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This thesis looks at two critical urges in Critical Systems Thinking that both complement and critique each other. Firstly, there is an urge to construct in a critical manner. Secondly, there is an urge to be critical about such constructions. They complement and critique each other in the manner in which the second urge requires the first urge in order to understand what it means when one begins to create by construction, and also in which the first urge requires the second in order to understand the privileged position that construction is given in epistemology. These two urges give two stages. Construction relates to four clear conditions that develop from an Architectural study. This study offers two definitions of Architecture : structural longevity and relational modification. Consequently, a Structure and Process are established (first two stages) which together content an Architecture of Critical Systems Thinking (third stage). This Architecture is then applied to Systems Thinking through a study of five Systems Thinkers, this application offers an Architecture as commensurability (fourth stage). The Architecture is thereby offered as author. De-construction relates to four clear conditions that develop from the Architecture of Critical Systems Thinking. Each condition questions the Architectural authority to construct. The Process (reversed to complement and critique) questions the Structural consistency of the Architecture (first). A Structure of Acuity develops that maintains meaning where the Architecture neutralised meaning (second). A Contentless Acuity follows (third), thereby allowing the contentlessness of paradigm (in)commensurability to be discussed as an application of the Acuity of Critical Systems Thinking. The Acuity is thereby offered as reader. To balance these two urges is to read with authority.

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Data-driven decision support systems, such as data warehouses, are extremely costly to develop. Forty one per cent of data warehouse development practitioners have experienced project failures. These projects were either completed after exceeding budget and time limits, or not at all. Some influential data warehousing authors advocate user involvement as a solution, while others focus on technical factors to improve data warehouse success. This study proposes a framework for data warehousing success based on systems thinking methodology. Systems thinking implies a holistic approach to problem solving. A system is a set of interrelated elements. A systems approach represents a broad view, taking all aspects into account and concentrating on interactions between different parts of the problem. This study investigates the practices of data warehousing professionals from a systems thinking point of view, before proposing a framework for the explicit use of specific systems thinking methodologies in data warehouse development. Interpretive case study research is used to investigate practices of data warehousing professionals in three different organisations. Pattern matching is used to analyse collected data. This is done by mapping practices to different systems thinking perspectives. However, the theory component of the thesis is not a description of current data warehousing practices from a systems thinking point of view, as in typical interpretive research. The theory component relates more to critical research in that it is meant to change data warehousing practices towards specific systems thinking methodologies. The proposed framework incorporates three sources of information. These are a literature study on systems thinking philosophy, methodology and practice; a literature study on data warehousing and data warehousing success factors; and the results of case studies on current practices of data warehousing professionals analysed from a systems thinking perspective. The framework gives a methodological foundation for a holistic approach to data warehousing with maximum user involvement. It views a data warehouse as a system with typical systems characteristics, such as specified objectives relating to the organisation’s objectives, an environment, available resources, specified components and effective management. / Thesis (PhD (Information Technology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Informatics / unrestricted

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This study is to discuss the small and medium enterprises¡¦ business model through systems thinking. In the study, we try to find the casual loop diagrams of all art tutorial schools¡¦ business models first. Then we use systems thinking to analyze how the art tutorial school leaders¡¦ business concepts help him to run the art tutorial school so well. And we get two points. Firstly, through casual loop diagrams¡¦ analysis, we found that a constantly growing art tutorial school must prepare enough both high quality and quantity teaching resources. Do not extend before you prepare your teaching capacity, otherwise you¡¦ll lose customers¡¦ trust. Secondly, in daily business running, the leader should tell his employees what his business concepts are and how to fulfill them to overcome the business¡¦s limitation. In this case, the leader thinks one must have these three business concepts: (1) The more you give, the more you¡¦ll get; (2) People should consider others before themselves; (3) With virtue, people can create great artistic creations. Through good business concepts and an integral dynamic cooperation, the business would grow up in a constant way.

