A Contextualised General Systems Theory

A system is something that can be separated from its surrounds, but this definition leaves much scope for refinement. Starting with the notion of measurement, we explore increasingly contextual system behaviour and identify three major forms of contextuality that might be exhibited by a system: (1) between components; (2) between system and experimental method; and (3) between a system and its environment. Quantum theory is shown to provide a highly useful formalism from which all three forms of contextuality can be analysed, offering numerous tests for contextual behaviour, as well as modelling possibilities for systems that do indeed display it. I conclude with the introduction of a contextualised general systems theory based on an extension of this formalism

A probabilistic framework for analysing the compositionality of conceptual combinations

Conceptual combination performs a fundamental role in creating the broad range of compound phrases utilised in everyday language. This article provides a novel probabilistic framework for assessing whether the semantics of conceptual combinations are compositional, and so can be considered as a function of the semantics of the constituent concepts, or not. While the systematicity and productivity of language provide a strong argument in favor of assuming compositionality, this very assumption is still regularly questioned in both cognitive science and philosophy. Additionally, the principle of semantic compositionality is underspecified, which means that notions of both "strong" and "weak" compositionality appear in the literature. Rather than adjudicating between different grades of compositionality, the framework presented here contributes formal methods for determining a clear dividing line between compositional and non-compositional semantics. In addition, we suggest that the distinction between these is contextually sensitive. Compositionality is equated with a joint probability distribution modeling how the constituent concepts in the combination are interpreted. Marginal selectivity is introduced as a pivotal probabilistic constraint for the application of the Bell/CH and CHSH systems of inequalities. Non-compositionality is equated with a failure of marginal selectivity, or violation of either system of inequalities in the presence of marginal selectivity. This means that the conceptual combination cannot be modeled in a joint probability distribution, the variables of which correspond to how the constituent concepts are being interpreted. The formal analysis methods are demonstrated by applying them to an empirical illustration of twenty-four non-lexicalised conceptual combinations

Proceso de identificación de deportes estratégicos locales. Su concepción desde la Teoría General de Sistemas

It was performed a systematic review on the main international databases as starting point to elaborate a systemic theoretical conception of the process of local strategic sports identification, in which are revealed the structure of this and the essential relationships that are established among its components, and among these and its environment, with the which is solved the current contradiction between Purpose-Output of the process as a system. As from the architecture and the functioning proposed by the new theoretical conception, are emerged from the analyzed process two properties non-existent before: predictability and proactivity.Se realizó una revisión sistemática en las principales bases de datos internacionales como punto de partida para elaborar una concepción teórica sistémica del proceso de identificación de deportes estratégicos locales, en la que se revelen la estructura de este y las relaciones esenciales que se establecen entre sus componentes, y entre estos y su entorno; con lo que se soluciona la actual contradicción Propósito-Salida del proceso como sistema. A partir de la arquitectura y el funcionamiento propuestos por la nueva concepción teórica, emergen del proceso analizado dos propiedades antes inexistentes, no reducibles a las partes del sistema: predictibilidad y proactividad. &nbsp

Transitions through lifelong learning: Implications for learning analytics

The ability to develop new skills and competencies is a central concept of lifelong learning. Research to date has largely focused on the processes and support individuals require to engage in upskilling, re-learning or training. However, there has been limited attention examining the types of support that are necessary to assist a learner's transition from “old” workplace contexts to “new”. Professionals often undergo significant restructuring of their knowledge, skills, and identities as they transition between career roles, industries, and sectors. Domains such as learning analytics (LA) have the potential to support learners as they use the analysis of fine-grained data collected from education technologies. However, we argue that to support transitions throughout lifelong learning, LA needs fundamentally new analytical and methodological approaches. To enable insights, research needs to capture and explain variability, dynamics, and causal interactions between different levels of individual development, at varying time scales. Scholarly conceptions of the context in which transitions occur are also required. Our interdisciplinary argument builds on the synthesis of literature about transitions in the range of disciplinary and thematic domains such as conceptual change, shifts between educational systems, and changing roles during life course. We highlight specific areas in research designs and current analytical methods that hinder insight into transformational changes during transitions. The paper concludes with starting points and frameworks that can advance research in this area

