BCSSS

International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics

2nd Edition, as published by Charles François 2004 Presented by the Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science Vienna for public access.

About

The International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics was first edited and published by the system scientist Charles François in 1997. The online version that is provided here was based on the 2nd edition in 2004. It was uploaded and gifted to the center by ASC president Michael Lissack in 2019; the BCSSS purchased the rights for the re-publication of this volume in 200?. In 2018, the original editor expressed his wish to pass on the stewardship over the maintenance and further development of the encyclopedia to the Bertalanffy Center. In the future, the BCSSS seeks to further develop the encyclopedia by open collaboration within the systems sciences. Until the center has found and been able to implement an adequate technical solution for this, the static website is made accessible for the benefit of public scholarship and education.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

MESS FORMULATION 2)4)

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Identification of the system of problems and opportunities (in a mess) and understanding of the pattern of interactions among these problems and opportunities, and constraints on the organization's ability to do something about them (after R. HARNDEN, 1990, p.344).

According to R.L. ACKOFF, a good way to formulate the mess is projecting the future of the organization or enterprise if nothing would be done to clean up the mess.

Three aspects are of particular importance:

- obtain a detailed description of the organization and how it works, internally and in relation to its environment

- study the obstructions that block the smooth development of the organization

- prepare projections extrapolating the present performance of the organization in its messy conditions, in order to discover the dangers that loom ahead.

HARNDEN states: "The depth of analysis carried out in the mess formulation makes it possible to dissolve conflict. It is in this phase that the focus on learning is dominant. A proper mess formulation probes deeply and honestly enough to demonstrate to any doubting party that the approach is balanced and respects everyone's issue. In mess formulation, the issues are reframed until they are stated in terms that recognize existing interests vital to all parts and create a shared purpose" (p.845).

This view is very close to co-participative design (BANATHY – FUSCHL Group), heterarchical design (JOHANNESSEN) and generic design (WARFIELD).

Categories

  • 1) General information
  • 2) Methodology or model
  • 3) Epistemology, ontology and semantics
  • 4) Human sciences
  • 5) Discipline oriented

Publisher

Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science(2020).

To cite this page, please use the following information:

Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science (2020). Title of the entry. In Charles François (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics (2). Retrieved from www.systemspedia.org/[full/url]

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