Creative Problem Solving: Total Systems Intervention

Creative Problem Solving Total Systems Intervention Robert L. Flood and Michael C. Jackson Department of ManagementSystems and Sciences, University of Hull, UK In the modern worldorganisations are faced with innumerable and multifaceted issueswhich cannot be captured in the minds of a few experts and solvedwith the aid of some super–method. It would be equally wrong torevert to a trial and error approach. We need to retain rigorousand formalised thinking, while admitting the need for a range ofproblem solving methodologies. The future prospects of managementscience will be much enhanced if (a) the diversity of issuesconfronting managers is accepted, (b) work on developing a richvariety of problem solving methodologies is undertaken, and (c) wecontinually ask the question: "What kind of issue can be‘managed’ with which sort of methodology?" This volume,Creative Problem Solving: Total Systems Intervention, amounts tothe bringing together of a huge human effort in the area of themanagement sciences. Each particular methodology that we havepresented in this book is the realisation of years of work by manypeople, and the management and organisation theory to which werefer goes back nearly a century and has employed armies ofresearchers. Total systems intervention stands at the top of thismountain of effort and is able to offer an overview of themanagement–oriented disciplines which enables managers and decisionmakers to gain a command over how to employ them as a whole.

The Nature of Systems Thinking.

A System of Systems Methodologies.

The Logic and Process of Total Systems Intervention (TSI).

System Dynamics (SD).

Viable System Diagnosis (VSD).

Strategic Assumption Surfacing and Testing (SAST).

Interactive Planning (IP).

Soft Systems Methodology (SSM).

Critical Systems Heuristics (CSH).

Total Systems Intervention (TSI) Revisited.

Index.

About the authors Robert L. Flood, born 1955, is Professor of Management Sciences at the University of Hull, UK. He worked for 8 years in management with Paramount Pictures, National Opinion Polls and the Berkshire Area Health Authority, and actively pursues his management interests through consultancy, mainly in commercial organisations. He has authored 4 books, edited 2 others, is founding editor of the journal Systems Practice and has published in many other learned journals. Professor Flood holds a PhD in Systems Science and is also a Chartered Engineer. Michael C. Jackson, born 1951, is Professor of Management Systems at the University of Hull, UK. Prior to entering academic life he worked for 4 years in the civil service. He enjoys diverse consultancy interests with a particular focus on community projects and non–profit–making organisations. He has authored 2 books, edited 6 others, is deputy editor of the journal Systems Practice and has published in many other learned journals and contributed to several books. Professor Jackson holds a Masters degree in Systems and is currently Chair of the UK Systems Society.