Chapter 1 (30 June 2023)

080303606 (SYSTEMATIC AND CREATIVE THINKING)
CHAPTER 1 : INTRODUCTION TO THE SYSTEMATIC

THINKING
1 Associate Professor Dr.Prajuk Pratitas

ajprajuk.pratitas@facebook.com
REQUIREMENTS
“No prior knowledge of mathematical modeling or science
is required before taking this course.”
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COUSE DESCRIPTION
1. System theory
2. system and environment interaction
3. human cognition and behavioral system
4. system analysis
5. system management and control
6. creativity and innovation
7. science and technology innovation
8. social innovation
9. creative economy ecosystem
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10. creative life
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is a comprehensive introduction to the
area of systems and creative thinking that is designed
to be accessible to a broad group of students.
The course is focused upon the primary achievements
to providing students with the key concepts that will
enable them to see the world in a whole new way
from the systems perspective, what we call systems
thinking.
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COURSE DESCRIPTION
The aim is to provide you with the theories of
systematic and creative thinking through which you
will be able to describe and model systems of all kind
in a more coherent fashion whilst also being able to
effectively communicate this to others.
This course requires no prior specific knowledge of
mathematical modeling or science, as we will be
starting with the very basic model of a systematic and
creative thinking then building upon this to create
more sophisticated representation. 5
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The first part of this course is “systematic thinking” aimed to:
 An overview to systems thinking making a clear methods of analytical reasoning
and the foundations of systematic thinking.
 Systems theory : what exactly a system is and is not and the concepts of
efficiency, functionality, energy, and entropy.
 The concept of the system’s environment, discussing systems boundaries,
synergistic interactions between systems and the emergence of hierarchical
structure out of these synergies.
 How systems change over time what is called system dynamics, the ideas of
feedback loops, causal loop diagrams and the phenomena of homeostasis.
 Discussing of systems science, how and why it is relevance to us.
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COURSE DESCRIPTION
The second part of this course is “creative thinking” aimed to:
 Understand the theory of creative thinking and innovative thinking.
 Stimulate new habits of creative thinking to create better ideas.
 Understand several creative thinking techniques and methods.
 Learn how to be an innovator in various situations.
 Enhance the use of your thoughts and imagination in various

situations.
 Overcome mental blocks and think out of the box in various
situations.
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STUDENT BENEFITS
 Students will have an improved ability and clearer thinking
capabilities from systematic and creative thinking techniques.
 Student will improve their creative thinking become problem-solvers.
 Students will learn to seek multiple options in any given scenario.
 Students will learn to set aside pre-conceived judgments.
 Student will develop a positive attitude towards life and treat failure
as a learning.
 Student can better express themselves and become more confident
in life.
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STUDENT ASSESSMENT
Accumulated points:
1.1 Individual assignments 30%
1.2 Group work 30%
1.3 Final examination 40%
Total 100%
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GRADING
Grade Points
A (Excellent = 4.00) 80-100
B+ (Very Good = 3.50 ) 75-79
B (Good = 3.00 ) 70-74
C+ (Fairly Good = 2.50 ) 65-69
C (Fair = 2.00 ) 60-64
D+ (Very Poor = 1.50 ) 55-59
D (Poor 1.00 ) 50-54
F (Failure 0.00 ) 0-49
Fa = Failure due to insufficience attendance 10
Fe = Failure due to absent from examination
CHAPTER 1
Learning goals:
 What is system
 Why Systems is Important
 System VS Heap
 Classification of system
 Systematic thinking
 Approaches to applying systematic theory
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WHAT IS SYSTEM?
General definitions:
 System is a set of things working together as parts of a
mechanism that interconnecting all elements as it’s network.
 System is a set of principles or procedures according to which
something is done; an organized framework or method.
 A system is a collection of elements or components that are
organized for a common purpose. The word sometimes
describes the organization or plan itself (and is similar in
meaning to method, as in "I have my own little system") and
sometimes describes the parts in the system (as in "computer
system").
Retrieved from: https://www.techtarget.com/searchwindowsserver/definition/system; https://languages.oup.com/google- 12
dictionary-en/
WHAT IS SYSTEM?
General definitions:
 A system is a group of interacting or interrelated elements
that act according to a set of rules to form a unified
whole. A system, surrounded and influenced by its
environment, is described by its boundaries, structure and
purpose and expressed in its functioning. Systems are the
subjects of study of systems theory and other systems
sciences.
 Systems have several common properties and
characteristics, including structure, function(s), behavior
and interconnectivity. 13
Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System
WHAT IS SYSTEM?
A system is a way of working, organizing, or doing
something which follows a fixed plan or set of rules. That
you can use system to refer to an organization or
institution in this way too.
Retrieved from: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/system
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WHAT IS SYSTEM?
 The word “system” is derived from the Latin word “systema”,
which describes the relation between several working elements
or units.
 System is a group of components or subsystems that integrate
and function together in order to achieve a specific goal.
 Accordingly, a system must achieve the following criteria:
1) A system is created to give a predetermined outcome
2) The main and central outcome of the system has a
priority over the outcome of each subsystem.
3) The components of the system must be
interdependent. Although these components (subsystems) can
function alone with distinct outputs and inputs, they have to be
incorporated into a system. Otherwise, the system will not be as 15
it’s function or efficient.
WHAT IS SYSTEM?
 system is an entity consisting of grouped components that are
connected together according to a specific plan in order to
achieve a certain outcome. Components of a system may be
physical, coordinated steps, or multi-structure.
 Any system has different system components starting with
inputs that undergo processing in the system to produce
outputs. Inputs and outputs represent the final goal of the
system. Therefore, most systems are composed of many small
systems or subsystems that may either be simple or complex
components.
 Even though there are many types of different systems, they
share a common characteristic: All systems are composed of
different elements that function together as a whole while
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maintaining their own identity.
Retrieved from: https://www.biologyonline.com/dictionary/system
TYPES OF SYSTEMS
Natural system
 Artificial system or human made system
 open system
 closed system
 Isolated system
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NATURAL VS ARTIFICIAL SYSTEMS
 Natural systems do not usually show a distinct output.
However, they are essential for life on earth.
 Human-made or Artificial systems are designed to give a
certain outcome using related elements that can achieve
some actions serving the whole system.
 An artificial system design must be similar or close to other
preexisting systems to avoid system failure. Moreover, a slight
modification to the system must be assessed and studied
before application.
 All components of the system must be periodically evaluated
to detect the system’s defects and ensure the production of
the desired outcome.
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OPEN VS CLOSED VS ISOLATED SYSTEMS
 Another classification of a system describes systems as open, closed, or isolated.
 Open systems exchange energy and matter with the surrounding environment, such as boiling
water in an uncovered pot. There is an exchange of heat and water vapor with the surrounding
air.
 Closed systems exchange only energy with the environment, such as boiling the water in a
tightly covered pot. It will exchange heat only but not water vapor.
 The isolated system does not exchange both energy or matter with the surrounding
environment. An example would be is a thermos containing hot water. There is no exchange of
heat and water vapor between the air and the thermos. The hot water is contained; energy and
matter inside the container (thermos) cannot escape and no energy or matter cannot enter
through it, and thus the system is isolated.
 Living organisms represent an open system since they exchange both energy and matter with
the environment. If a human breathes, he releases gases into the environment (matter) and
releases heat (energy).
 Earth is an example of a closed system. Solar energy enters the Earth’s system but no Earth’s
matter leaves the planet. They are cycled back to the Earth. Read: Carbon Cycle, The Water
Cycle, Nitrogen Cycle. 19
 As for the isolated system, an example would be the universe.

