Coping With Complexity

Author : H.W. Gottinger
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 9400970242
Total Pages : 239 pages
Book Rating : 4.43/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Coping with Complexity written by H.W. Gottinger and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this book I develop a theory of complexity for economics and manage ment sciences. This book is addressed to the mathematically or analytically oriented economist, psychologist or management scientist. It could also be of interest to engineers, computer scientists, biologists, physicists and ecologists who have a constant desire to go beyond the bounds of their respective disciplines. The unifying theme is: we live in a complex world, but how can we cope with complexity? If the book has made the reader curious, and if he looks at modelling, problem recognition and problem solving within his field of competence in a more "complex" way, it will have achieved its goal. The starting point is the recognition that complexity is a well-defined concept in mathematics (e.g. in topological dynamics), computer science, information theory and artificial intelligence. But it is a rather diffuse concept in other fields, sometimes it has only descriptive value or even worse, it is only used in a colloquial sense. The systematic investigation of complexity phenomena has reached a mature status within computer science. Indices of computer size, capacity and performance root ultimately in John von Neumann's paradigmatic model of a machine, though other 1 roots point to McCulloch and Pitts, not to forget Alan Turing. Offsprings of this development include: -complexity of formal systems and recursiveness; -cellular automata and the theory of self-reproducing machines; -theory of program or computational complexity; -theory of sequential machines; -problem solving, cognitive science, pattern recognition and decision processes.

Author : Dr Daniel P Jenkins
Publisher : Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
ISBN 13 : 1409485862
Total Pages : 312 pages
Book Rating : 4.65/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Cognitive Work Analysis: Coping with Complexity written by Dr Daniel P Jenkins and published by Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.. This book was released on 2012-10-01 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Complex sociotechnical systems' are systems made up of numerous interacting parts, both human and non-human, operating in dynamic, ambiguous and safety critical domains. Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) is a structured framework specifically developed for considering the development and analysis of these complex socio-technical systems. Unlike many human factors approaches, CWA does not focus on how human-system interaction should proceed (normative modelling) or how human-system interaction currently works (descriptive modelling). Instead, through a focus on constraints, it develops a model of how work can be conducted within a given work domain, without explicitly identifying specific sequences of actions (formative modelling). The framework leads the analyst to consider the environment the task takes place within, and the effect of the imposed constraints on the way work can be conducted. It provides guidance through the process of answering the questions of why the system exists, what activities can be conducted within the domain as well as how these activities can be achieved, and who can perform them. The first part of the book contains a comprehensive description of CWA, introducing it to the uninitiated. It then presents a number of applications in complex military domains to explore and develop the benefits of CWA. Unlike much of the previous literature, particular attention is placed on exploring the CWA framework in its entirety. This holistic approach focuses on the system environment, the activity that takes place within it, the strategies used to conduct this activity, the way in which the constituent parts of the system (both human and non-human) interact and the behaviour required. Each stage of this analysis identifies the constraints governing the system; it is contended that through this holistic understanding of constraints, recommendations can be made for the design of system interaction; increasing the ability of users to cope with unanticipated, unexpected situations. This book discusses the applicability of the approach in system analysis, development and evaluation. It provides process to what was previously a loosely defined framework.

Author : Jack Snyder
Publisher : Westview Press
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 420 pages
Book Rating : 4.63/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Coping With Complexity In The International System written by Jack Snyder and published by Westview Press. This book was released on 1993-01-19 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Historical chapters show how understanding the workings of complex systems allowed statesmen to devise the Concert of Europe and how the collapse of the Concert in the Crimean War was triggered by the tsar's failure to comprehend the indirect impact his strategies would have on British public opinion. Another chapter highlights the feedback processes between domestic politics and the international monetary system that led to the rise and fall of the gold standard and to the creation of the European monetary system. The diplomacy of the Moroccan crisis of 1905 is used to show that conventional wisdom places unwarranted weight on a state's reputation for standing firm in the interconnected international system. The discussions also explore the systemic causes of World War II: Contributors examine how the international financial system unwittingly helped destroy Weimar democracy and offer a challenging reinterpretation of the workings of the balance of power in the 1930s.

Author : Uri Merry
Publisher : Praeger
ISBN 13 : 0275951529
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.28/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Coping with Uncertainty written by Uri Merry and published by Praeger. This book was released on 1995-03-23 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study applies the findings of the new nonlinear sciences to understanding the processes of growing complexity and intensifying chaos in the modern world. It also identifies and reviews approaches for living and coping with these trends. Uri Merry seeks to clarify the role of chaos in the transformation of the social sciences to new orders by re-examining and re-evaluating some of the basic tenets of modern social and behavioral science in light of theories of chaos, self-organization, and complexity. Divided into three sections, the work provides an overview of the major findings of the new science of chaos; analyzes why chaos is on the upsurge and why human society is experiencing such anxiety about it; and surveys some of the major approaches for dealing with chaos in society, organizations, and our personal lives.

