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International Federation for Systems Research Janie Chroust, 2010 International Federation for Systems Research “Systems Thinking: New Directions in Theory, Practice and Application” Proceedings of the Seventeenth IFSR Conversation M.C. Edson, G.S. Metcalf, G. Chroust, N. Nguyen, and S. Blachfellner (eds.) April 27 – May 2, 2014 St. Magdalena / Linz (Austria) SEA-Publications: SEA-SR-41 Institute for Telecooperation Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria [email protected] March 2015 ISBN 978-3-902457-41-7 Impressum Schriftenreihe: SEA-Publications Johannes Kepler University, Linz Systems Thinking: New Directions in Theory, Practice and Application Proceedings of the Seventeenth IFSR Conversation M. C..Edson, G. S. Metcalf, G. Chroust, N. Nguyen, and S. Blachfellner (editors) April 27 – May 2, 2014 St. Magdalena / Linz (Austria) Printing sponsored by the International Federation for Systems Research (IFSR) © 2015 International Federation for Systems Research (IFSR) (except where stated differently) Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Printed: WLK Druck, A-2340 Mödling, Austria Johannes Kepler University Linz Institute for Telecooperation www.tk.uni-linz.ac.at (version 1.0) ISBN 978-3-902457-41-7 Table of Contents Page Welcome from Vice Rector Roithmayr Introduction: 2014 IFSR Conversation – Impressions (G. Metcalf, M.C. Edson) 1 List of Participants and Contacts 2 Team 1: ‘Quality Control’ of Model Development for Successful Systems Intervention 4 Team 2: Thrivable Systems — from Vision to Reality 14 Team 3: New Directions in Cybernetics 21 Team 4: Conversation - How Do We Identify Transcultural Metaphors? 28 Team 5: Philosophical Foundations for the Modern Systems Movement 32 Team 6: Systems Research 43 Appendices: A. Linz and Sankt Magdalena 66 B. What is the IFSR Conversation? 68 Vice-Rector for International Affairs Univ.Prof. Dr. FRIEDRICH ROITHMAYR Phone: +43 732 2468-3390 Fax: +43 732 2468-3395 [email protected] Ladies and Gentlemen, dear participants in the IFSR Conversation 2014 here in Linz! As the Vice-Rector for International Affairs of the Johannes Kepler University I have the honor to open this academic event . The Johannes Kepler University Linz is a young university, but still has a long tradition of supporting System Sciences. Already around 1970 an Institute for System Sciences under the leadership of Prof. Adolf Adam and Prof. Franz Pichler was founded, which later was augmented by a department for Systems Engineering which then became an Institute on its own under the leadership of Prof. Gerhard Chroust. Both professors were, respectively are, Secretary General of the IFSR. System Sciences have continuously grown in their importance and especially in the academic world today are seen as one of the instruments to overcome some of our world problems. While the technical sciences, especially the computer sciences, as offered in Linz both at the Technical and Socio-Economic Faculty bring forth new ideas and solution to some of our problems, we need system sciences and their holistic and interdisciplinary views to avoid humanity to drift into catastrophes of various sorts. Linz and the Johannes Kepler University is proud to have this prestigious conference and you as our guests and I wish you on my behalf of the Rectorate of the University the very best success for your deliberations in the coming week. Univ.Prof. Dr. Friedrich Roithmayr Vice-Rector for International Affairs Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria Seventeenth IFSR Conversation 2014 1 2014 IFSR Conversation – Impressions Gary S. Metcalf, Mary C. Edson From April 27 through May 2, 2014, the IFSR Conversation took place at Sankt Magdalena Seminarhaus near Linz, Austria. Six teams comprising a total of 40 participants from around the globe spent an intensive week in focused dialogues about future directions for systems engineering, thrivability (systems thinking in practice), cybernetics, philosophy, systems research, and the Conversation itself. Overall, the 2014 Conversation was a resounding success. Some prior participants remarked that it was, “the best Conversation I have attended.” Feedback from participants covered everything from the venue, food, and service to the content of the team dialogues and the quality of interactions during the week. As much as many long-term participants remember the meetings at Fuschl am See, this new venue appears to be working well. Most participants expressed appreciation for opportunities to have high quality interaction with one another both in their