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SYSTEM EXAMPLES
 The Solar System
The solar system is the system in the universe where
the Earth belongs. The mass of the solar system is found
mainly in the sun followed by Jupiter. All planets of the
solar system orbit in definite paths similar to discs. The
solar system does not only contain the sun and planets but
also small rocks, especially those found between Jupiter
and Mars (called the asteroid belt). Let’s take a closer look
at the Earth’s systems.
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SYSTEM EXAMPLES
Earth systems
 The Earth has four main types of systems:
(1) geosphere (land system) The geosphere represents the land and rocks. It forms the
external surface and internal structure of the earth, which is made of rocks and minerals.
(2) hydrosphere (water system) The hydrosphere represents all the water present on the
Earth’s surface including salty and freshwater. The major portion of the hydrosphere is saline
water (96.5%), which some animals and humans cannot drink if not processed. About three-
quarters of the freshwater on earth is found in the form of ice and water vapor while the
remaining portion is present in rivers and lakes.
(3) atmosphere (air system) The atmosphere is a mixture of gases including oxygen, nitrogen,
and to a lesser extent water vapor, hydrogen, ozone, carbon dioxide, and argon. The atmosphere
is essential for the existence of life. The atmospheric gases provide protection from the harmful
ultraviolet rays of the sun. It also keeps the temperature of the earth in a range suitable for life.
Thus, it contributes to the survival of life on Earth.
(4) biosphere (life system) The biosphere is the living part of the Earth. It includes all living
organisms — from unicellular bacteria, archaea, and protists, to multicellular fungi, plants, and
animals. The geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere provide an ecosystem to various life forms 23
on Earth.
Earth systems
SYSTEM EXAMPLES
 Earth’s systems are integrated together. They are overlapping so if one system
is affected it affects other systems as well. For example, when air (atmosphere)
is saturated with water particles (hydrosphere), it rains on the surface of the
earth (geosphere).
 Raining or snowing may promote erosion of rocks where large rocks are broken
down into smaller ones. Consequently, the shape of these large rocks or
mountains is changed.
 On a larger scale, the interconnection between the Earth’s systems may cause
natural phenomenon, such as tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, changes in the
chemistry of some oceans, and alterations in the components of the
atmosphere. The microbial diversity of the soil may also be altered through
time. Human activities, in particular, impact the Earth systems. Burning fossil
fuels, for example, causes greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide) to get trapped in
the atmosphere. This contributes to global warming and climate change. 24
Improper disposal of wastes has also been the primary factor of pollutions.
Ecological systems SYSTEM EXAMPLES
 Ecological systems or ecosystems are systems consisting of biotic and abiotic components that function
together as a unit. Biotic components are the living organisms whereas the abiotic components include all
the non-living components in a system. These living and non-living components are connected together by
energy flows and nutrient cycles.
 Energy obtained from the sun enters the ecosystem through photosynthesis performed by different plants
and algae. Animals feed on plants or on each other. Animals contribute to the flow of energy throughout
the system. Moreover, they affect the number of plants and microbes in the system. Decomposers break
down dead matter releasing its content in a simpler form in the soil and atmosphere to be used again by
plants and microbes.
 Ecosystems are influenced by several internal and external factors. Internal factors are exemplified by
shading, decomposition, and species present in the system. External factors, in turn, are exemplified by the
various materials that form the soil and the atmosphere. For instance, climate affects the structure of an
ecosystem by influencing the temperature and the extent of rainfall. It will therefore be a limiting factor as
to which organisms can thrive and survive. It determines the availability of energy and water in an
ecosystem. As such, it would have also an effect on photosynthesis and, subsequently, on the energy flow
within the ecosystem.
 Apart from climate, another important factor is the materials with which the soil is formed as they will
determine the abundance, and therefore, the availability, of minerals and nutrients. The abundance or
shortage of one element of an ecosystem affects the other elements. For example, the availability of 25
nutrients in an aquatic ecosystem affects the production of algae. Thus, it consequently affects the
abundance of animals that use algae for nutrition.
WHY SYSTEMS THINKING IS IMPORTANT
1. System Thinking Encourages Big-picture Perspectives
 Systems thinking encourages the shift of perspective that’s essential to dealing with the
complexities of dynamic social systems, from office departments to organisations to entire
economies.
 With a clearer view of the system’s interconnected parts, their historical evolution and their
relationships with each other, systems thinkers can look for other ways of achieving
organisational goals in three dimensions —scoring achievements that cascade out beyond
their own teams to other stakeholders.
 For example, Google’s data centres contribute to a worldwide appetite for energy that shows
no sign of stopping. Global data centre power consumption amounts to some 416 terawatt-
hours (TWh) per year; that’s three percent of all electricity generated worldwide!
 In response, Google has been buying enough renewables to match its use of nonrenewable
energy, to serve its long-term goal of zeroing out its carbon footprint entirely.
 They don’t do this just to look good. Google firmly believes that investing in a circular
economy makes financial sense: its sustainability officer Kate Brandt touts an Accenture
study that estimates a boost in economic output “by US$4.5 trillion by 2030, by cutting
down on the cost of buying new materials in favor of reusing and remanufacturing existing
materials.”
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2. System Thinking Sees Problems as Opportunities
 Systems thinking turns the linear thinking process on its head, in more ways than one. Consider the way problems are
seen in the corporate world: in the linear, reductive mindset, problems as issues to be actively avoided or solved in a
pinpoint manner.
 How could it be otherwise? When viewed in isolation, problems are only things to be overcome, not factors pointing to
an issue in the system. Without a way to see problems in the context of a complex, interconnected whole system,
solving issues using the linear thinking process only risks making the problem more complex.
 Consider how the World Health Organisation (WHO) tried to curb a malaria infestation in Borneo by spraying insecticide
willy-nilly—it had the unfortunate effect of killing cats and causing a major rat infestation instead.
 Systems thinking, on the other hand, focuses on the broader ecosystem rather than the problem itself: thus,
understanding the granular factors and larger context around perceived problems is key to finding an effective and
innovative solution.
 Within a systems view, problems turn into opportunities (potentially opening the organisation to new ways of conducting
business); asking hard questions becomes a key office responsibility, instead of a habit to be quashed; and failures are
embraced as learning opportunities.
 All these factors came to play when Nestle converted its evaporated milk factory in Modesto, California to conform to
“zero water” principles. Before 2015, the Modesto plant had been buying 1.7 million gallons of fresh water a week,
while throwing away some 500,000 gallons of “milk water” (extracted from raw milk) in the same period. One day, its
chief engineer looked at the waste and asked out loud , “what in the world are we doing?”
 The “zero water” plant conversion cost Nestle some US$7 million: the Modesto facility now recycles “milk water” for use
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within the facility. Ultimately, Nestle hopes to meet all its water needs without drawing from municipal water sources.
This greatly helped their bottom line, and increased Nestle’s standing in the local community, which had been suffering
terribly from years of drought.
3. System Thinking Conditions Organisations for Rapid Adaptation
 Systems thinking offers a way to better predict future outcomes—based not on past events, but on a more
intimate understanding of the surrounding structure and its elements.
 ""Structure, to a large extent, determines behavior,"" explains organisational consultant Daniel Kim .
""Although there may be uncertainty about the exact timing and duration of the outcome, the nature and
eventuality of it is clear. Knowing this, we can greatly improve our ability to influence the behavior of a
system.""
 There’s no crystal ball involved here. For Kim, likely outcomes can be ascertained using tools like systems
archetypes ("" recurring patterns of behavior that give insights into the structures that drive systems"") and
Behavior Over Time diagrams (BOTs) that map out causal theories within the system.
 With such tools in place, organisations can read more quickly and act on signals of change. With inputs
constantly changing, the staff can internalise a mindset of modelling and experimentation that can find
correct courses of action without wastefully expending resources.
 Consider how British retailer Tesco leveraged its loyalty scheme: given the company’s rare “commitment to
use the data gained to drive the business,” as customer insight expert Clive Humby put it , Tesco was able
to leverage the data properly to create a more compelling shopping experience “with the right products on
the shelves at the right prices and with the right promotions.”
 Humby credits Tesco’s “‘test and learn’ philosophy” as the key to its success: constantly “trying out an
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idea in, say, ten stores and, if this proves successful, rolling it out to the rest.
 “While risk can never be entirely eliminated, this approach mitigates the risk,” Humby concluded. “It
means Tesco is constantly learning, constantly gaining new knowledge as it goes forward.”
4. Failure Can Be a Good Thing
 One common discovery system thinkers make is about failure.
When you view everything as a system, you aren’t a failure. It
is only the system which failed temporarily, not you or your
organization.
 While you ultimately want your business to become a

