Designing and Managing Complex Systems

David Moriarty

• Publisher: Academic Press
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN: 9780323916097
• eBook ISBN: 9780323916103
• Topic: Psychology
• Subtopic: Consumer Behaviour
• Index: Psychology

The systems that surround us are often multidimensional, and complex, consisting of a large collection of networked components with convoluted connections between them. Designing and managing such systems can be challenging, particularly in organizations. Designing and Managing Complex Systems introduces readers to the theory of complex systems, examining the role of human within larger systems, the factors that affect system performance, and how such systems can be optimized. The first section reviews the history of one particularly fruitful approach to complexity, one based on knowledge of the human nervous system. Next, the author discusses the current understanding of complex systems in a variety of domains including physical, biological, mechanical, and organizational. Within these chapters the author also introduces the idea that there are marked similarities in how complexity is successfully managed across these different domains and how the ideas from one domain can be useful in other domains. Next, these ideas are synthesized into a framework for successfully designing and managing complex systems. The fourth section focuses on case studies concerning failures and successes within complex systems. - Provides an overview of the background and scope of complexity science - Reviews current understanding of complex systems in a variety of domains (physical, biological, mechanical, and organizational) - Introduces the idea of using successful techniques from one domain to help design and manage complex systems in other domains - Includes case studies analysing failures and successes within complex systems

Table of contents

• Designing and Managing Complex Systems
• Chapter 1.1 Control and communication
• Chapter 2.1 The simplification imperative
• Chapter 2.2 The language of systems
• Chapter 2.3 Classes of systems
• Chapter 2.4 Neurobiological systems
• Chapter 2.5 Sociotechnical systems
• Chapter 2.6 Consilient dynamics across scales
• Chapter 3.1 Introduction to part 3
• Chapter 3.2 Structure and function
• Chapter 3.3 Capability and adaptive capacity
• Chapter 3.4 Engineering resilience
• Chapter 3.5 Assessing the system properties of your organization
• Chapter 4.1 Challenger and Columbia1,212
• Chapter 4.2 Walmart, FEMA, and Hurricane Katrina1–41234
• Chapter 4.3 Lake Peigneur1,212
• Chapter 4.4 The water temples of Bali1–, 3
• Chapter 4.5 The global financial crisis1–3123
• Chapter 4.6 Continental Airlines1
• Chapter 4.7 Three Mile Island1–3123
• Chapter 4.8 Cybersyn and the trucking strike1–3123
• Chapter 4.9 Biological and informational viruses
• Chapter 4.10 Netflix1
• Chapter 4.11 Fukushima1–512345
• Chapter 4.12 The Mumbai Dabbawalas1,212
• Chapter 4.13 Flash Crash1–41234
• Chapter 4.14 Alphafold 21,212
• Chapter 5.1 Consilience with the arts
• Chapter 5.2 Conclusion
• References
• Index