teams as well as in more informal settings, for example at meals and excursions into Linz and outlying areas. Results from the evaluation showed that many participants would like more opportunities for informal discussions. There never seems to be sufficient time for connecting with one another! We also received excellent feedback from participants for planning future Conversations. One of the important recommendations was more in-team preparation in the months leading up to the Conversation, so the time spent on-site could be used to move team progress along more quickly and focus on matters that can only be addressed in person. It also seems that we need to keep you caffeinated and virtually connected (wi-fi) around the clock. All suggestions made will factor into planning the next Conversation. The Executive Committee appreciates the keen participation and feedback by all team members and looks forward to the 2016 Conversation. Special Mention Special recognition should be given to Ranulph Glanville’s passing on Dec. 20, 2014. Ranulph knew that he was quite ill at the time that he attended this conversation, but he made no real mention of it and contributed as any other participant (except, of course, for still being Ranulph). He was only able to attend the 50th Anniversary of the American Society for Cybernetics meeting in Washington, D.C. by video, despite having worked several years in its planning, so this was the last opportunity that many of us had to spend with him personally. Ranulph’s contributions to the field of cybernetics are testaments unto themselves, and he is missed already. Seventeenth IFSR Conversation 2014 2 LIST OF 2014 IFSR CONVERSATION PARTICIPANTS TEAM TEAM LEADER PARTICIPANTS 1 ‘Quality Control’ of Model Development Janet Singer for Successful Systems Intervention Michael Singer Jim Kijima Duane Hybertson Rick Adcock Mike Yearworth Gerhard Chroust 2 Thrivable Systems — from Vision Alexander Laszlo to Reality Ockie Bosch Nam Nguyen Violeta Bulc Warwick Watkins Ming-Fen Li Dino Karabeg Stefan Blachfellner 3 New Directions in Cybernetics Michael Lissack Allenna Leonard Ray Ison Ranulph Glanville † Tatiana Medvedeva Bernard Scott Stuart Umpleby 4 Conversation- How Do We Identify Gordon Rowland Transcultural Metaphors? Jed Jones Silvia Zweifel Yoshiaki Ohkami Yoshi Horiuchi 5 Philosophical Foundations for the Jennifer Wilby Modern Systems Movement David Rousseau Julie Billingham Rousseau Manfred Drack Rainer Zimmerman 6 Systems Research Mary Edson Louis Klein Shankar Sankaran Debora Hammond Pam Buckle John Kineman Will Varey President Gary Metcalf Seventeenth IFSR Conversation 2014 3 CONTACTS Janet Singer [email protected] Michael Singer [email protected] Jim Kijima [email protected] Duane Hybertson [email protected] Rick Adcock [email protected] Mike Yearworth [email protected] Gerhard Chroust [email protected] Alexander Laszlo [email protected] Ockie Bosch [email protected] Nam Nguyen [email protected] Stefan Blachfellner [email protected] Violeta Bulc [email protected] Warwick Watkins [email protected] Ming-Fen Li [email protected] Dino Karabeg [email protected] Michael Lissack [email protected] Allenna Leonard [email protected] Ray Ison [email protected] Ranulph Glanville † Stuart Umpleby [email protected] Tatiana Medvedeva [email protected] Bernard Scott [email protected] Gordon Rowland [email protected] Yoshi Horiuchi [email protected] Jed Jones [email protected] Silvia Zweifel [email protected] Yoshiaki Ohkami [email protected] Jennifer Wilby [email protected] David Rousseau [email protected] Julie Billingham [email protected] Rousseau Manfred Drack [email protected] Rainer Zimmerman [email protected] Mary Edson [email protected] Shankar Sankaran [email protected] Will Varey [email protected] Debora Hammond [email protected] Pam Buckle Henning [email protected] John Kineman [email protected] Louis Klein [email protected] Gary Metcalf [email protected] Seventeenth IFSR Conversation 2014 4 Team 1: ‘Quality Control’ of Model Development for Successful Systems Intervention Team Leader: Janet Willis Singer, USA, Team Members: Rick Adcock, GBR Gerhard Chroust, AUT Duane Hybertson, USA Kyoichi ‘Jim’ Kijima, JPN Michael Singer, USA Mike Yearworth, GBR Abstract: Team 1 continued the dialogue of recent years between systems scientists and systems engineers from IFSR member organizations, notably from the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) and the International Society for Systems Sciences (ISSS). The 2012 IFSR Conversation in Linz had led to the development of the Systems Praxis
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