CONCEPTS OF GENERAL SYSTEMS THEORY APPLIED ON GOODS

The General Systems Theory is one of the most important points of view nowadays. Now, its concepts could be applied in a various number of sciences including Consumer Sciences. The complexity of the product, the different way in which it can be seen and also the exponentially diversifying assortment requires another approach to the product, through models. This approach must take into account certain particularities which do not appear in a regular modellingSystems; Theory; Electronic Commerce; The consumer science.

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

Using General Systems Theory as a Business Application Paradigm

General Systems Theory (GST) is reviewed as a paradigm for modeling business applications. The theory has been used and abused for over sixty years, oftentimes the subject of scholarly articles written by authors who felt the need to write, especially as GST was the current ‘flavor of the day’, but who hadn’t reviewed the basic literature to learn what the GST concept actually entailed. The GST concept is reviewed, from its original documents, and the history is explored. A section is devoted to reviewing some of the literature that has been published in scholarly journals or books over the decades, and the general trend of ascribing much greater complexity to the application of GST to business and management is noted. This article presents a paradigm that is based in the simplicity of the original concept of general systems theory as offered by Ludwig von Bertalanffy, and using the time-honored concepts of business organization and management that have been studied, researched, applied, and taught for many years. The marriage of the business concepts with the explanatory power of the general systems theory provides a model that is easy to understand, teach, and apply

General systems theory and media ecology: Parallel disciplines that animate each other

Parallels between general systems theory and media ecology are drawn. It is shown that cybernetics, general systems theory, complexity theory, emergent dynamics and media ecology are interconnected and that they inform and cross-pollinate each other

(WP 2011-01) Kenneth Boulding as a Moral Scientist

Kenneth Boulding’s AEA presidential address argued that economics is a moral science. His view derived from his general systems theory thinking, his three systems view of human society, and his early contributions to evolutionary economics. Boulding’s argument that economics could not be value-free should be distinguished from other well-known views of economics as a moral science, such as Gunnar Myrdal’s. This paper discusses the development and nature of Boulding’s thinking about economics as a moral science in the larger context of his thinking

Strategic human resource metrics: a perspective of the general systems theory

Measurement and quantification of strategic human resource outcomes in relation to key performance criteria is essential to develop value-adding metrics. Objectives This paper posits (using a general systems lens) that strategic human resource metrics should interpret the relationship between attitudinal human resource outcomes and performance criteria such as profitability, quality or customer service. Approach Using the general systems model as underpinning theory, the study assesses the variation in response to a Likert type questionnaire with twenty-four (24) items measuring the major attitudinal dispositions of HRM outcomes (employee commitment, satisfaction, engagement and embeddedness). Results A chi square test (chi-square test statistic = 54.898, p=0.173) showed that variation in responses to the attitudinal statements occurred due to chance. This was interpreted to mean that attitudinal human resource outcomes influence performance as a unit of system components. The neutral response was found to be associated with the ‘reject’ response than the ‘acceptance’ response. Value The study offers suggestion on the determination of strategic HR metrics and recommends the use of systems theory in HRM related studies. Implications This study provides another dimension to human resource metrics by arguing that strategic human resource metrics should measure the relationship between attitudinal human resource outcomes and performance using a systems perspective