success, some failures can be good things that teach lessons
and lead to correct decisions being made in the future. If
Thomas Edison gave up after making 9,999 failed inventions,
he would have never succeeded. Instead, he famously kept
trying and found success after the next attempt.
Retrieved from: https://toggl.com/blog/5-advantages-of-systems-thinking
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5. Optimization Is Key
 How are you going to develop a successful company? What
will you do to improve your employees’ work processes? Does
it seem like you are running out of ways to beat your
competitors?
 If you don’t know how your employees interact and how the
system works, you can’t optimize your business processes.
You must understand the entire system in order to make
changes to simplify the steps involved. By using a systems
perspective, you can remove unnecessary steps and find
effective short cuts which can save your company money.
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6. A 3D Perspective
 When you work in a specific department, you tend to see
solutions to problems in your own way. A carpenter looks for
a nail to fix a problem, and an accountant reaches for their
calculator. As a business manager, you don’t want to have
such a narrow, department-specific focus on resolving issues
as they will rarely need the same efforts to solve them.
 Instead, you need to take a step back and look at the entire
ecosystem and gain a transdisciplinary understanding of the
system. This holistic view helps you unlock your creativity and
find new ways to achieve your organizational goals.
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7. Discover Interconnectivity
 There are workplaces where people from different
departments constantly bump into each other. The designers
made these buildings to increase interdepartmental
communications and cause the kind of serendipity which
leads to unusual solutions.
 With a systems approach, you realize everything is

dynamically interrelated. Each person needs their co-workers
to achieve success. The systems style of thinking gives you
the tools to integrate interconnectivity, creativity, and
productivity into your workplace.
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8. Developing a Love of Problems
 Most of the time, managers actively work to avoid problems. While
you should probably work to minimize negative complications or
issues with teamwork among your group, some problems are worth
pursuing in extra detail. Solving an intricate problem could give you
a better way of conducting business, a new invention or an entirely
different approach to life.
 Instead of avoiding complexity, a systems approach helps you see

problems as exciting opportunities. These problems offer potential
ways to innovate and develop your creativity. Rather than shy away
from difficult issues, your employees turn into active problem
solvers. 33
WHAT DOES SYSTEMS THINKING INVOLVE?
 It’s important to remember that the term “systems thinking”
can mean different things to different people. The discipline
of systems thinking is more than just a collection of tools and
methods – it’s also an underlying philosophy. Many beginners
are attracted to the tools, such as causal loop diagrams and
management flight simulators, in hopes that these tools will
help them deal with persistent business problems. But
systems thinking is also a sensitivity to the circular nature of
the world we live in; an awareness of the role of structure in
creating the conditions we face; a recognition that there are
powerful laws of systems operating that we are unaware of; a
realization that there are consequences to our actions that we
are oblivious to.
Retrieved from: https://thesystemsthinker.com/systems-thinking-what-why-when-where-and-how/ 34
WHAT DOES SYSTEMS THINKING INVOLVE?
 Systems thinking is also a diagnostic tool. As in the medical field, effective treatment follows
thorough diagnosis. In this sense, systems thinking is a disciplined approach for examining
problems more completely and accurately before acting. It allows us to ask better questions
before jumping to conclusions.
 Systems thinking often involves moving from observing events or data, to identifying patterns
of behavior overtime, to surfacing the underlying structures that drive those events and
patterns. By understanding and changing structures that are not serving us well (including our
mental models and perceptions), we can expand the choices available to us and create
more satisfying, long-term solutions to chronic problems.
 In general, a systems thinking perspective requires curiosity, clarity, compassion, choice, and
courage. This approach includes the willingness to see a situation more fully, to recognize
that we are interrelated, to acknowledge that there are often multiple interventions to a
problem, and to champion interventions that may not be popular (see “The Systems
Orientation: From Curiosity to Courage,”V5N9).
Retrieved from: https://thesystemsthinker.com/systems-thinking-what-why-when-where-and-how/35

WHY USE SYSTEMS THINKING?
 Systems thinking expands the range of choices available for solving a
problem by broadening our thinking and helping us articulate problems in
new and different ways. At the same time, the principles of systems thinking
make us aware that there are no perfect solutions; the choices we make will
have an impact on other parts of the system. By anticipating the impact of
each trade-off, we can minimize its severity or even use it to our own
advantage. Systems thinking therefore allows us to make informed choices.
 Systems thinking is also valuable for telling compelling stories that describe
how a system works. For example, the practice of drawing causal loop
diagrams forces a team to develop shared pictures, or stories, of a situation.
The tools are effective vehicles for identifying, describing, and
communicating your understanding of systems, particularly in groups.
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Retrieved from: https://thesystemsthinker.com/systems-thinking-what-why-when-
where-and-how/
WHEN SHOULD WE USE SYSTEMS THINKING?
Problems that are ideal for a systems thinking
intervention have the following characteristics:
 The issue is important.
 The problem is chronic, not a one-time event.
 The problem is familiar and has a known history.
 People have unsuccessfully tried to solve the problem
before.
Retrieved from: https://thesystemsthinker.com/systems-

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thinking-what-why-when-where-and-how/
WHERE SHOULD WE START?
 When you begin to address an issue, avoid assigning blame (which is a common place for
teams to start a discussion!). Instead, focus on items that people seem to be glossing over
and try to arouse the group’s curiosity about the problem under discussion. To focus the
conversation, ask, “What is it about this problem that we don’t understand?”
 In addition, to get the full story out, emphasize the iceberg framework. Have the group
describe the problem from all three angles: events, patterns, and structure (see “The
Iceberg”).
 Finally, we often assume that everyone has the same picture of the past or knows the same
information. It’s therefore important to get different perspectives in order to make sure that
all viewpoints are represented and that solutions are accepted by the people who need to
implement them. When investigating a problem, involve people from various departments or
functional areas; you may be surprised to learn how different their mental models are from
yours.
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HOW DO WE USE SYSTEMS THINKING TOOLS?
 Causal Loop Diagrams. First, remember that less is better. Start small and simple; add more elements to the story as
necessary. Show the story in parts. The number of elements in a loop should be determined by the needs of the
story and of the people using the diagram. A simple description might be enough to stimulate dialogue and provide
a new way to see a problem. In other situations, you may need more loops to clarify the causal relationships you are
surfacing.
 Also keep in mind that people often think that a diagram has to incorporate all possible variables from a story; this
is not necessarily true. In some cases, there are external elements that don’t change, change very slowly, or whose
changes are irrelevant to the problem at hand. You can unnecessarily complicate things by including such details,
especially those over which you have little or no control. Some of the most effective loops reveal connections or
relationships between parts of the organization or system that the group may not have noticed before.
 And last, don’t worry about whether a loop is “right”; instead, ask yourself whether the loop accurately reflects the
story your group is trying to depict. Loops are shorthand descriptions of what we perceive as current reality; if they
reflect that perspective, they are “right” enough.
 The Archetypes. When using the archetypes, or the classic stories in systems thinking, keep it simple and general. If
the group wants to learn more about an individual archetype, you can then go into more detail.
 Don’t try to “sell” the archetypes; people will learn more if they see for themselves the parallels between the
archetypes and their own problems. You can, however, try to demystify the archetypes by relating them to common
experiences we all share.
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HOW DO WE KNOW THAT WE’VE “GOT IT”?
 Here’s how you can tell you’ve gotten a handle on systems thinking:
 You’re asking different kinds of questions than you asked before.