A business ideology has very significant influences on a company. A well-thought business ideology can bring great profits and long-term sustainable developments; on the other hand, a flawed business ideology often creates losses for the employees, business itself and even the society. Since the importance of business ideology to a business is undeniable; how then, is the business ideology play a part in the business dynamic influence process and what influences does it have on the actual management process of a company? This paper is proceeded through the method of systems thinking, using XXX Co. as the study case, to discuss how management ideology affects business dynamic influence process. The conclusions found are as follow: 1. By following ¡§people-oriented¡¨ management ideology, managers at higher positions truly care for their employees, and do not lay off any employees arbitrarily, willing for employees to learn, increase interactions with employees by listening attentively to their true thoughts and adjust employee work loads accordingly. In the long run, employee cohesions toward the company strengthen, employee work pressure lessen, project quality elevated and employee leave rate lowered. 2. Under the influences of ¡§people-oriented¡¨ management ideology, in combination with a strict job selection process, a fair and unbiased wage system, and dynamiccriteria such as employee work loads. Thus, the firm can achieve sustainability in business growth without triggering the landmine structure of employee leaves. 3. It is been proven that the influences of business ideology to a company are immense and very broad. At the same time, it made us realize that the ¡§people-oriented¡¨ business ideology has a positive affects and impacts on the growth and business management of a company.

This research attempts to construct the dynamic model of forming process in Subprime Crisis by systemic thinking and find out the solution by using Archetype. We extensively review literature concerning Subprime Mortgage, Credit transaction, System Dynamics, and Finance. Then based on these literature, this research would construct Causal Feedback Loop Diagram to search for Leverage Solution and hopes to resolve the financial problem fundamentally. After reviewing previous literature, most articles only focus on short-term and limited discussion, so this research attempts to put them together by Causal Feedback Loop Diagram. Through analysis, this research find out the concealed Values behind Subprime Crisis, that is the pursuit of capitalism ,in other words, it means decision-makers only care about short-term benefits lack of consideration of the consequence. So the more effective strategy is ¡§to hold Management Flight Simulator Seminar for managers¡¨ and ¡§to increase the opportunity for the general public to get access to system thinking.¡¨ Furthermore, we also discover that ¡§Moral Courage¡¨ cannot be neglected in the recent Subprime Crisis. If we continue to limit our thinking, the financial crisis would never end and would happen again and again. The better way is to strengthen risk control and to hold a value system when facing chain reaction of the Subprime Crisis.

The Sub-prime loan crisis occurred in America caused from low interest, higher home prices, banks¡¦ greedy securitized mortgage and then, in 2007, invest rate rose, and housing prices dropped sharply. The investors got hit and credit market crunched finally. Before the crisis, the risks were ignored. Banks, hedge funds and insurance companies packaged and repackaged the products as RMBS, CDOS to inventors, and they did buy them a lot all over the world. Nobody knows exactly who owns what by how much that will affected sub-prime mortgage loan. Until 2007 the world turned up-side down, interest rate rose higher and higher, the housing market collapsed, and then Credit rating agencies downgraded to about 1,000 MBS (mortgage-backed securities). In the study will find out how sub-prime loan crisis is happened, when it will be over, as well as the relevant accounting and risk events.

The aim of the research is to identify core conditions that support increased delivery of sustainability in the built environment. The selected methodology is constructive research, which is distinguished by the dual focus on practical industry perspectives and theoretical knowledge. The first research question examines how Target Value Design (TVD), an integrated design management process, can elicit better delivery of sustainability values. This is developed through case study research of an exemplary design team and project. The findings identify a gap in the capability of the team to adopt a whole systems approach in order to make explicit the values of sustainable prosperity and develop a unified vision. This provides the basis for the second research question - how can design teams gain an understanding of the systemic nature of sustainability, and how can this understanding impact the design process? �The research proposes an intervention method that aligns learning models from the disciplines of experiential learning cycles, design thinking, behavior modeling, systems thinking and unified vision. This integrated approach leverages creative design activities to capture the learning potential for individual skills and team building. �While the research acknowledges the limitations from the testing of a single workshop experiment, post-workshop data suggests the intervention framework is sufficiently robust and versatile enough to adapt to individual workshop circumstances. �The key research outcome is the importance of the people in the process of collaborative design, in their ability to envision a future state of sustainable prosperity and articulate explicit actionable values. / Ph. D.