La evolución de los sistemas complejos adaptativos según el “darwinismo cuántico” de Zurek

I argue for a non-reductive integration between physical and biological approaches based on the notion of information as interpretation. Thus I outline a scheme based on Peirce’ semiosis in which the relation between environmental physical perturbations and responses (internal and external) are mediated by the “system of interpretation” that detects and interpret  them as informative signals, so giving rise to structural internal accommodations and to actions that are implemented on the external environment. Therefore I argue that “systems of interpretation” can be equated to Zurek´s information gathering and using systems (IGUS) and complex adaptive systems (CAS). In order to apply these model to the problem of adaptive evolution, I examine Zurek´s theory known as “quantum Darwinism”, according to which the environment eliminates the immense majority of the super-positions of quantum systems leaving only the “preferred states”, among which are chosen those that are in fact can be realized in the classical world. To end up I justify that semiosis permits to apply quantum Darwinism to the evolution of CAS, and I argue that the debate between (Neo)-Lamarckian and Neo-Darwinian schools must be reassessed in terms more in accord with quantum physics. Finally semiosis (that is information understood as interpretation) would justify the deep analogy between quantum physical and biological models of adaptive evolution.En este artículo argumento a favor de una integración no reductiva entre aproximaciones físicas y biológicas, basado en la noción de información como interpretación. Para ello esbozo un esquema fundado en la semiosis de Peirce en el que la relación entre las perturbaciones físicas del entorno, y las respuestas (internas y externas) están mediatizadas por el “sistema de interpretación” que las detecta e interpreta como señales informativas, dando lugar tanto a ajustes estructurales internos, como a acciones implementadas sobre el medio ambiente externo. En consecuencia argumento que los “sistemas de interpretación” pueden equipararse a agentes colectores y usuarios de información de Zurek (IGUS) y a sistemas complejos adaptativos (SCA). Para aplicar este modelo al problema de la adaptación evolutiva examino la teoría de Zurek denominada “darwinismo cuántico” (DC), según la cual el entorno elimina de los sistemas cuánticos la inmensa mayoría de las superposiciones dejando únicamente los “estados preferidos”, entre los cuales se escogen los que de hecho se pueden realizar en el mundo clásico. Elección entre alternativas estructurales accesibles que se deciden en la interacción entre los SCA y su entorno. Para concluir justifico como la semiosis permite aplicar el “darwinismo cuántico” a la evolución de SCA, proponiendo que el debate entre las escuelas (neo)-lamarckiana y neo-darwiniana debe ser repensado en términos más acordes con la física cuántica. Finalmente, la semiosis (es decir la información entendida como interpretación) justificaría la analogía profunda entre los modelos físico-cuánticos y biológicos de evolución adaptativa. 

How Grant Recipients Can Satisfy Compliance Requirements for U.S. Federal Awards

Improper grants payments stemming from weaknesses in business processes have been a focus of the U.S. president, Congress, and federal and state governments since 2009. Researchers have demonstrated that the internal control weakness at the federal, state, and local government level has contributed to the problem of compliance. The Office of Management and Budget issued federal rules effective in December 2014 to address the problem of federal award compliance. Despite these measures, there is a gap in the literature on strategies for recipients of federal grants to meet compliance requirements. The purpose of the qualitative descriptive study was to explore how recipients can satisfy compliance requirements across the full life cycle of their grants. Systems thinking and compliance theories were selected to analyze data. Participants were 20 certified grants management specialists. The research questions included inquiry on the strategies for federal award compliance. Described were participants\u27 strategies to improve business processes for grant compliance. Emergent thematic findings included staff and leadership training- as participants\u27 main strategy for complying with uniform requirements, while written policies and procedures and use of grant management software- emerged as secondary strategies. Grant managers may benefit from learning about the strategies described in this study by implementing business process improvements in their organizations. Compliant recipients of grants may have a positive effect on social change with more grant funds becoming available to states, local governments, higher education, and nonprofit organizations for the public good