 You’re hearing “catchphrases” that raise cautionary flags. For example, you find
yourself refocusing the discussion when someone says, “The problem is we need
more (sales staff, revenue).”
 You’re beginning to detect the archetypes and balancing and reinforcing processes
in stories you hear or read.
 You’re surfacing mental models (both your own and those of others).
 You’re recognizing the leverage points for the classic systems stories.
 Once you’ve started to use systems thinking for inquiry and diagnosis, you may want
to move on to more complex ways to model systems-accumulator and flow
diagrams, management flight simulators, or simulation software. Or you may find
that adopting a systems thinking perspective and using causal loop diagrams provide
enough insights to help you tackle problems. However you proceed, systems
thinking will forever change the way you think about the world and approach issues.
Keep in mind the tips we’ve listed here, and you’re on your way! 41
Explore new opportunities
 Systems thinking can help you find new ways to improve efficiency
and resource economy. Studying an organization's system and the
interactions between its elements can help you develop new ideas
and innovations. It can also allow you to identify problems quickly
and test new solutions to these problems.
Minimize impact of mistakes
 Mistakes can happen when you make decisions without proper
research or analysis of the system. Systems thinking can help you
anticipate the consequences of errors in judgement to help minimize
their impact on the system. It's important to analyze the system
thoroughly before making any decisions about its management.
Retrieved from: https://ca.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/what-is-systems-thinking
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Make realistic plans
 Understanding the relationship between the elements in a system
can allow you to make realistic plans for the future. You can set
achievable goals for an organization based on your knowledge of a
system and how its element interact. You may even build this into a
broader strategy for the company's future, helping to motivate
yourself and your colleagues.
Repair broken designs

 You can integrate the aims of different departments and projects
into a new system's design. If you notice that one system's activities
can positively impact another's, you can adjust future designs to
emphasize this cooperative ability. You can also use a similar process
to redesign a broken system.
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COMPONENTS OF SYSTEMS THINKING
Interconnectedness
 Any of a system's elements may have connections with each other. A
system can include elements and subsystems, all of which have parts in
constant interaction with each other. There may be multiple cause-and-
effect relationships between these elements. The actions of one element
can impact the others in a variety of ways, potentially causing a reaction
that affects the entire system.
Synthesis
 Synthesis involves understanding how the system's different parts can
work together to function as a connected, singular system. The success of
the entire system can depend on the synthetic interaction of its elements.
System synthesis is about analyzing a system to determine not just how its
elements interconnect, but how they complement each other to achieve
a desirable result.
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Emergence
 Emergence is an outcome of the synthesis of the system's elements. The
interactions within the system can produce non-linear results that may be
difficult to predict just by examining its individual elements. You can improve
the system using your understanding of system synthesis.
Feedback loops
 Using a feedback loop means monitoring a system and its elements, then
using that information to inform any changes you make. There may be many
feedback loops occurring between the system's elements because they're all
interconnected. You can observe and intervene in feedbacks loops to
improve the system's behaviour once you understand how they affect it.
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is-systems-thinking
Causality
 Causality is how one element influences another in a dynamic system.
Understanding causality can help you decide when and how to intervene in
feedback loops to cause a desired change in the system. The concept of
causality is the ability to decipher the specific cause-and-effect relationships
of elements in a system, which is essential for systems mapping.
Systems mapping
 Systems mapping entails identifying and displaying the elements within a
system to understand how they interconnect, relate, and act in a complex
situation. From this, you can use unique insights and discoveries to develop
policies that can positively change the system. Systems mapping can help
you visualize the entire system at once and predict future outcomes through46
simulations.
Retrieved from: https://ca.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/what-
HOW TO PRACTICE SYSTEMS THINKING IN A CLASSROOM?
1. Observe the system
 You can start by identifying the system's elements and subsystems. In an
organization, these elements may be the employees, technologies in use,
and stored information. The elements can also be part of a subsystem,
like the human resources department or technical support team.
Observing the flow of operations in the system and subsystems, including
how elements such as compiled information and customer demands may
relate, can help you achieve your desired goal for the system.
2. Identify a problem to solve

 After observing the elements of the system and their operations, you may
identify an important problem to solve. You can also draw a diagram of
the system and how you expect its elements to work together to achieve
the organization's aim. It's important to mention any suboptimal results
the system is producing and discuss potential causes.
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3. Understand the problem
 It's essential to learn as much as possible about a problem with the system
before you can choose the ideal solution. Systems thinking approaches can
help you analyze the system's elements and subsystems. You can divide the
solution into a series of steps to simplify the process of fixing errors in an
interconnected system. Making a simple diagram of the issue with all relevant
details can help you better understand the problem and compare different
solutions.
4. Identify interventions
 After understanding the problem, you can choose where to intervene in the
system to resolve the issue. The method of intervening can involve removing
connections between elements, slowing or accelerating a process in the 48
system, or forming a new link between existing components. You may study
the interactions between a system's elements carefully before considering
5. Select solutions
 You may also consider the sustainability of a solution
when deciding how to change a system. It's important to
choose an option that can offer both an immediate and
long-term solution to the problem. You may choose a
solution that involves changing a system's structure in
multiple ways if you are confident that this can solve
current problems without creating new ones.
49
WHY IS SYSTEMS THINKING IMPORTANT TO INNOVATION?
1. Rapid Learning : Understand the Big Picture
No product is an island. A product is more than the product. It is a cohesive, integrated set of
experiences. Think through all of the stages of a product or service–Make them all work together
seamlessly. Tug on the string. Think past execution phase. Does this solution seamlessly work within the
larger system?
2. Rapid Impact : Solve Real Problems
Difficulties in solving problems often stem from the fact that problems do not occur in
isolation, but in relation to each other. Offer real value and avoid creating more problems or unintended
consequences. “Small changes can produce big results–but the areas of highest leverage are often the
least obvious.”
3. Rapid Adaptation : Identify Patterns
Systems thinking is a powerful approach for understanding the nature of why situations are the
way they are, and how to go about improving results. Historical perspective is important in understanding
the evolution of a situation and in identifying patterns of behaviors over time.
4. Rapid Innovation : Eliminate Bloat
The best solution could be one that does not build anything new; The best solution may be
as simple as the right person making a better policy decision and enforcing it consistently. Eliminate the
unnecessary. Each unnecessary function or procedure adds a layer of complexity that costs you money
and time.
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50
VDO 9)
SYSTEM AND HEAP
 As nouns the difference between heap and system is that
heap is a crowd; a throng; a multitude or great number of
people while system is a collection of organized things; a
whole composed of relationships among its members.
Retrieved from:
51
WHAT IS SYSTEMS THEORY
1. Systems theory is an interdisciplinary theory about the nature of complex systems in nature,
society, and science. It is a framework by which one can use to study, investigate and describe any group of
objects that work in collaboration towards a common purpose/goal. Systems theory can be applied to both
organic as well as inorganic (informational artifact for example) organizations. The science of systems
began with Ludvig von Bertalanffy’s 1968 General System Theory (GST). Learn more in: Culture From a
Value Systems Perspective: A Study of CATCH, an Interdisciplinary Research Project in Fisheries and
Aquaculture in Norway
2. A multidisciplinary set of concepts about how a group of connected parts interact. Learn
more in: Modeling Processes and Outcomes From Cybersecurity Talent Gaps in Global Labor Markets
3. System theory provides a powerful method for the homeostatic systems, that is, systems in
which feedback-controlled regulation processes occur. Since human goal-oriented behavior is regulated by
such system processes, systems theory is very useful in psychological research. Learn more in: Grassroots
Approach of Embracing Survivors to Inform the Fight Against Human Trafficking
4. The assumption that quality of a part of a system can only be understood in its relationship
to the whole and investigating the parts in isolation cannot explain their combined effect on the whole
system. Learn more in: Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Higher Education
5. Control circuits for technical systems in the context of systems theory. The concept of the
signal, which can be time-continuous or non-time-continuous, and the concept of the system are
fundamental in system theory. A signal is a rough representation of a piece of information. Learn more in:
Do We Need Security Management Systems for Data Privacy?
 Retrieved from: https://www.igi-global.com/dictionary/culture-from-a-value-systems-perspective/29133
52
6.The domain of systems inquiry that explores the principles and the description models of the abstract
organization of phenomena, in an interdisciplinary manner and independently of their nature (natural or social systems)
or scale of existence. Learn more in: The Challenges of Work-Based Learning via Systemic Modelling in the European
Union: The Potential Failure of Dual Education Due to Social Expectations in Greece
7.According to systems theory, ‘the whole is more than the sum of its parts’ due to its existence being
maintained only through the mutual interaction of its components and not merely comprised of its individual
components. Learn more in: Systems Thinking as the Model for Educating Future Healthcare Managers in Information
Technology
8.From the psychological point of view, a System is a combination of persons relating one to the other and
united by affective bonds. Learn more in: RESCUE: Improving Students’ Retention through Successful Relations at School
9.The set of mathematical techniques used to analyse and understand the (dynamical) behaviour of
systems. Learn more in: Systems and Control Theory for Medical Systems Biology
10.Systems theory is the interdisciplinary study of systems in general, with the goal of elucidating principles
that can be applied to all types of systems at all nesting levels in all fields of research. The term does not yet have a
well-established, precise meaning, but systems theory can reasonably be considered a specialization of systems thinking;
alternatively as a goal output of systems science and systems engineering, with an emphasis on generality useful across a
broad range of systems (versus the particular models of individual fields). Learn more in: Using Bronfenbrenner's
Ecological Framework to Design Support Systems for Education and Special Education: Learning About Thought Systems
53
Retrieved from: https://www.igi-global.com/dictionary/culture-from-a-value-systems-perspective/29133
11.Is an interdisciplinary study of systems that takes a holistic approach to analysis that focuses on the
elements within a system, how they interrelate, how they work over time and within the context of larger systems (e.g.,
natural or man-made). Learn more in: Cultivating Flow and Happiness in Children
12.A transdisciplinary theory about interaction in complex systems. Learn more in: Systemizing Professional
Development for Teaching Through English in Higher Education
13.Framework of describing how smaller, multiple units and components work together to create a larger
system that is designed to carry out a particular function or meet a certain goal. Learn more in: Systems-Based
Approaches to Speech-Language Pathology Service Delivery for School Age Children
14.Theory that holds that systems in nature are holistic, interconnected and interdependent. If a change
occurs in one part of a system, other parts of the system are affected as well. Learn more in: Building Performance
Systems That Last
15.The study of systems and their environments - including system inputs, outputs, relations and
interactions including the concept of emergence where the whole system (its structure, function and behavior) is more
than the sum of its parts. For reviews of Systems Theory, Complexity and Emergence in biology and culture see
(Sepännen in Altmann & Koch, 1998 , pp. 180-302), ( Sadowski, 1999 , pp. 7-10), ( Gershenson & Heylighen. (2005) . (
Warfield, 2006 , pp. 38-46), ( Lin, Duan, Zhao, & Xu, 2013 , pp. 1-22). Mobus & Kalton, 2014, 32–40. Learn more in: The
Holon/Parton Structure of the Meme, or The Unit of Culture
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16.Interdisciplinary design theory that attempts to describe how interdependent parts
are structured, related, and interact to affect the whole of the system. Learn more in: “But I
Know How to Google”: Motivating Volunteers in an Information Literacy Module
17.A social work theory based on the idea that a behavior is influenced by a variety
of factors that work together as a system. Observations throughout the different environments
allow professionals to better understand human behavior. Learn more in: Creating Access for
Students: A Collaborative Effort
18.Transdisciplinary field of science integrating and unifying principles in systems with
isomorphism and wholeness. Learn more in: Complexity Economics and Innovation Systems:
Mersin Regional Innovation Strategy (RIS) Plus Project From Perspective of Complexity Science
19.A perspective that analyzes a phenomenon seen as a whole and not as simply the
sum of elementary parts. Learn more in: Complex Information and Architecture
Retrieved from: https://www.igi-global.com/dictionary/culture-from-a-value-systems-

