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Encyclopedia of Complexity and Systems Science pp 1–19Cite as

System Dynamics in the Evolution of the Systems Approach

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Glossary

Cybernetics:

The science of communication and control in complex, dynamic systems. The core objects of study are information, communication, feedback, adaptation, and control or governance. In the newer versions of cybernetics, the emphasis is on observation, self-organization, self-reference, and learning.

Dynamical system:

The dynamical system concept is a mathematical formalization of time-dependent processes. Examples include the mathematical models that describe the swinging of a clock pendulum, the flow of water in a river, or the evolution of a population of fish in a lake.

Law of requisite variety:

Ashby’s law of requisite variety says “Only variety can destroy variety.” It implies that the varieties of two interacting systems must be in balance, if stability is to be achieved.

Organizational cybernetics:

The science which applies cybernetic principles to organization. Synonyms are management cybernetics and managerial cybernetics.

System dynamics (SD):
...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Management and strategy, University of St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland

    Markus Schwaninger

Authors
  1. Markus Schwaninger
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Markus Schwaninger .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Ramtech Ltd., Larkspur, CA, USA

    Robert A. Meyers

Appendix

Appendix

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

The following table gives an overview of the systems movement’s evolution, as shown in its main literature. This overview is not exhaustive.

Foundations of general systems theory

Von Bertalanffy

Zu einer allgemeinen Systemlehre

1945

 

An Outline of General System Theory

1950

 

General System Theory

1968

Bertalanffy, Boulding, Gerard, Rapoport

Foundation of the Society for General Systems Research

1953

Klir

An Approach to General Systems Theory

1968

Simon

The Sciences of the Artificial

1969

Pichler

Mathematische Systemtheorie

1975

Miller

Living Systems

1978

Mesarovic and Takahara

Abstract Systems Theory

1985

Rapoport

General System Theory

1986

Foundations of cybernetics

Macy Conferences (Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation)

Cybernetics, Circular Causal, and Feedback Mechanisms in Biological and Social Systems

1946–1951

Wiener

Cybernetics or Control and Communication in the Animal and in the Machine

1948

Ashby

An Introduction to Cybernetics

1956

Pask

An Approach to Cybernetics

1961

Von Foerster, Zopf

Principles of Self-organization

1962

McCulloch

Embodiments of Mind

1965

Foundations of organizational cybernetics

Beer

Cybernetics and Management

1959

 

Towards the Cybernetic Factory

1962

 

Decision and Control

1966

 

Brain of the Firm

1972

Von Foerster

Cybernetics of Cybernetics

1974

Foundations of system dynamics

Forrester

Industrial Dynamics

1961

 

Principles of Systems

1968

 

Urban Dynamics

1969

 

World Dynamics

1971

Meadows et al.

Limits to Growth

1972

Richardson

Feedback Thought in Social Science and Systems Theory

1991

Systems methodology

Churchman

Challenge to Reason

1968

 

The Systems Approach

1968

Vester and von Hesler

Sensitivitätsmodell

1980

Checkland

Systems Thinking, Systems Practice

1981

Ackoff

Creating the Corporate Future

1981

Ulrich

Critical Heuristics of Social Planning

1983

Warfield

A Science of Generic Design

1994

Schwaninger

Integrative Systems Methodology

1997

Gharajedaghi

Systems Thinking

1999

Sabelli

Bios: A Study of Creation

2005

Selected recent works in system dynamics

Senge

The Fifth Discipline

1990

Barlas and Carpenter

Model Validity

1990

Vennix

Group Model Building

1996

Lane and Oliva

Synthesis of System Dynamics and Soft Systems Methodology

1998

Sterman

Business Dynamics

2000

Warren

Strategy Dynamics

2002, 2008

Wolstenholme

Archetypal Structures

2003

Morecroft

Strategic Modeling

2007

Schwaninger and Grösser

Theory-Building with System Dynamics and Model Validation

2008, 2009

Rahmandad, Oliva, Osgood

Analytical Methods for Dynamic Modelers

2015

Kunc

Strategic Analytics

2019

Appendix B – Systems Approaches: An Overview

The following 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 relate to all other approaches concerned with dynamic or evolutionary systems. The streamlining 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, etc.

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Schwaninger, M. (2018). System Dynamics in the Evolution of the Systems Approach. In: Meyers, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Complexity and Systems Science. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27737-5_537-4

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    System Dynamics in the Evolution of the Systems Approach
    Published:
    11 July 2019

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27737-5_537-5

  2. System Dynamics in the Evolution of the Systems Approach
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    20 September 2018

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27737-5_537-4

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    System Dynamics in the Evolution of the Systems Approach
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    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27737-5_537-3

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