Author : Ulrich Steger
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 9780470513118
Total Pages : 312 pages
Book Rating : 4.1X/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Managing Complexity in Global Organizations written by Ulrich Steger and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2007-04-04 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book delivers new IMD insights on an emerging challenge - how to deal with overwhelming complexity. Global organizations face a complex decision-making environment. On one side, diversity of cultures, customers, competitors and regulations creates complexity; on the other, competitive pressures cause expanding countries to extract more synergies across products and regions. In such a climate, a new way of thinking, acting and organizing is needed beyond the familiar ‘control’ mindset. Drawing together insights from across the expert faculty, Managing Complexity in the Global Organization presents IMD’s framework on how to understand complexity and its four key drivers (diversity; interdependence; ambiguity and flux), along with solutions on specific issues in a variety of functions, industries and markets. The focus is on providing practical solutions based on real-life examples.

Author : Michael Bamberger
Publisher : SAGE Publications
ISBN 13 : 1483344258
Total Pages : 585 pages
Book Rating : 4.56/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Dealing With Complexity in Development Evaluation written by Michael Bamberger and published by SAGE Publications. This book was released on 2015-10-16 with total page 585 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Recognizing that complexity calls for innovative, conceptual, and methodological solutions, Dealing with Complexity in Development Evaluation by Michael Bamberger, Jos Vaessen, and Estelle Raimondo offers practical guidance to policymakers, managers, and evaluation practitioners on how to design and implement complexity-responsive evaluations that can be undertaken in the real world of time, budget, data, and political constraints. Introductory chapters present comprehensive, non-technical overviews of the most common evaluation tools and methodologies, and additional content addresses more cutting-edge material. The book also includes six case study chapters to illustrate examples of various evaluation contexts from around the world.

Author : Richard Stevens
Publisher : Pearson Education
ISBN 13 : 9780130950857
Total Pages : 392 pages
Book Rating : 4.58/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Systems Engineering written by Richard Stevens and published by Pearson Education. This book was released on 1998 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In an age of shrinking development cycles, it is harder than ever to bring the right product to market at the right time. Good product, especially complex products, is underpinned by good systems, and systems engineering itself is recognised as the key tool to product development. This book covers the principles of systems design in an easy to read format. The authors have decades of practical industrial experience, and the material is ideal for industrial project teams. For academic courses, the book acts as a component for graduate and undergraduate engineering studies, particularly those on systems engineering. It covers how to handle requirements, architectural design, integration and verification, starting from the perspective of a simple linear lifecycle. The book then gradually introduces recent work on the complexity of real world systems, with issues such as multi-level systems, and iterative development. There is also coverage of the impact of systems engineering at the organsational level.

Author : Claudia Pahl-Wostl
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 3540759417
Total Pages : 437 pages
Book Rating : 4.16/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Adaptive and Integrated Water Management written by Claudia Pahl-Wostl and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2007-12-15 with total page 437 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sustainable water management is a key environmental challenge of the 21st century. This book presents the very latest studies, methods and innovations for managing our water resources from the first International Conference on Adaptive and Integrated Water Management, held in November 2007 in Basel, Switzerland. The book addresses a wide interdisciplinary audience of scientists and professionals from academia, industry, and those involved in policy making.

Author : Erik Hollnagel
Publisher : CRC Press
ISBN 13 : 1420038192
Total Pages : 236 pages
Book Rating : 4.94/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Joint Cognitive Systems written by Erik Hollnagel and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2005-02-28 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nothing has been more prolific over the past century than human/machine interaction. Automobiles, telephones, computers, manufacturing machines, robots, office equipment, machines large and small; all affect the very essence of our daily lives. However, this interaction has not always been efficient or easy and has at times turned fairly hazardous.

Author : John P. Kotter
Publisher : Harvard Business Press
ISBN 13 : 0875848974
Total Pages : 198 pages
Book Rating : 4.76/5 ( download)

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Download or read book John P. Kotter on what Leaders Really Do written by John P. Kotter and published by Harvard Business Press. This book was released on 1999 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Widely acknowledged as the world's foremost authority on leadership, the author provides a collection of his acclaimed "Harvard Business Review" articles.