perspective/29133
55
 Systems theory is a conceptual framework based on the principle that the component parts of a system can best be
understood in the context of the relationships with each other and with other systems, rather than in isolation.
 Systems theory is an interdisciplinary theory about the nature of complex systems in nature, society, and science. It
is a framework by which one can use to study, investigate and describe any group of objects that work in
collaboration towards a common purpose/goal. Systems theory can be applied to both organic as well as inorganic
(informational artifact for example) organizations. The science of systems began with Ludvig von Bertalanffy’s 1968
General System Theory (GST).
 A multidisciplinary set of concepts about how a group of connected parts interact.
 System theory provides a powerful method for the homeostatic systems, that is, systems in which feedback-
controlled regulation processes occur. Since human goal-oriented behavior is regulated by such system processes,
systems theory is very useful in psychological research.
 The assumption that quality of a part of a system can only be understood in its relationship to the whole and
investigating the parts in isolation cannot explain their combined effect on the whole system.
 Control circuits for technical systems in the context of systems theory. The concept of the signal, which can be
time-continuous or non-time-continuous, and the concept of the system are fundamental in system theory. A signal
is a rough representation of a piece of information.
 The domain of systems inquiry that explores the principles and the description models of the abstract organization
of phenomena, in an interdisciplinary manner and independently of their nature (natural or social systems) or scale
of existence.
56
 According to systems theory, ‘the whole is more than the sum of its parts’ due to its existence being maintained
only through the mutual interaction of its components and not merely comprised of its individual components.
 From the psychological point of view, a System is a combination of persons relating one to the other and united by
affective bonds.
 The set of mathematical techniques used to analyse and understand the (dynamical) behaviour of systems.
 Systems theory is the interdisciplinary study of systems in general, with the goal of elucidating principles that can be
applied to all types of systems at all nesting levels in all fields of research. The term does not yet have a well-
established, precise meaning, but systems theory can reasonably be considered a specialization of systems thinking;
alternatively as a goal output of systems science and systems engineering, with an emphasis on generality useful
across a broad range of systems (versus the particular models of individual fields).
 Is an interdisciplinary study of systems that takes a holistic approach to analysis that focuses on the elements within
a system, how they interrelate, how they work over time and within the context of larger systems (e.g., natural or
man-made).
 A transdisciplinary theory about interaction in complex systems.
 Framework of describing how smaller, multiple units and components work together to create a larger system that is
designed to carry out a particular function or meet a certain goal.
57
 Theory that holds that systems in nature are holistic, interconnected and interdependent. If a change
occurs in one part of a system, other parts of the system are affected as well.
 The study of systems and their environments - including system inputs, outputs, relations and
interactions including the concept of emergence where the whole system (its structure, function and
behavior) is more than the sum of its parts. For reviews of Systems Theory, Complexity and Emergence
in biology and culture see (Sepännen in Altmann & Koch, 1998 , pp. 180-302), ( Sadowski, 1999 , pp. 7-
10), ( Gershenson & Heylighen. (2005) . ( Warfield, 2006 , pp. 38-46), ( Lin, Duan, Zhao, & Xu, 2013 , pp.
1-22). Mobus & Kalton, 2014, 32–40
 Interdisciplinary design theory that attempts to describe how interdependent parts are structured,
related, and interact to affect the whole of the system.
 A social work theory based on the idea that a behavior is influenced by a variety of factors that work
together as a system. Observations throughout the different environments allow professionals to better
understand human behavior.
 Transdisciplinary field of science integrating and unifying principles in systems with isomorphism and
wholeness.
 A perspective that analyzes a phenomenon seen as a whole and not as simply the sum of elementary
parts. 58
 Systems theory is an interdisciplinary theory about the nature of complex systems in nature, society,
and science, and is a framework by which one can investigate and/or describe any group of objects that
work together to produce some result. This could be a single organism, any organization or society, or
any electro-mechanical or informational artifact. As a technical and general academic area of study it
predominantly refers to the science of systems that resulted from Bertalanffy's General System Theory
(GST), among others, in initiating what became a project of systems research and practice. Systems
theoretical approaches were later appropriated in other fields, such as in the structural functionalist
sociology of Talcott Parsons and Niklas Luhmann.
 Contemporary ideas from systems theory have grown with diversified areas, exemplified by the work of
Béla H. Bánáthy, ecological systems with Howard T. Odum, Eugene Odum and Fritjof Capra,
organizational theory and management with individuals such as Peter Senge, interdisciplinary study with
areas like Human Resource Development from the work of Richard A. Swanson, and insights from
educators such as Debora Hammond and Alfonso Montuori. As a transdisciplinary, interdisciplinary and
multiperspectival domain, the area brings together principles and concepts from ontology, philosophy
of science, physics, computer science, biology, and engineering as well as geography, sociology, political
science, psychotherapy (within family systems therapy) and economics among others. Systems theory
thus serves as a bridge for interdisciplinary dialogue between autonomous areas of study as well as
within the area of systems science itself. 59
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 In this respect, with the possibility of misinterpretations, von Bertalanffy [1] believed a general theory of systems
"should be an important regulative device in science," to guard against superficial analogies that "are useless in
science and harmful in their practical consequences." Others remain closer to the direct systems concepts
developed by the original theorists. For example, Ilya Prigogine, of the Center for Complex Quantum Systems at the
University of Texas, Austin, has studied emergent properties, suggesting that they offer analogues for living systems.
The theories of autopoiesis of Francisco Varela and Humberto Maturana are a further development in this field.
Important names in contemporary systems science include Russell Ackoff, Béla H. Bánáthy, Anthony Stafford Beer,
Peter Checkland, Robert L. Flood, Fritjof Capra, Michael C. Jackson, Edgar Morin and Werner Ulrich, among others.
 With the modern foundations for a general theory of systems following the World Wars, Ervin Laszlo, in the preface
for Bertalanffy's book Perspectives on General System Theory, maintains that the translation of "general system
theory" from German into English has "wrought a certain amount of havoc" [2]. The preface explains that the original
concept of a general system theory was "Allgemeine Systemtheorie (or Lehre)", pointing out the fact that "Theorie"
(or "Lehre") just as "Wissenschaft" (translated Scholarship), "has a much broader meaning in German than the
closest English words ‘theory’ and ‘science'" [2]. With these ideas referring to an organized body of knowledge and
"any systematically presented set of concepts, whether they are empirical, axiomatic, or philosophical", "Lehre" is
associated with theory and science in the etymology of general systems, but also does not translate from the
German very well; "teaching" is the "closest equivalent", but "sounds dogmatic and off the mark" [2]. While many of
the root meanings for the idea of a "general systems theory" might have been lost in the translation and many were
led to believe that the systems theorists had articulated nothing but a pseudoscience, systems theory became a
nomenclature that early investigators used to describe the interdependence of relationships in organization by
60
defining a new way of thinking about science and scientific paradigms.
 A system from this Russell Ackoff, Béla H. Bánáthy, Anthony Stafford Beer, Peter Checkland, Robert L. Flood, Fritjof Capra, Michael C.
Jackson, Edgar Morin and Werner Ulrich is composed of regularly interacting or interrelating groups of activities. For example, in
noting the influence in organizational psychology as the field evolved from "an individually oriented industrial psychology to a
systems and developmentally oriented organizational psychology," it was recognized that organizations are complex social systems;
reducing the parts from the whole reduces the overall effectiveness of organizations [3]. This is at difference to conventional models
that center on individuals, structures, departments and units separate in part from the whole instead of recognizing the
interdependence between groups of individuals, structures and processes that enable an organization to function. Laszlo [4] explains
that the new systems view of organized complexity went "one step beyond the Newtonian view of organized simplicity" in reducing
