Especially during the last decade, the systems approach gained wide spread attention and increased influence in the world of academics and business. The holistic view of how individual elements interact with ea~h other to form an entity -not a collection of isolated parts -becomes more and more important. Whether it is called "integration" as in Computer Integrated Manufacturing, "organism" in ecological studies, or "network" like the communication network, it is the system's idea which opens neVI' dimensions for insights, applications and development. System Dynamics -or Industrial Dynamics as it was called during its early years by its founder and mentor, M.I.T.'s now Professor Emeritus Jay W. Forrester, -pioneered the use of system concepts and computer simulation for the analysis of complex problems in business and management. It was applied to study the dynamics of corporations, cities, national economies and, finally, the global problems of man and in his limited and fragile environment. The field has reached a stage of self sustained development and momentum. A few years ago the System Dynamics Society was founded, a high quality academic journal is now published in its fifth volume, and the annual International Conferences of the Society were institutionalized and took place in America, Europe and Asia. The organization of international meet· ings for this scientific community, however, is older than the System Dynamics Society itself. The first conventions were held as special sections of conferences devoted to simulation or cybernetics.

This book examines how organizations can, and should, transform their practices to compete in a world economy. Research results from a multi-disciplinary team of MIT researchers, along with the experiences and insights of a select group of industry practitioners, are integrated into a model that stresses the need for systemic and transformative rather than piecemeal or incremental changes in organization practices and public policy. This integration of research and experience results in an argument for a new organizational learning model--one capable of gaining advantage from employee diversity, cooperation across organizational boundaries, strategic restructuring, and advanced technology. The book begins with a foreword by Lester C. Thurow.

Complex Systems and Clouds: A Self-Organization and Self-Management Perspective provides insights into the intricate world of self-organizing systems. Large scale distributed computer systems have evolved into very complex systems and are at the point where they need to borrow self-adapting organizing concepts from nature. The book explores complexity in big distributed systems and in the natural processes in physics and chemistry, building a platform for understanding how self-organization in big distributed systems can be achieved. It goes beyond the theoretical description of self-organization to present principles for designing self-organizing systems, and concludes by showing the need for a paradigm shift in the development of large-scale systems from strictly deterministic to non-deterministic and adaptive. - Analyzes the effect of self-organization applied to computer clouds - Furthers research on principles of self-organization of computing and communication systems inspired by a wealth of self-organizing processes and phenomena in nature and society - Presents a unique analysis of the field, with solutions and case studies

This book focuses on operations management methods for analysing complex systems from a system engineering perspective. It presents various advanced multi-criteria decision analysis methods for investigating factors that influence complex systems. In turn, it shows how to improve systems’ performance, including their competitiveness, safety, and sustainability. The book also draws on examples of typical virtual systems such as tourism, aviation maintenance, and waste-to-wealth systems to illustrate the operations management methods discussed. Cases from day-to-day life are used to elicit heuristic questions on the operations management methods presented in each chapter. The book will help researchers, operations managers, and engineers alike to understand the latest advances in operations management methods for analysing complex systems from the standpoint of system engineering.

Autonomy Oriented Computing is a comprehensive reference for scientists, engineers, and other professionals concerned with this promising development in computer science. It can also be used as a text in graduate/undergraduate programs in a broad range of computer-related disciplines, including Robotics and Automation, Amorphous Computing, Image Processing, Programming Paradigms, Computational Biology, etc. Part One describes the basic concepts and characteristics of an AOC system and enumerates the critical design and engineering issues faced in AOC system development. Part Two gives detailed analyses of methodologies and case studies to evaluate AOC used in problem solving and complex system modeling. The final chapter outlines possibilities for future research and development. Numerous illustrative examples, experimental case studies, and exercises at the end of each chapter of Autonomy Oriented Computing help particularize and consolidate the methodologies and theories presented.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 16th IFIP WG 8.1 International Conference on Informatics and Semiotics in Organisations, ICISO 2015, held in Toulouse, France, in March 2015. The 21 revised papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 46 submissions. The papers are organized in the following topical sections: organisational semiotics: theory and concepts; organisational semiotics and applications; information systems and services; complex system modeling and simulation; and innovation and organisational learning.

Today's ever more complex world creates challenges for decision makers. This volume reviews the principles underlying complex decision making, the handling of uncertainties in dynamic environments, and the various modeling approaches. Beginning with a discussion of the underlying concepts, theories and empirical evidence, the book gives you a range of practical tools and techniques for decision making in complex environments and systems.

In order to ensure the criteria for monitoring and managing the various problems and design for decision control, a mathematical description of exact human knowledge is required for the management of adaptive and complex systems. Decision Control, Management, and Support in Adaptive and Complex Systems: Quantitative Models presents an application and demonstration of a new mathematical technique for descriptions of complex systems. This comprehensive collection contains scientific results in the field of contemporary approaches to adaptive decision making that is essential for researchers, scholars, and students alike.

Recently, there have been a number of advances in technology, including in mobile devices, globalization of companies, display technologies and healthcare, all of which require significant input and evaluation from human factors specialists. Accordingly, this textbook has been completely updated, with some chapters folded into other chapters and new chapters added where needed. The text continues to fill the need for a textbook that bridges the gap between the conceptual and empirical foundations of the field.