Dent E. B. & Umpleby S. A. (1998) Underlying assumptions of several traditions in systems theory and cybernetics. Cybernetics and Systems 29: 513–518. https://cepa.info/2330
Dent E. B. & Umpleby S. A.
(
1998)
Underlying assumptions of several traditions in systems theory and cybernetics.
Cybernetics and Systems 29: 513–518.
Fulltext at https://cepa.info/2330
How is the field of systems science different from other scientific fields, and how can we distinguish the various traditions within systems science? We propose that there is a set of underlying assumptions which are generally shared within systems science but are less common in other scientific fields. Furthermore, the various traditions within systems science have adopted different combinations of these assumptions. We examine six traditions within systems science – cybernetics, operations research, general systems theory, system dynamics, total quality management, and organizational learning. We then consider eight underlying assumptions – observation, causality, reflexivity, self-organization, determinism, environment, relationships, and holism. We then assess where each tradition stands with respect to each of the underlying

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