list of the systemic situations that
appear frequently across
disciplines, called
"archetypes."
The System Dynamics Mailing List and
Discussion Pages
http://www.std.com/vensim/SDMAIL.HTM
Contains
a mailing list and discussion group about system
dynamics.
The MIT System Dynamics Group
http://sysdyn.mit.edu/sd-group/home.html
In
addition to information about the MIT System Dynamics Group
and its publications,
this page has links to the System
Dynamics in Education Project, and other resources
about
system dynamics-based computer
models.
Stanford Learning Organization Web
(SLOW):
http://www-leland.stanford.edu/group/SLOW/
The
Stanford Learning Organization Web contains further suggested
readings,
subscription information for their electronic
discussion group on learning organizations,
and links to
other systems thinking sites.
The Principia
Cybernetica Web
http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/cybsysth.html
The
Principia Cybernetica Web site includes a section on
cybernetics &;systems theory. As the Principia Cybernetica
Project uses it, "systems theory" is the result of the
investigation into
general principles of systems. As such,
systems science is closely related to, but not
identical
with, systems thinking and system
dynamics.
Bibliography of the works of Chris
Argyris
http://www.cyberspace.com/~lios/argyris.html
One
of the best-known writers on learning in organizations and the
organizational defensive
routines that prevent it. His
Overcoming Organizational Defensive Routines,
Knowledge for
Action, and articles in the Harvard Business Review are
classics.
Paper on "Organizational Learning and
Information Systems"
http://eies.njit.edu/~333/olcover.html
Notes
from the keynotes at the 1995 Systems Thinking in Action
conference
http://www.oise.on.ca/~bwillard/systhnk5.htm
The
Systems Thinking in Action conference, sponsored by Pegasus
Communications, is the largest systems thinking conference.
This link includes notes on the keynote addresses at the 1995
conference.
Notes from the keynotes at the 1994
Systems Thinking in Action conference
http://www.oise.on.ca/~bwillard/systhnk4.htm
The
Systems Thinking in Action conference, sponsored by Pegasus
Communications, is the largest systems thinking conference.
This link includes notes on the keynote addresses at the 1994
conference.
Whole Systems Design
Association
http://www.earthcorps.com/wsda
Deming
site at MIT
http://www-caes.mit.edu/deming/
Includes
a link to the Deming site at Clemson University that hosts the
Deming mailing list.
Recent Projects Using Systems Thinking
Innovatively
The Boston
Indicators Project, a joint effort of The Boston
Foundation and the City of Boston, Massachusetts, used systems
thinking in their 2002 report, Creativity
& Innovation: A Bridge to the Future.
The Foundation worked with systems
thinking consultants (Daniel Aronson, Four Profit Inc; Phil
Clawson, Community Matters
Group; and Brendan Miller and Osamu Uehara of the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology) to help find a core theme in the changes in
the 200 indicators related to the greater Boston area's
economic strength, civic life, community fabric, health
status, diversity, and other areas. As a result, the report
highlights the connections between economic innovation,
transportation, the cost of living, diversity, demographics,
and many other areas.
[ Thinking Page] [Systems Thinking]
[Creativity]
[Cybernetics]
[Cognition]
[Reflexions]
Contact Information
For information, or to obtain information on the Beer Game, bibliography of System Dynamics, or
older back issues of the journal please contact Roberta L. Spencer,
Executive
Director:
Telephone
518
442-3865
FAX
518 442-3398
Postal
address
The System
Dynamics Society
Milne Hall
300, Rockefeller College
135
Western Avenue
University at
Albany
Albany, NY
12222
USA
Electronic
mail
General
Information: System.Dynamics@Albany.edu
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