Innovations in Addressing Mental Health Needs in Humanitarian Settings: A Complexity Informed Action Research Case Study

Addressing mental health challenges in humanitarian settings, where needs are many and resources are scarce, requires innovative solutions. In this manuscript, we describe a quantum complexity informed intervention, Communication for Whole Health (CWH), developed at the request of a large Jordanian healthcare NGO to address mental health needs of patients and staff. In the humanitarian aid context, this health domain is referred to by the acronym MHPSS (mental health and psychosocial support). The focus of this participatory action research project, presented here as a case study, was the collaborative elaboration of an MHPSS intervention in an urban primary healthcare clinic serving mostly Syrian refugees. The intervention capitalizes on the synergistic effects generated from the systemic nature of communication where every interaction is an intervention, and the health implications of research demonstrating communication is bioactive. Rather than treating mental health as an add-on medical specialty targeting patients with “psychiatric disorders,” systemic MHPSS starts from the premise that everyone has mental health, which is inextricably linked to physical and social health. Emphasis is on integrating awareness of mental health as part of whole health and taking advantage of every interaction to facilitate well-being for patients and staff. The intervention facilitated the transformation of the communication ecology of the clinic from a culture of reactivity to a culture of receptivity by strengthening communication resources and practices. Staff reported feeling more empowered to help patients and displayed increased motivation to find innovative ways to use available resources. They felt better equipped to manage their own stress response and support coworkers. Patients learned basic stress management skills, helping them better manage chronic health conditions, and reported sharing this information with family members. Staff reported many examples of patients responding positively to interventions to reduce patient reactivity, leading to beneficial behavior change and improved health outcomes. Results suggest a systemic MHPSS approach can contribute to ameliorating health inequities by expanding resources for patients and staff, empowering them to act into their current circumstances to support whole health. The CWH approach has potential in similar contexts to address mental health needs in a cost-effective and impactful way

Second Generation General System Theory: Perspectives in Philosophy and Approaches in Complex Systems

Following the classical work of Norbert Wiener, Ross Ashby, Ludwig von Bertalanffy and many others, the concept of System has been elaborated in different disciplinary fields, allowing interdisciplinary approaches in areas such as Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Cognitive Science, Economics, Engineering, Social Sciences, Mathematics, Medicine, Artificial Intelligence, and Philosophy. The new challenge of Complexity and Emergence has made the concept of System even more relevant to the study of problems with high contextuality. This Special Issue focuses on the nature of new problems arising from the study and modelling of complexity, their eventual common aspects, properties and approaches—already partially considered by different disciplines—as well as focusing on new, possibly unitary, theoretical frameworks. This Special Issue aims to introduce fresh impetus into systems research when the possible detection and correction of mistakes require the development of new knowledge. This book contains contributions presenting new approaches and results, problems and proposals. The context is an interdisciplinary framework dealing, in order, with electronic engineering problems; the problem of the observer; transdisciplinarity; problems of organised complexity; theoretical incompleteness; design of digital systems in a user-centred way; reaction networks as a framework for systems modelling; emergence of a stable system in reaction networks; emergence at the fundamental systems level; behavioural realization of memoryless functions

Evaluating information flow in medication management process in Australian acute care facilities: A multi-professional perspective