the parts from the whole, or in understanding the whole without relation to the parts. The relationship between organizations and
their environments became recognized as the foremost source of complexity and interdependence. In most cases the whole has
properties that cannot be known from analysis of the constituent elements in isolation. Béla H. Bánáthy, who argued - along with the
founders of the systems society - that "the benefit of humankind" is the purpose of science, has made significant and far-reaching
contributions to the area of systems theory. For the Primer Group at ISSS, Bánáthy defines a perspective that iterates this view:
 The systems view is a world-view that is based on the discipline of SYSTEM INQUIRY. Central to systems inquiry is the concept of
SYSTEM. In the most general sense, system means a configuration of parts connected and joined together by a web of relationships.
The Primer group defines system as a family of relationships among the members acting as a whole. Von Bertalanffy defined system
as "elements in standing relationship.[5]
 Similar ideas are found in learning theories that developed from the same fundamental concepts, emphasizing that understanding
results from knowing concepts both in part and as a whole. In fact, Bertalanffy’s organismic psychology paralleled the learning theory
of Jean Piaget.[6] Interdisciplinary perspectives are critical in breaking away from industrial age models and thinking where history is
history and math is math segregated from the arts and music separate from the sciences and never the twain shall meet [7]. The
influential contemporary work of Peter Senge [8] provides detailed discussion of the commonplace critique of educational systems
grounded in conventional assumptions about learning, including the problems with fragmented knowledge and lack of holistic
learning from the "machine-age thinking" that became a "model of school separated from daily life." It is in this way that systems
theorists attempted to provide alternatives and an evolved ideation from orthodox theories with individuals such as Max Weber,
Émile Durkheim in sociology and Frederick Winslow Taylor in scientific management, which were grounded in classical assumptions
[9]. The theorists sought holistic methods by developing systems concepts that could be integrated with different areas.
61
 he contradiction of reductionism in conventional theory (which has as its subject a single
part) is simply an example of changing assumptions. The emphasis with systems theory shifts
from parts to the organization of parts, recognizing interactions of the parts are not "static"
and constant but "dynamic" processes. Conventional closed systems were questioned with
the development of open systems perspectives. The shift was from absolute and universal
authoritative principles and knowledge to relative and general conceptual and perceptual
knowledge [10], still in the tradition of theorists that sought to provide means in organizing
human life. Meaning, the history of ideas that preceded were rethought not lost. Mechanistic
thinking was particularly critiqued, especially the industrial-age mechanistic metaphor of the
mind from interpretations of Newtonian mechanics by Enlightenment philosophers and later
psychologists that laid the foundations of modern organizational theory and management by
the late 19th century [11]. Classical science had not been overthrown, but questions arose
over core assumptions that historically influenced organized systems, within both social and
technical sciences.
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theory.html
History
 Whether considering the first systems of written communication with Sumerian cuneiform to Mayan
numerals, or the feats of engineering with the Egyptian pyramids, systems thinking in essence dates
back to antiquity. Differentiated from Western rationalist traditions of philosophy, C. West Churchman
often identified with the I Ching as a systems approach sharing a frame of reference similar to pre-
Socratic philosophy and Heraclitus [12]. Von Bertalanffy traced systems concepts to the philosophy of
G.W. von Leibniz and Nicholas of Cusa's coincidentia oppositorum. While modern systems are
considerably more complicated, today's systems are embedded in history.
 Systems theory as an area of study specifically developed following the World Wars from the work of
Ludwig von Bertalanffy, Anatol Rapoport, Kenneth E. Boulding, William Ross Ashby, Margaret Mead,
Gregory Bateson, C. West Churchman and others in the 1950s, specifically catalyzed by the cooperation
in the Society for General Systems Research. Cognizant of advances in science that questioned classical
assumptions in the organizational sciences, Bertalanffy's idea to develop a theory of systems began as
early as the interwar period, publishing "An Outline for General Systems Theory" in the British Journal
for the Philosophy of Science, Vol 1, No. 2, by 1950. Where assumptions in Western science from Greek
thought with Plato and Aristotle to Newton's Principia have historically influenced all areas from the
hard to social sciences (see David Easton's seminal development of the "political system" as an
analytical construct), the original theorists explored the implications of twentieth century advances in 63
terms of systems.
 Subjects like complexity, self-organization, connectionism and adaptive systems had already
been studied in the 1940s and 1950s. In fields like cybernetics, researchers like Norbert
Wiener, William Ross Ashby, John von Neumann and Heinz von Foerster examined complex
systems using mathematics. John von Neumann discovered cellular automata and self-
reproducing systems, again with only pencil and paper. Aleksandr Lyapunov and Jules Henri
Poincaré worked on the foundations of chaos theory without any computer at all. At the
same time Howard T. Odum, the radiation ecologist, recognised that the study of general
systems required a language that could depict energetics and kinetics at any system scale.
Odum developed a general systems, or Universal language, based on the circuit language of
electronics to fulfill this role, known as the Energy Systems Language. Between 1929-1951,
Robert Maynard Hutchins at the University of Chicago had undertaken efforts to encourage
innovation and interdisciplinary research in the social sciences, aided by the Ford Foundation
with the interdisciplinary Division of the Social Sciences established in 1931[13]. Numerous
scholars had been actively engaged in ideas before (Tectology of Alexander Bogdanov
published in 1912-1917 is a remarkable example), but in 1937 von Bertalanffy presented the
general theory of systems for a conference at the University of Chicago.
64
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 The systems view was based on several fundamental ideas. First, all phenomena can be
viewed as a web of relationships among elements, or a system. Second, all systems, whether
electrical, biological, or social, have common patterns, behaviors, and properties that can be
understood and used to develop greater insight into the behavior of complex phenomena
and to move closer toward a unity of science. System philosophy, methodology and
application are complementary to this science [2]. By 1956, the Society for General Systems
Research was established, renamed the International Society for Systems Science in 1988.
The Cold War affected the research project for systems theory in ways that sorely
disappointed many of the seminal theorists. Some began to recognize theories defined in
association with systems theory had deviated from the initial General Systems Theory (GST)
view[14]. The economist Kenneth Boulding, an early researcher in systems theory, had
concerns over the manipulation of systems concepts. Boulding concluded from the effects
of the Cold War that abuses of power always prove consequential and that systems theory
might address such issues [15]. Since the end of the Cold War, there has been a renewed
interest in systems theory with efforts to strengthen an ethical view.
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65
theory.html
Developments in system theories
 Many early systems theorists aimed at finding a general systems theory that could explain all systems in all fields of
science. The term goes back to Bertalanffy's book titled "General System theory: Foundations, Development,
Applications" from 1968[6]. Von Bertalanffy tells that he developed the "allgemeine Systemtheorie" since 1937 in
talks and since 1946 with publications.
 Von Bertalanffy's objective was to bring together under one heading the organismic science that he had observed in
his work as a biologist. His desire was to use the word "system" to describe those principles which are common to
systems in general. In GST, he writes:
 ...there exist models, principles, and laws that apply to generalized systems or their subclasses, irrespective of their
particular kind, the nature of their component elements, and the relationships or "forces" between them. It seems
legitimate to ask for a theory, not of systems of a more or less special kind, but of universal principles applying to
systems in general.
 Ervin Laszlo in the preface of von Bertalanffy's book Perspectives on General System Theory.
 Thus when von Bertalanffy spoke of Allgemeine Systemtheorie it was consistent with his view that he was proposing
a new perspective, a new way of doing science. It was not directly consistent with an interpretation often put on
"general system theory", to wit, that it is a (scientific) "theory of general systems." To criticize it as such is to shoot at
straw men. Von Bertalanffy opened up something much broader and of much greater significance than a single
