Using the systemological basis and information entropy function in the study at uncertainty conditions of system-structured objects

In the article substantiated the expediency of introducing the basics of systemological analysis in modeling and structuring of studies of complex objects, which allows to establish conditions for the implementation of a certain target function, which is responsible for the state and functionality of the investigated object in certain conditions of the environment, taking into account the macrostate of the complex system, through experiments of microstates, and its changes in the system “object – the environment” regarding the state of external systems using an entropy func-tion according to a consistent analysis of uncertainties and their solution to establish conditions for the stabilization of the object or achieve the goal of regulation situations based on information synergetics. It was concluded that, proposed comprehensive entropy-synergy analysis of the determination of the state “the investigated system – the environment” and changes in the consequence of process transformations in systemic objects in conditions of certain uncertainty does not require additional research, characteristic of known estimates for the criteria in widespread mathematical means decision-making.Розглянуто доцільність впровадження основ системного аналізу в моделюванні та структуруванні досліджень складних об’єктів, що дозволяє встановлювати умови для здійснення певної цільової функції, яка відповідає за стан та функціональність досліджуваного об’єкта в певних умовах навколишнього середовища, з урахуванням макростану складної системи, через експерименти мікростанів, та його зміни в системі «об’єкт - навколишнє середовище» щодо стану зовнішніх систем за допомогою функції ентропії відповідно до послідовного аналізу невизначеності і їх вирішення встановленням умов для стабілізації об’єкта або досягнення мети ситуацій регулювання на основі інформаційної синергетики. Було зроблено висновок, що запропонований комплексний аналіз ентропійно-синергетиного визначення стану «досліджувана системи - навколишнє середовище» та зміни внаслідок процесів трансформацій у системних об’єктах в умовах певної невизначеності не вимагає додаткових досліджень, характеристик для відомих oцінок для критеріїв у поширених математичних засобах прийняття рішень.Рассмотрена целесообразность внедрения основ системного анализа в моделировании и структурировании исследований сложных объектов, что позволяет устанавливать условия для осуществления определенной целевой функции, которая отвечает за состояние и функциональность исследуемого объекта в определенных условиях окружающей среды, с учетом макросостояния сложной системы, через эксперименты микросостояний, и его изменения в системе «объект - окружающая середа» по состоянию внешних систем с помощью функции энтропии в соответствии с последовательным анализом неопределенности и их решения определения условий для стабилизации объекта или достижения цели ситуаций регулирования на основе информационной синергетики. Был сделан вывод, что предложенный комплексный анализ энтропийно-синергетического определения состояния «исследуемая система - окружающая среда» и изменения вследствии процессов трансформаций в системных объектах в условиях некоторой неопределенности не требует дополнительных исследований, характерных для известной oценки критериев в распространенных математических методов принятия решений

Critical thinking and systems thinking: towards a critical literacy for systems thinking in practice

About the book: In reflective problem solving and thoughtful decision making using critical thinking one considers evidence, the context of judgment, the relevant criteria for making the judgment well, the applicable methods or techniques for forming the judgment, and the applicable theoretical constructs for understanding the problem and the question at hand. In this book, the authors present topical research in the study of critical thinking. Topics discussed include developing critical thinking through probability models; the promotion of critical thinking skills through argument mapping; an instructional model for teacher training in critical thinking; advanced academic literacy and critical thinking and critical thinking and higher education

Assessing the Maturity of Industrial Engineering as an Engineering Discipline

Industrial Engineering is a broad discipline, with a wide range of definitions for the field and the knowledge areas that make up its parts. A conceptual gap exists between the definition of the field of Industrial Engineering and the definitions of each of these parts. To facilitate advancement of the field and to enable practicing industrial engineers to effectively choose problem solving approaches, a conceptual framework is necessary to organize and define the field of Industrial Engineering. This thesis utilizes a systemic approach to attempt creating such a framework based on the general stages of a scientific endeavor. The proposed framework would connect the knowledge areas to each other and to the field by connecting each knowledge area to specific stages of a scientific endeavor. The attempt to create such a framework was unsuccessful, due to a lack of sufficient and specific definition of the knowledge areas. The conclusion follows that Industrial Engineering is not a mature engineering discipline, due to the lack of clear definitions of the parts and relationships between the parts. Further work is necessary to develop the definition of Industrial Engineering and its related Body of Knowledge

