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Soft Systems Methodology in Action "Whether by design, accident or merely synchronicity, Checkland appears to have developed a habit of writing seminal publications near the start of each decade which establish the basis and framework for systems methodology research for that decade." Hamish Rennie, Journal of the Operational Research Society, 1992 Thirty years ago Peter Checkland set out to test whether the Systems Engineering (SE) approach, highly successful in technical problems, could be used by managers coping with the unfolding complexities of organizational life. The straightforward transfer of SE to the broader situations of management was not possible, but by insisting on a combination of systems thinking strongly linked to real–world practice Checkland and his collaborators developed an alternative approach – Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) – which enables managers of all kinds and at any level to deal with the subtleties and confusions of the situations they face. This work established the now accepted distinction between ′hard′ systems thinking, in which parts of the world are taken to be ′systems′ which can be ′engineered′, and ′soft′ systems thinking in which the focus is on making sure the process of inquiry into real–world complexity is itself a system for learning. Systems Thinking, Systems Practice (1981) and Soft Systems Methodology in Action (1990) together with an earlier paper Towards a Systems–based Methodology for Real–World Problem Solving (1972) have long been recognized as classics in the field. Now–Peter Checkland has looked back over the three decades of SSM development, brought the account of it up to date, and reflected on the whole evolutionary process which has produced a mature SSM. SSM: A 30–Year Retrospective, here included with Soft Systems Methodology in Action closes a chapter on what is undoubtedly the most significant single research programme on the use of systems ideas in problem solving. Now retired from full–time university work, Peter Checkland continues his research as a Leverhulme Emeritus Fellow.
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Soft Systems Methodology in Action "Whether by design, accident or merely synchronicity, Checkland appears to have developed a habit of writing seminal publications near the start of each decade which establish the basis and framework for systems methodology research for that decade." Hamish Rennie, Journal of the Operational Research Society, 1992 Thirty years ago Peter Checkland set out to test whether the Systems Engineering (SE) approach, highly successful in technical problems, could be used by managers coping with the unfolding complexities of organizational life. The straightforward transfer of SE to the broader situations of management was not possible, but by insisting on a combination of systems thinking strongly linked to real–world practice Checkland and his collaborators developed an alternative approach – Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) – which enables managers of all kinds and at any level to deal with the subtleties and confusions of the situations they face. This work established the now accepted distinction between ′hard′ systems thinking, in which parts of the world are taken to be ′systems′ which can be ′engineered′, and ′soft′ systems thinking in which the focus is on making sure the process of inquiry into real–world complexity is itself a system for learning. Systems Thinking, Systems Practice (1981) and Soft Systems Methodology in Action (1990) together with an earlier paper Towards a Systems–based Methodology for Real–World Problem Solving (1972) have long been recognized as classics in the field. Now–Peter Checkland has looked back over the three decades of SSM development, brought the account of it up to date, and reflected on the whole evolutionary process which has produced a mature SSM. SSM: A 30–Year Retrospective, here included with Soft Systems Methodology in Action closes a chapter on what is undoubtedly the most significant single research programme on the use of systems ideas in problem solving. Now retired from full–time university work, Peter Checkland continues his research as a Leverhulme Emeritus Fellow.
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in real-world organizations outside the university. The intellectual starting point was Optner's concept (1965) that an organization could be taken to be a system with functional sub-systems-concerned with production, marketing, finance, human resources, etc. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
in real-world organizations outside the university. The intellectual starting point was Optner's concept (1965) that an organization could be taken to be a system with functional sub-systems-concerned with production, marketing, finance, human resources, etc. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Little of Substance,
By Mike Stephens "mike_stephens" (Central UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Soft Systems Methodology in Action (Hardcover)
Soft Systems Methodology, as described in this book, addresses projects where the outcome is undefined. There is a desire to improve things but how and what have not been specified. There is a framework for identifying key factors in the problem area and then a series of case studies, in the management arena.I have tried to read this several times but found it impossible to identify anything tangible. The case studies could only be more boring if you had actually had to participate in them, and the theoretical discussions just seem extremely waffley. It also features lots of ugly hand-drawn diagrams so common in books of this era. Go for a later book but check whether this idea has got more crisp and exciting first.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Print Quality,
By
This review is from: Soft Systems Methodology in Action (Paperback)
This review relates to the quality of the book rather than the quality of the contents. In a word, shocking. There are huge chunks that appear to have just been photocopies out of previous editions. These appear as quote blocks mis-aligned with the rest of the page and with dark grey backgrounds. Not sure whether they are meant to be reflective sections but they don't sit at all well.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Review of 'Soft Systems Methodology' by Checkland and Scholes,
By
This review is from: Soft Systems Methodology in Action (Paperback)
Having read this book, I must say that it serves its purpose to a very great degree. If you are looking for a book that gives expression to the subject of Soft Systems, this book will serve you well. The idea of including A 30 year retrospective is just great. It gives a fresh reader some perspective before going into the main section of the book. It gets very detailed and technical at times and one could get lost in the maze of details. That aside, it makes great reading and is ideal for research and other similar type work.
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