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Hoorcolleges System theory
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Hoorcolleges System theory
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InhoudLecture 1 (05-09-2022)...........................................................................................................................2
Lecture 2 (12-09-2022)...........................................................................................................................5
Lecture 3 (19-09-2022).........................................................................................................................11
Lecture 4 (26-09-2022).........................................................................................................................15
Lecture 5 (03-10-2022).........................................................................................................................20
Lecture 6 (10-10-2022).........................................................................................................................25
Lecture 7 (17-10-2022).........................................................................................................................29
,Lecture 1 (05-09-2022)
- 2 types of system theory
Practical issues
- Book acquired > assignments and seminars will be talking about book
- Lectures & 5 seminars; making assignments in the seminars
- Monday lectures: topic related to one chapter
- Wednesday seminars
- Friday lectures: discussing case assignments and questions
- Exam: pass written exam and sufficient for every case assignment
- No powerpoints
Content
- Main theme of system theory = regulating systems
Intuitive intro on regulating systems.
Regulating systems is about making sure that a system should choose desired behaviour
despite disturbances
What is a system? = a concrete unity consisting of elements and relations between the
elements, which chose particular behaviour
What is desired behaviour? = can be a set of activities, interested in the effect of these
activities, and the use of variables and values of the variables
> example: furniture department making planks
- behavior: set of activities = wood enter, wash them, soil them, saw them > planks
effect of activities = the output; the planks.
This is measured in variables (# planks per week, quality variables about output,
………………..process and employees) and values
For number of planks per week, you can make a graph from the variables. So it’s behavior is
described in the sequence of the values (planks per week is the behavior)
- elements: 2 classes; Human Resources (employees) & Technology (broad set of tools)
- relations: structure; the way tasks are defined
- desired behavior: we want systems to produce desired behavior. You need a norm variable
to see difference between desired and undesired effect
> desired = when value is within the norm
> undesired = when value is outside norm values
> we want system to show consistent behavior, but systems can show undesired behavior. In
system theory, when there’s undesired behavior, it’s an disturbance. The cause of that
undesired behavior is the reason of the disturbance.
, - In exams you will be presented to a case and asked to recognize undesired behavior and
disturbances. Undesired behavior is when the sequence of values drops below the norm, but
the cause for that is the disturbance, it is not the same!! (disturbance and undesired
behavior)
Which disturbances? = which causes of undesired behavior
How do you regulate? = making sure the outcomes will be within norm values again. Actions
to make sure the system shows desired behavior again.
Recipe for regulation (4 steps)
1. Define the system; concrete and abstract system
2. Define the norm values
3. Understand/describe disturbances
4. Make regulatory actions and perform them
Example for describing the recipe with taking a bath:
1. The system: activities is having a bath, concrete unity are you, bathtub, tab, water, etc.
Relations (script) between those elements; there is a sort of description/sequence of doing
the elements which explains how they relate (opening tab, fil water, sit in it).
The effect: should be measured in variables and values. Variable is temperature.
- concrete system is elements related to each other in description of tasks, HR, etc.
- abstract system is set of variables you use, the effect is measured in terms of variables
> we don’t use all variables (tiles in bathroom) because it’s not relevant for the overarching
goal of having a bath. So temperature is relevant, because is the goal is enjoying a bath,
having a good temperature helps reaching the desired effect
2. Norm values: which temperature helps reaching the goal of enjoyment
3. Disturbances: cause of undesired behavior (not having the right temperature) for example
the disturbance is dropping your cold water in the tub which causes a temperature drop
4. Regulatory actions: when temperature is too low, add warm water
Complexity
= variety, which is nothing more than the number of different elements of the set
- Transformation process (activities) that leads up to a certain effect. There might be more
disturbances, which are the causes of undesired behavior. The complexity (variety) is the
number of different disturbances. (D1, D2, D3 = 3 varieties). This is problematic variety. But
there are regulatory actions to reach desired outcome.
You want a certain variety in the set of regulatory actions, so there are more ways to help
with the disturbances
Complexity is fought complexity in regulatory actions
, 2 types of system theory
- General system theory = about regulating all kinds of systems.
> we want to understand organisations as a particular type of systems. Organisation is a
social system conducting experiments
> to design infrastructure of organisations
- Organisational system theory = about regulating organisational systems.
Model of organisations
4 basic activities
1. Carry out transformation (primary) processes which lead to products and services
2. Operational regulation; to deal with disturbances from primary processes
3. Setting goals; goals for the effect of the primary process
4. Providing conditions (Design); conditions which make sure the activities can be performed
> 3 types of conditions which should be provided: (Infrastructure)
1. Human Resources which are skills, knowledge etc.
2. Technology (other resources), machines etc.
3. Structure; create a structure to be able to perform the activities
We use general system theory to design the infrastructure
Organisations are social systems conducting experiments
- Experiment = you have a difficult problem, which is difficult because you don’t know a
solution beforehand > You provide a possible solution, which is just a hypothesis > After
implementing the solution > you monitor whether the solution actually worked > If it didn’t
work, you need to come up with a new hypothesis. --> this cycle is experimentation
- Setting goals is an experiment; it’s all about the continuation/survival of the organisation
> but it is always an hypothesis, you’re never 100% sure
> you try to realise the goals > and monitor them
- Designing infrastructure is also an experiment; problem for designing this is an effective set
of conditions helping to realise these basic activities. But beforehand, you don’t know which
infrastructure will work. But you’ll also implement and monitor infrastructures.
- An organisation is a social system; everything that happens in an organisation, happens in
interaction, in communication between employees in organisations.
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