theory (which, as we now know, can always be falsified and has usually an ephemeral existence): he created a new
paradigm for the development of theories.
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In general, systems are usually made up of the following elements:
 Input: the energy or material that goes into the system
 Processes: what happens within the system that changes the input
 Internal system variables: factors that exert positive, negative, and neutral effects on all other aspects of the system
 Output: what results from the processes
 Outcome: what happens as a result of the outputs
 Feedback: information that can be used to evaluate and monitor the system
 according to Bertalanfy the “emergent” features are simply characteristics of the relationships between the parts.
 Bertalanfy admitted that systems exist in our mind only: “A system as total of parts with its interrelations has to be
conceived of as being composed instantly.” Yes! It is true: an instant transformation is impossible in the physical
world - it is possible in our minds only.
 “The whole is more then the sum of its parts”. Bertalanfy wrote: “If, however, we know the total of parts contained
in a system and the relations between them, the behavior of the system may be derived from the behavior of the
parts.”
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SYSTEM THEORY APPROACH
Input Process Output
COMPONENTS OF A GENERAL SYSTEM
Feed Back
ENVIRONMENT 68
SYSTEM THEORY APPLICATION
Input Process Output
Feed Back
ENVIRONMENT 69
EXAMPLE
A restaurant is an example of a system. Each step along the system’s path can influence the outcome of the system
(customer health):
 Inputs, such as ingredients, organisms, chemicals;
 Processes, such as storing, preparing, cooking, and serving;
 Internal system variables, such as food workers, equipment, and the economics also influence the outcome;
 Output, the final food item that is served to the customer;
 Outcome, such as customer health and satisfaction, profit gain or loss; and
 Feedback can help inform how processes and variables should change.
70
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WHAT IS SYSTEM?
 The basic idea behind Systems Theory is, “The whole is greater than the
sum of its parts.” An easy example of this is baking a cake. If you were to
lay out all of the ingredients of a cake, you would not have a cake.
Instead, you would have the ingredients of cake. But, combine those
ingredients in a particular way, you produce a cake. Not only that, you
produce an experience surrounding the cake (think birthday, anniversary,
wedding, etc.). What is produced by making a cake equals so much more
than the simple combination of ingredients.
 Another example is an automobile engine. If you have all the pieces of an
automobile engine on a garage floor, you do not have an engine. You have
parts of an engine. But, if you put the engine parts together in the right
way, you get something much greater than the parts; you get
transportation. These examples demonstrate the idea that, what makes a
cake or automobile engine is the actual interaction or combination of their
parts, not the simple sum of the parts themselves.
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munication_Theory/5.07%3A_Systems_Theory_Paradigm
WHAT IS SYSTEM?
 One characteristic of the Systems Theory Paradigm is that systems are teleological (Infante, Rancer & Womack),
meaning that they seek to achieve a particular goal or outcome. The goal of combining the ingredients of a cake is
to produce a cake and facilitate an occasion. The goal of a working automobile engine is transportation. The goal of
having a family is love and support. The goal of a business is to produce products and profit. Communication
researchers examine the interactions of those that make up systems to understand the systems’ goals, as well as
how they attempt to achieve goals.
 Another characteristic of systems is they are always trying to achieve homeostasis — the state of equilibrium or
balance. Using the idea of a family, most families attempt to fit in with their neighbors, co-workers, friends, city,
country, culture, etc. Systems are always in a process of trying to achieve a level of homeostasis with their
environment. When changes occur in either the environment or a system, system participants will adapt in order to
maintain balance. For example, if you moved away from your immediate family to attend college your move had an
impact on the homeostasis of your family. As a result, everyone in your family had to adjust in some way to the
change brought about by your move in order to create a new sense of homeostasis. Even though you are still part of
the family system, the system changed as a result of your move, and must respond in order to adapt to the change.
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tion_(Paynton_and_Hahn)/05%3A_Communication_Theory/5.07%3A_Systems_Theory_Paradigm
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ที่มา: HTTP://WWW.GOOGLE.CO.TH/IMGRES?Q=%E0%B8%9F%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%9C%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%B2&HL=TH&BIW=1093&BIH=498&TBM=ISCH&TBNID=MYM-
JYXI4_TIMM:&IMGREFURL=HTTP://ATCLOUD.COM/STORIES/57480&DOCID=ETLVEYAKWN5LDM&IMGURL=HTTP://STATICS.ATCLOUD.COM/FILES/COMMENTS/96/963638/IMAGES/1_DISPLAY.JPG&W=371&H=278&
EI=N66BUL3HGYTPRQEE8YH4DG&ZOOM=1&IACT=HC&VPX=101&VPY=190&DUR=3833&HOVH=194&HOVW=259&TX=104&TY=103&SIG=116875922997043462982&PAGE=2&TBNH=143&TBNW=184&S
TART=10&NDSP=16&VED=1T:429,R:1,S:20,I:135
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NATURAL SYSTEM
ที่มา:
HTTP://WWW.GOOGLE.CO.TH/IMGRES?Q=NATURAL+SYSTEM&HL=TH&BIW=1093&BIH=498&TBM=ISCH&TBNID=QASFBZNMF9XQCM:&IMGREFURL=HTTP://WWW.MNR.GOV.ON.CA/EN/BUSINESS/WATER/2COLUMNSUBPAGE/STEL02_163446.HTML&DOCID=TRCIWMF0
2YJEGM&IMGURL=HTTP://WWW.MNR.GOV.ON.CA/STDPRODCONSUME/GROUPS/LR/%2540MNR/%2540WATER/DOCUMENTS/IMAGES/STEL02_163451.GIF&W=400&H=318&EI=DAQBUJNMG8YJRAETT4HQCQ&ZOOM=1&IACT=HC&VPX=199&VPY=148&DUR=64&H
OVH=200&HOVW=252&TX=139&TY=118&SIG=116875922997043462982&PAGE=1&TBNH=142&TBNW=179&START=0&NDSP=10&VED=1T:429,R:1,S:0,I:68
74
75
MANMADE SYSTEM
ที่มา:
HTTP://WWW.GOOGLE.CO.TH/IMGRES?Q=%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B0%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%9A%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B7%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%A2%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%95%E0%B9%8C&NUM=1
0&HL=TH&BIW=1093&BIH=498&TBM=ISCH&TBNID=A-PANHWBWO99AM:&IMGREFURL=HTTP://AUTO.SANOOK.COM/680/PORSCHE-
%25E0%25B9%2580%25E0%25B8%2599%25E2%2582%25AC%25E0%25B9%2580%25E0%25B8%2598%2520%25E0%25B9%2580%25E0%25B8%2598%25E0%25B8%2594%25E0%25B9%2580%25E0%25B8%2598%25E2%2580%259D%25E0%2
5B9%2580%25E0%25B8%2598%25E2%2580%25A2%25E0%25B9%2580%25E0%25B8%2598%25E0%25B8%2591%25E0%25B9%2580%25E0%25B8%2598%25E0%25B8%2587-CAYENNE-S-HYBRID/&DOCID=ZABW1V84F-
O7DM&IMGURL=HTTP://R3.STATIC.FSANOOK.COM/WEBLOG/ENTRY/0/680/11320101556PORSCHENEWCAYENNE5.JPG&W=600&H=330&EI=YQ2BUJGBEIXQRAFFL4GICQ&ZOOM=1&IACT=RC&DUR=1&SIG=116875922997043462982&PAGE=1&TBNH=133&TBNW=228&START=
0&NDSP=9&VED=1T:429,R:2,S:0,I:74&TX=145&TY=85
76
MANMADE SYSTEM
ที่มา: HTTP://WWW.SODAHEAD.COM/UNITED-STATES/FIRST-MAN-MADE-OBJECT-TO-LEAVE-THE-SOLAR-SYSTEM-HEADED-FOR-THE-MILKY-WAY/QUESTION-
2325835/?LINK=IBAF&Q=MANMADE+SYSTEM&IMGURL=HTTP://IMAGES.SODAHEAD.COM/POLLS/002325835/2733838944_PIONEER10_400PX_XLARGE.JPEG
77
HTTP://WWW.REASONS.ORG/MEDIA/DEFAULT/IMAGECACHE/559X400-FITWIDTH/IMAGES/SOLAR-SYSTEM-IMAGE-1.JPG
78
HTTP://WWW.DAVIDDARLING.INFO/IMAGES/YOUNG_PLANETARY_SYSTEM.JPG
79
HTTP://I2.WP.COM/WW
W.ANATOMY3DMODELS.
NET/WP-
CONTENT/UPLOADS/20
13/11/HUMAN-
ANATOMY-3D-MODEL-
1.JPG?RESIZE=600%2C
600
80
การมองภาพของระบบ
81
82
HTTP://PAULBOURKE.NET/FRACTALS/LORENZ/LORENZ3.PNG
83
HTTP://2014WALLPAPERHD.COM/WP-CONTENT/UPLOADS/2014/07/SPIRALS_FRACTAL_WALLPAPERS_IMAGES.JPG
84
HTTP://BAWEHALI.FILES.WORDPRESS.COM/2012/03/MANDELBROT.JPG
85
HTTP://THEBOXMOVE.WEEBLY.COM/UPLOADS/2/9/7/2/2972567/9167125_ORIG.JPG
86
HTTP://CDN.THEATLANTIC.COM/STATIC/INFOCUS/SOL042413/S_S01_SDO00001.JPG
87
เอกสารอ้างอิง
นพคุณ นิศามณี. (2555). Systematic and creative thinking. ศูนย์ผลิตตารามหาวิทยาลัยเทคโนโลยีพระจอมเกล้าพระนครเหนือ.
กรุงเทพมหานคร
ประจักษ์ ปฏิทัศน์. (2562). การคิดเชิงระบบและความคิดสร้างสรรค์. กรุงเทพมหานคร : สานักพิมพ์จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย.
ปิยนาถ ประยูร. (2548). วิธีคิดกระบวนการระบบ. พิสิษฐ์ ไทย ออฟเซต. กรุงเทพมหานคร
ราชบัณฑิตยสถาน. (2546). พจนานุกรมฉบับราชบัณฑิตยสถาน ปี พ.ศ. 2542. สานักพิมพ์นามมีบุ๊ค. กรุงเทพมหานคร
_____________. (2553). พจนานุกรมศัพท์จิตวิทยา. ห้างหุ้นส่วนจากัดไอเดียสแควร์. กรุงเทพมหานคร
Boccaletti, S., Grebogi, C., Lai, Y. C., Mancini, H., & Maza, D. (2000). The control of chaos: theory and applications. Physics
Reports. 329, 103-197
Bolding K. E. (1956). General systems theory - the skeleton of science. E:CO Special Double Issue Vol. 6 No. 1-2 pp. 127-139
Freud, S. (1963). Dictionary of psychoanalysis. Nandor, F. & Frank G. (Editors). Greenwich, Conn. Fawcett
Jackson, M. C. (2003). Systems thinking: creative holism for managers. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. West Sussex, England.
Jordan J.S. (Ed.), Systems Theories and A Priori Aspects of Perception. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science, 1998. Ch. 3, pp. 47-74.
Murray, D. J. (1995). Gestalt psychology and the cognitive revolution. Harvester Wheatsheaf. New York, USA.
O’Connor J. & McDermott. (1997). The art of systems thinking. HarperCollins publishers. London.
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080303606 (SYSTEMATIC AND CREATIVE THINKING)

