System Dynamics in the Evolution of the Systems Approach

Article Outline

Glossary

Definition of the Subject

Introduction

Emergence of the Systems Approach

Common Grounds and Differences

The Variety of Systems Methodologies

System Dynamics – Its Features, Strengths and Limitations

Actual and Potential Relationships

Outlook

Appendix

Bibliography

Appendix

Milestones in the Evolution of the Systems Approach in General and System Dynamics in Particular

The table gives an overview of the systems movement's evolution, as shown in its main literature; and that overview is not exhaustive.

Table 1 Milestones in the evolution of the systems approach in general and system dynamics in particular

Systems Approaches – An Overview

Note: This diagram shows three streams of the systems approach in the context of their antecedents. The general systems thread has its origins in philosophical roots from antiquity: The term system derives from the old Greek ${\sigma \acute{\upsilon} \sigma \tau \eta \mu \alpha}$ (systēma), while, cybernetics stems from the Greek ${\kappa \upsilon \beta \varepsilon \rho \nu \acute{\eta} \tau \eta \varsigma}$ (kybernētēs). The arrows between the threads stand for interrelationships and efforts to synthesize the connected approaches. For example, integrated systems methodology is an integrative attempt to leverage the complementarities of system dynamics and organizational cybernetics. Enumerated to the left and right of the scheme are the fields of application. The big arrows in the upper region of the diagram indicate that the roots of the systems approach continue influencing the different threads and the fields of application even if the path via general systems theory is not pursued.

Figure 1

 

The diagram is not a complete representation, but the result of an attempt to map the major threads of the systems movement and some of their interrelations. Hence, the schema does not cover all schools or protagonists of the movement. Why does the diagram show a dynamic and evolutionary systems thread and a cybernetics thread, if cybernetics is about dynamic systems? The latter embraces all the approaches that are explicitly grounded in cybernetics. The former relates to all other approaches concerned with dynamic or evolutionary systems. The simplification made it necessary to somewhat curtail logical perfection for the sake of conveying a synoptic view of the different systems approaches, in a language that uses the categories common in current scientific and professional discourse. Overlaps exist, e. g., between dynamic systems and chaos theory, cellular automata and agent-based modeling.