Towards a framework for multiparadigm multimethodologies in systems thinking and practice

Burrell and Morgan (2000) claimed that knowledge is paradigmatic, encompassing a distinct worldview and rationality governing research strategies and methods for which they identified four sociological paradigms to locate them based on “metatheoretical assumptions about the nature of reality, knowledge, and human behavior” (Cunliffe, 2010). They regard the competing theories developed from different paradigms as incommensurable—those working in one paradigm are not understood by those committed to another. Moreover, “there can be no measure, outside of the paradigms, which can be used as a basis for comparing and adjudicating between the claims toknowledge of theories produced from within different paradigms” (Jackson, 2000).This new theory states that because the problem of paradigm incommensurability begins at the level of ontology the solution lies there as well. Rather than supporting just one or a few paradigms, a different type of ontology is needed to explain ontological variety. It is argued that we can only perceive reality as meaningful paradigmatically, just as in the metaphor of the blind men and the elephant (Saxe, ca. 1850) where each comes upon a different part of an elephant andgeneralises that the whole is like their one piece. Furthermore, they cannot understand what they have found by comparing experiences.Solving the incommensurability issue is the theoretical key needed to properly underpin pluralist approaches to systems theory, design and intervention. But to do so, this new ontology is placed so that it operates within a suitable and otherwise complete theoretical framework which does not circumscribe, subsume, or in any way alter existing approaches, paradigms and theories—it purpose is only to sanction their use in a pluralist systemic approach. Such a framework, calledP–S Multiparadigm Perspectivity is described in this thesis.Ten interviews with systemists were conducted with mixed results. The tests mistakenly assumed that systemists were generally aware of paradigms and incommensurability—instead, an aversion to theory was discovered. Surprisingly, though, two methods to address the issue were also found in the data. One of the interviewees teaches theory through storytelling; another demonstrates methods first, to pique the learner’s interest and evoke their questions. It was learned that the adoption of this theory depends upon an improved awareness of the concepts of critical systems paradigms within the systemist community

Immersive systemic knowing : rational analysis and beyond

Applied systems thinking has rapidly developed through successive waves of development, and the current reigning paradigm is the revisioned approach to critical systems thinking.This research scrutinizes systemic intervention. It employs the methods of second-order science to apply some of its principles reflexively back on to the domain to discover two gaps: one between the espoused aims of systemic intervention and the adequacy of its methods, the other about its dependence on dialogic rationality. It also delves into its philosophical underpinnings to trace the reason for this gap to the ‘ghosts’ of rationalism. This is because modern Western thinking equates consciousness with intentionality. I argue that there is another well-recognised mode of consciousness, that of non-intentionality. I name these two modes as the becoming-striving and the being-abiding orientations.To address the gap, firstly, a characterisation of the systemic ontology is attempted. Three basic features are identified: mindful interconnectedness, enactive cognition and teleonomy. I also describe plausible political, epistemic and pragmatic goals for systems thinking arising from this ontology.Four methods from adjacent disciplines are examined in detail to show that these address the systemic ontology in better fashion than existing systemic approaches. These mature global contemporary approaches access knowings corresponding to the being-abiding orientation, absent in systems thinking.A suitable ontoepistemology for systemic knowing must comprise of two ontologies and epistemologies corresponding to each of the two consciousness modes: four component elements. Suitable conceptual models from other disciplines serve the purpose of these four components. Thus, a model of immersive systemic knowing is assembled, which meets the requirements of a framework for systems thinking in terms of the goals posited.A key feature of this research is the espousal of experiential knowing: not in a phenomenological sense, but in terms of a radical empiricism. It argues for the value of practical knowings that go beyond rationalistic formulation, which are always held in the margins (in the language of boundaries). Systemists must actively seek such experiential knowing to enact truly creative improvement. The only answer to the problem of knowing the world better is to know the shadow aspects of the knowledge generating system. This requires truly radical methods and an extended epistemology, all shown to be available plentifully in other practices and cultures. Testimony is provided from two field projects that were a part of these inquiries, and from practitioner accounts