CHAPTER 1 : INTRODUCTION TO THE SYSTEMATIC

1 Associate Professor Dr.Prajuk Pratitas

 Stimulate new habits of creative thinking to create better ideas.

 Understand several creative thinking techniques and methods.

 Learn how to be an innovator in various situations.

 Enhance the use of your thoughts and imagination in various

 Students will learn to seek multiple options in any given scenario.

 Students will learn to set aside pre-conceived judgments.

Retrieved from: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/system

Retrieved from: https://www.biologyonline.com/dictionary/system

 While you ultimately want your business to become a

 With a systems approach, you realize everything is

 Instead of avoiding complexity, a systems approach helps you see

Retrieved from: https://thesystemsthinker.com/systems-thinking-what-why-when-where-and-how/35

Retrieved from: https://thesystemsthinker.com/systems-

Retrieved from: https://thesystemsthinker.com/systems-thinking-what-why-when-where-and-how/

RETRIEVED FROM: HTTPS://THESYSTEMSTHINKER.COM/SYSTEMS-THINKING-WHAT-WHY-WHEN-WHERE-AND-HOW/

 You’re asking different kinds of questions than you asked before.

Repair broken designs

2. Identify a problem to solve

Retrieved from: https://www.igi-global.com/dictionary/culture-from-a-value-systems-perspective/29133 54

Retrieved from: https://www.igi-global.com/dictionary/culture-from-a-value-systems-

Retrieved from: http://environment-ecology.com/general-systems-theory/137-what-is-systems-theory.html

Retrieved from: http://environment-ecology.com/general-systems-theory/137-what-is-systems- 62

Retrieved from: http://environment-ecology.com/general-systems-theory/137-what-is-systems-

Retrieved from: http://environment-ecology.com/general-systems-theory/137-what-is-systems-theory.html 66

Retrieved from: https://uk.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/systems-theory-of-management 67

Input Process Output

COMPONENTS OF A GENERAL SYSTEM

Input Process Output

 Processes, such as storing, preparing, cooking, and serving;

 Output, the final food item that is served to the customer;

Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/ehsnet/system-theory.htm

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