{"id":1600,"date":"2024-07-25T18:37:12","date_gmt":"2024-07-25T15:37:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.iem.ihu.gr\/?post_type=course&p=1600"},"modified":"2025-05-28T20:10:15","modified_gmt":"2025-05-28T17:10:15","slug":"55-04","status":"publish","type":"course","link":"https:\/\/www.iem.ihu.gr\/en\/courses\/55-04\/","title":{"rendered":"Generalised Systems Theory"},"author":5,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"semester":[63],"course_type":[59],"class_list":["post-1600","course","type-course","status-publish","hentry","semester--1-2-5","course_type-optional"],"acf":{"code":"55.04","semester":63,"level":"1","teaching_activities":{"activity_1":{"description":"Theory","weekly_hrs":3,"ects":4},"activity_2":{"description":"","weekly_hrs":"","ects":""},"activity_3":{"description":"","weekly_hrs":"","ects":""},"activity_4":{"description":"","weekly_hrs":"","ects":""},"activity_5":{"description":"","weekly_hrs":"","ects":""}},"type":59,"language":"\u0395\u03bb\u03bb\u03b7\u03bd\u03b9\u03ba\u03ac","erasmus":"\u038c\u03c7\u03b9","url":"https:\/\/exams-sm.the.ihu.gr\/enrol\/index.php?id=108","prerequisites":"","instructors":[1961],"coordinator":"","content":"Introduction: Definitions & Concepts, System Principles & Concepts (Reductionist vs Holistic), Key Terminology\r\nA View from the Past to Present: General Systems Theory, System Science, Systems Approaches, Cybernetics\r\nDealing with Complexity: Hierarchy, Evolution, Description, Emergence, Adaptive Complex Systems\r\nProcess & Methods I: Hard, Soft, Evolutionary, and Complex Adaptive Systems\r\nProcess & Methods II: Systems Engineering & System Concept & Design\r\nCase Study: Describing and Understanding the Problem, Translating system objectives and the future solution description into a problem statement.\r\nCreative \/ Brainstorming Tools: Lateral Thinking, Systems Thinking Diagrams (ex. Mind Maps)\r\nProblem \u2013 Solving Tools: Decision Analysis, Casual Analysis, Systems Thinking Tools (Feedback, Causal Loops, N2 charts, etc.),\r\nSoftware Tools (ex. Stella, IThink, Vensum\u00b8 Systemigram, etc. )\r\nSystems Implementation: Spiral vs incremental implementation, Timely system implementation\r\nPlanning system design and technical implementation: Prioritize system capability phasing, Technology Road-mapping\r\nApplications I: Socio-Technical System\r\nApplications II: Value Chain \/ Lean\r\nApplication III: Global Warming","goals":"General Systems Theory is a discipline of seeing the \u201cwhole\u201d, recognizing patterns and interrelationships, and learning how to innovate a more effective, efficient and creative system solution. This course will acquaint students to basic concepts of systems thinking. The primary emphasis will be the introduction of basic systems thinking fundamentals, i.e. defining a systems perspective about any situation or problem, solving problems with that perspective, describing and modeling a problem, and designing and improving upon system solutions. After completing this course students will be able to:\r\n\u2022 Establish a basic understanding of general systems terminology, theories, processes, methods, language and tools.\r\n\u2022 Evaluate when it is appropriate to apply thinking methods, i.e. reductionist methods (data collection, scientific method, etc.) as opposed to applying systems thinking methods (Systems Engineering, Breakthrough Thinking\/Smart Questions, etc.)\r\n\u2022 Describe and model solutions that will enable system thinking (mind maps, feedback & causal loops, behavior over time diagrams, etc.)\r\n\u2022 Apply systems engineering and analysis techniques to various problems. (socio - technical, supply chain, value chain \/ lean, etc.)","skills":"Search, analysis and synthesis of data and information, using corresponding technologies, Adaptation to new situations, Independent work, Teamwork \u2013 distribution of responsibilities","teaching_methods":"Lectures, Exercises, Online guidance, Projected Presentations, E-mail communication, Online Synchronous and Asynchronous Teaching Platform (moodle).","students_evaluation":"Assessment Language: Greek\r\nPublic Presentations of group projects (30%)\r\nFinal Written Examinations (70%)\r\nEvaluation criteria:\r\nAbility to analyse and design a general system. Use appropriate system tools for systems implementation. Transfer general systems theory concepts and applications to different contexts.","bib_textbooks":"Virginia Anderson and Lauren Johnson (1997) Systems Thinking Basics: From Concepts to Causal Loops (Pegasus)\r\nBela H. Banathy (2000) The Guided Evolution of Society NY: Plenum\/Kluwer Academic\r\nLudwig von Bertalanffy (1968) General System theory: Foundations, Development, Applications, George Braziller New York\r\nPeter Checkland Jim Scholes (1990) Soft Systems Methodology in Action. (Wiley) ISBN 0-471-92768-6\r\nPeter Checkland Jim Sue Holwell (1998) Information, Systems and Information Systems. (Wiley) ISBN 0-471-95820-4\r\nJamshid Gharajedaghi Systems (2005) Thinking, Second Edition: Managing Chaos and Complexity: A Platform for Designing Business Architecture\r\n(Butterworth-Heinemann)","bib_journals":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iem.ihu.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/course\/1600","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iem.ihu.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/course"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iem.ihu.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/course"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iem.ihu.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.iem.ihu.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/course\/1600\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4186,"href":"https:\/\/www.iem.ihu.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/course\/1600\/revisions\/4186"}],"acf:post":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iem.ihu.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/staff\/1961"}],"acf:term":[{"embeddable":true,"taxonomy":"course_type","href":"https:\/\/www.iem.ihu.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/course_type\/59"},{"embeddable":true,"taxonomy":"semester","href":"https:\/\/www.iem.ihu.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/semester\/63"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iem.ihu.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1600"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"semester","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iem.ihu.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/semester?post=1600"},{"taxonomy":"course_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iem.ihu.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/course_type?post=1600"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}