Systems Thinking, Systems Practice
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Tanning and foxing
What does it truly mean to think in systems — and how can that thinking be put to practical use in a world of complex, messy problems? Systems Thinking, Systems Practice presents a rigorous yet accessible account of systems methodology, chronicling Peter Checkland's groundbreaking development of Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) over more than a decade of action research. Rooted in real-world organisational challenges, the work argues that traditional hard systems engineering approaches are insufficient for the ambiguous, human-centred problems that dominate modern institutions, and instructs readers in a richer, more adaptive framework for inquiry and problem-solving. Checkland's writing is precise and intellectually demanding, drawing on philosophy of science, cybernetics, and organisational theory to construct a methodology that treats real-world situations as systems of human activity rather than mechanical processes. Systems Thinking, Systems Practice stands as a landmark text in the systems movement, reshaping how academics, managers, and consultants approach complexity and change. Its influence on fields ranging from information systems to management science remains profound — leaving the reader to wonder just how many intractable problems might yield to a more systemic eye.
Author: Peter Checkland
Format: Hardback
Published: 1984, John Wiley & Sons
Genre: Science
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Tanning and foxing
What does it truly mean to think in systems — and how can that thinking be put to practical use in a world of complex, messy problems? Systems Thinking, Systems Practice presents a rigorous yet accessible account of systems methodology, chronicling Peter Checkland's groundbreaking development of Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) over more than a decade of action research. Rooted in real-world organisational challenges, the work argues that traditional hard systems engineering approaches are insufficient for the ambiguous, human-centred problems that dominate modern institutions, and instructs readers in a richer, more adaptive framework for inquiry and problem-solving. Checkland's writing is precise and intellectually demanding, drawing on philosophy of science, cybernetics, and organisational theory to construct a methodology that treats real-world situations as systems of human activity rather than mechanical processes. Systems Thinking, Systems Practice stands as a landmark text in the systems movement, reshaping how academics, managers, and consultants approach complexity and change. Its influence on fields ranging from information systems to management science remains profound — leaving the reader to wonder just how many intractable problems might yield to a more systemic eye.