Over the years, various interventions have been introduced to improve the medication management process. While these interventions have addressed some aspects predisposing the process to inefficiencies, significant gaps are still prevalent across the process. Studies have suggested that the goal of optimal medication therapy is achievable when information flow integrates across the various medication management process phases, stakeholders and departments involved as the patient moves through the process. To provide a cross-sectional view of the process, this study utilised a systemic philosophy to evaluate the information flow integration across the process. The research approach adopted for this study takes a positivist paradigm, which is guided by the cause and effect (causality) belief. It explored numeric measures to evaluate the relationship between constructs that assessed information flow principles (accessibility, timeliness, granularity and transparency) within the medication process and the information integration. The research design was cross-sectional and analytical, and this ensures that findings are relevant to current situations across the Australian healthcare system. Data for this research was collected using an online self-administered survey and the data assessed information flow principles and technologies used in the medication management process. There were 88 participants in this study, including doctors, nurses and pharmacists. The questions and responses were coded for analysis and data analysis techniques used were frequency analysis, Pearson’s chi-square test and multivariate analysis. Findings from this study indicates that the constructs evaluating accessibility, transparency and granularity had moderate associations with the information integration in the medication management process. Further analysis highlighted accessibility as a significant principle in explaining an increase or decrease in information integration in the medication management process. The accessibility construct referring to information retrieval was significant across the two tests conducted. Accessibility is directly related to information sharing and the assessment and monitoring and evaluation phases in the medication management process were identified as having the highest challenges with information sharing. Furthermore, the hybrid (electronic and paper) channel was preferred to support information integration in the medication management process by the participants. Among the technologies evaluated for the medication process, computer-provider-order-entry was found to be statistically significant in explaining an increase in information integration. Overall, results from this study suggest that interventions for the medication management process in Australian acute care facilities should be directed towards improving accessibility, specifically information retrieval and the sharing of information with emphasis on the assessment and monitoring phases. Implementing strategies to address the gaps identified from this research can improve information integration across the process and thereby reducing medication errors, and improving patient care management. Furthermore, the technology adoption across the process highlights that technology adoption across participants’ facilities remains a challenge in Australia

Factors affecting supply chain integration in public hospital pharmacies in Kenya

The purpose of this study was to develop and empirically test the Supply Chain Integration Framework (SCI framework) in order to develop a framework to address the inefficiencies experienced in the public hospital pharmacies’ Supply Chain (SC) in Kenya. Supply Chain Management (SCM) can be regarded as a vibrant business entity that is changing and evolving continually because of constant changes in technology, competition and customer demands. The study investigated and analysed how the independent variables, namely SCI initiatives, performance improvement drivers, organisation environmental forces, workforce and management support, financial factors, flow and integration, regulatory framework and information sharing and technology influenced the SCI. The SCI was categorised into three components namely: customer order fulfilment, supplier collaboration and dedicated SC as the dependent variable. The literature reviewed established that globalisation and intensive worldwide competition, alongside technological developments, creates a completely new operating environment for organisations. The researcher reviewed various models and theories related to SCI which include systems theory, value chain models and value ecology models among others. An SCI framework was then developed to capture the interacting variables within the SCI network that could be adopted for the public hospital pharmacies in Kenya. The study was conducted using a survey questionnaire (Annexure B) that comprised both open and closed ended questions that were distributed to managers in public hospitals and pharmacies in Kenya. The population for the survey was 154 public hospital pharmacies in Kenya, with the final sample comprised of 280 respondents. The study was conducted using a survey questionnaire (Annexure B) that comprised both open and closed ended questions that were distributed to 325 respondents in 154 public hospitals and pharmacies in Kenya. The population for the survey was 154 public hospital pharmacies in Kenya, with the final sample comprised of 280 respondents. Exploratory factor analysis was used to ascertain the validity of the measuring instrument and the Cronbach alpha coefficients were used to measure the reliability of the measuring instruments. Key preliminary tests performed were the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin test (KMO test) of sample adequacy, the Bartlett’s test of sphericity and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test (Z-Statistic test) for normality and multi-collinearity diagnostic. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and multiple linear regressions were the main statistical procedures used to test the regression model fit and the significance of the relationships hypothesised among various variables in the study. Statistical softwares, namely Statistica 10 (2010) and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 18, were used to analyse quantitative data. The study identified five statistically significant relationships between customer order fulfilment and workforce and management support, financial factors, flow and integration, information sharing and technology, supplier collaborations and dedicated SCI. In addition, a total of six statistically significant relationships exist between the supplier collaborations and SCI initiatives i.e. performance improvement drivers, workforce and management support, financial factors, flow and integration, information sharing and technology adoption as well as dedicated SCI. Furthermore, four statistically significant relationships were found between dedicated SCI and SCI initiatives, workforce and management support, financial factors, flow and integration, information sharing and technology adoption