Obstacles With Data Security: Strategies From Carolina Universities

Some university data custodians lack information security strategies to prevent data security breaches. Reducing duplicitous use of personally identifiable information (PII) obtained maliciously from colleges and universities should be important to university data custodians, IT leadership of all levels, state legislators, and individuals that have an interest in moving into the cybersecurity space in higher education. Grounded in general systems theory, the purpose of this multiple qualitative case study was to examine information security strategies that university data custodians use to protect PII collected from staff, students, and other stakeholders. The participants consisted of 15 college and university data custodians in North Carolina and South Carolina, who implemented security strategies. Semistructured virtual interviews were used to collect data. The verbatim transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis in conjunction with Teschâs data coding process then compared to current literature as a control. There were 5 key emergent themes (a) adaptive security measures, (b) necessity for buy-in resources, or both (c) proper management and personnel, (d) requirements based on state/industry regulations, and (e) security education training and awareness. University data custodians should implement, promote, and monitor comprehensive information security strategies to protect university PII. The implications for positive social change include potential leadership awareness to protect university PII and minimize the adverse effects of a data breach

Communication in Purposeful Human Activity Systems: The Role of Signs in Organizational Change Management

Communication in purposeful human activity systems plays a critical role in the design, management, and change management of these systems. However, its impact on and integrated nature in purposeful human activity systems is not well understood from a holistic viewpoint. In addition, a formal definition and methodology for identifying signs exhibited by purposeful human activity systems, the foundation of the communication system, has not been explored. Purposeful human activity system signs representative of meaning, behavior, structure, and process, indicate the current state of the system and offer a measure of success regarding the system’s pursuit of its purpose. As purposeful human activity systems exist for a purpose and actively pursue their purpose, identifying signs regarding the state of the system is critical to management and change efforts of the system. As current research on communication in organizations is largely focused on heuristic methods, the work presented in this document addresses the need for a more scientific and systemic approach to realizing and designing communication systems. This research can serve researchers and practitioners by presenting systemic methods and practices for managing change through the evaluation of purposeful human activity system signs that will enable the creation of impactful messages. These messages then can be used, among other purposes, to measure and improve successful communication in the design, realization, and management of purposeful human activity systems

The Chinese Advantage in Emergency Law

This Article has a twofold purpose. On the one hand, it offers comparative materials for an informed discussion of COVID-determined emergency law in China and Italy by assessing its normative implications and political genealogy. On the other hand, it explores the essential contiguity between the ‘state of exception’ triggered by the pandemic and the possible geopolitical shifts in global legal hegemony in the actual phase of surveillance capitalism which is witnessing a decline of law as a form of social organization and its replacement by the predictive models elaborated by technology. In this respect, the traditional Western iconography has long described the Chinese legal tradition as a “law without law”, a despotic regime with intrusive population surveillance whose distance from the Western paradigm is deemed almost unbridgeable. And yet the legal response to coronavirus both in Europe and in the U.S. somewhat replicates the allegedly distant Chinese model in terms of restrictions and surveillance mechanisms which are being deployed to counter the crisis in the face of a formal commitment to the rule of law. This Article concludes that the emerging pre-eminence of the “rule of technology” over the “rule of law” in a critical event of historic proportions like a pandemic should and will set the future agenda of comparative studies in a double direction. On the one hand it calls for a truly critical reconsideration of role of law in society which in turn impels to rethink the hold of the liberal constitutional model and the obsolescence of traditional legal taxonomies. On the other hand, it might point to the emergence of an unexpected Chinese legal leadership, determined by the progressive undoing of the Western legal and political narratives whose backbone has been relentlessly eroded by decades of neoliberalism and populism