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Title: Systems Thinking: Managing Chaos and Complexity: A Platform for Designing Business Architecture
ISBN: 0750671637
Author:
Jamshid Gharajedaghi
Publicate Date: 1999-05-10
Publish: 1999-05-10
List Price: $33.95
Average Customer Rating: 4.0
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $39.94
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $16.41
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| Customer Review: |
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1: Not up to expectations
I could not get the essence of this book. There is not a coherent framework, nor ideas are applied in a way that I would find useful. Please try to peruse a copy before purchasing it - in my case it would not make my first cut through the "search inside" feature.
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2: A True Cipher Key To Business Design / Re-Engineering
This is one of the most important books written in the last 30 years. It is about moving beyond process, synthetic and analytical thinking as singular means of improving business. It is a key to understanding that all of these methods are insufficient on their own as a means of creating optimum results, continuous improvement and business development.
We all understand that in the greatest of companies, musical ensembles, theatre troupes, and sports teams, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. However, we remain mystified by that elusive "chemistry" that actually is the necessary final ingredient needed to move beyond simply being very, very good, and becoming extraordinary.
Dr. Gharajedaghi reveals to us that "chemistry" remains elusive because of the way we see it. He demonstrates that it is not an ingredient that we can insert, but it is a product of the interaction and interdependence of the other ingredients that we are using. Additionally, we learn that the ingredients must be put into the right mixing bowl, or operational environment, which he defines in general terms as "context".
With this book, Professor Gharajedaghi provides us with a very clear understanding as to how chemistry can be created and recreated within any organization, and how to sustain it. This book is a key that will allow you to actually implement process improvement theories such as TQM and Lean, that have been at best a disappointment and at worst a failure in corporate America over the last 20 years.
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3: Good presentation of the problem, but weak presentation of the methodologies
Jamshid Gharajedaghi has presented a very nice introduction to a very difficult and complex problem. He has correctly identified the need for thinking about complex systems. The one really valuable insight is his discussion of the evolution of systems philosophies in Chapter 1.
Unfortunately, he does not truly present a unified approach to solving problems. He does explain rather well that choice is a very important component of complex systems, and that a well designed system incentivizes decision makers to do what is best for the group. His idea of holistic iterative design is a correct approach to solving complex systems problems. Yet clear methodologies and simulation approaches are lacking in their discussion, presentation, and illustration.
Simulation is a very important tool for understanding the behavior of complex systems. It should be used as extensively as possible. The presentation of systems dynamics in the book was very, very poor. It was too weak to be of much use to the designers and managers of practical systems. Yet models are not reality, and in the words of Richard Bandler, "the map is not the territory." There was no discussion of model validation. This is a clear fault of this book.
I do think that the idea of starting from the ideal scenario is of absolute importance in solving problems. It may be desirable or even necessary to alter the structure, function, and process of any organization in order to achieve the best results for the overall system. Yet Gharajedaghi does not provide a clear framework for doing so.
The case studies in this book are valuable, because they do give important insights to the application of systems thinking to practical situations. They will be valuable for researchers and managers who must start thinking holistically about practical business problems.
All in all, this book is for managers who need to pick up some kind of insight about practical systems problems, but it does not live up to the reputation of Jay Forrester or Russel Ackoff. The problem presentation is good, but the methodological sections are very, very weak.
I believe that the book is a very good start toward making an important contribution to the management science literature, but it is half-baked at best.
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4: One professor's take
I used this for a Ph.D. level course in Leadership Studies and can honestly say that, in almost three full decades of teaching, it was the worst mistake I have made in picking a textbook. Besides the above comment that it is low in definitional accuracy, it is just self-indulgent beyond words. I had the picture of a puppy bringing me a chewed newspaper and waiting to get petted for doing so. The author goes to great pains to demonstrate how bright he is, while demonstrating that his "brightness" is in the manipulation of words and other tools, not in understanding what he is talking about or in helping others to understand what he thinks he is saying.
Unless you like "buzz words" and jargon and the good feeling that comes from superficiality, stay away from this one.
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5: Don't be afraid,
This is really aimed at the reader who wishes to work on the transformation of whole organisations. Demonstrating the multi-dimensional relationships between organisational design, performance and behaviour.
This work has had a profound effect on my thinking and development of management ideas. It integrates many concepts into a systemic whole. I have used this book with many management teams in recent years.
If you are venturing into the world of systems thinking then this is probably the most accessible in terms of simplicity and breakthrough applications.
Putting these ideas into practice with your colleagues or management teams might seem a little daunting but it's the only way to learn and master the concepts which will bring deeper insight into organisational change and provide you with better solutions to some of your more persistent management issues. Don't be afraid.
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