Download or read book Critical Systems Thinking and the Management of Complexity written by Michael C. Jackson and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2019-03-15 with total page 816 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the winner of the INCOSE Pioneer Award 2022 The world has become increasingly networked and unpredictable. Decision makers at all levels are required to manage the consequences of complexity every day. They must deal with problems that arise unexpectedly, generate uncertainty, are characterised by interconnectivity, and spread across traditional boundaries. Simple solutions to complex problems are usually inadequate and risk exacerbating the original issues. Leaders of international bodies such as the UN, OECD, UNESCO and WHO — and of major business, public sector, charitable, and professional organizations — have all declared that systems thinking is an essential leadership skill for managing the complexity of the economic, social and environmental issues that confront decision makers. Systems thinking must be implemented more generally, and on a wider scale, to address these issues. An evaluation of different systems methodologies suggests that they concentrate on different aspects of complexity. To be in the best position to deal with complexity, decision makers must understand the strengths and weaknesses of the various approaches and learn how to employ them in combination. This is called critical systems thinking. Making use of over 25 case studies, the book offers an account of the development of systems thinking and of major efforts to apply the approach in real-world interventions. Further, it encourages the widespread use of critical systems practice as a means of ensuring responsible leadership in a complex world. The INCOSE Pioneer Award is presented to someone who, by their achievements in the engineering of systems, has contributed uniquely to major products or outcomes enhancing society or meeting its needs. The criteria may apply to a single outstanding outcome or a lifetime of significant achievements in effecting successful systems. Comments on a previous version of the book: Russ Ackoff: ‘the book is the best overview of the field I have seen’ JP van Gigch: ‘Jackson does a masterful job. The book is lucid ...well written and eminently readable’ Professional Manager (Journal of the Chartered Management Institute): ‘Provides an excellent guide and introduction to systems thinking for students of management’

Download or read book Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy written by John le Carre and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2002 with total page 402 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: George Smiley is assigned to uncover the identity of the double agent operating in the highest levels of British Intelligence.

Download or read book The Typographical Journal written by and published by . This book was released on 1897 with total page 520 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Study of Sociology written by Herbert Spencer and published by London, D. Appleton. This book was released on 1874 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Democratizing Innovation written by Eric Von Hippel and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2006-02-17 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The process of user-centered innovation: how it can benefit both users and manufacturers and how its emergence will bring changes in business models and in public policy. Innovation is rapidly becoming democratized. Users, aided by improvements in computer and communications technology, increasingly can develop their own new products and services. These innovating users—both individuals and firms—often freely share their innovations with others, creating user-innovation communities and a rich intellectual commons. In Democratizing Innovation, Eric von Hippel looks closely at this emerging system of user-centered innovation. He explains why and when users find it profitable to develop new products and services for themselves, and why it often pays users to reveal their innovations freely for the use of all.The trend toward democratized innovation can be seen in software and information products—most notably in the free and open-source software movement—but also in physical products. Von Hippel's many examples of user innovation in action range from surgical equipment to surfboards to software security features. He shows that product and service development is concentrated among "lead users," who are ahead on marketplace trends and whose innovations are often commercially attractive. Von Hippel argues that manufacturers should redesign their innovation processes and that they should systematically seek out innovations developed by users. He points to businesses—the custom semiconductor industry is one example—that have learned to assist user-innovators by providing them with toolkits for developing new products. User innovation has a positive impact on social welfare, and von Hippel proposes that government policies, including R&D subsidies and tax credits, should be realigned to eliminate biases against it. The goal of a democratized user-centered innovation system, says von Hippel, is well worth striving for. An electronic version of this book is available under a Creative Commons license.

Download or read book Cold War Saga written by Kempton Jenkins and published by Nimble Books LLC. This book was released on 2010 with total page 451 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For years, historians have dug into the archives, exploring the nuances of how the cold war was fought. But there is no substitute for the first-person testimony of the man who was there--in the pit--in the head-to-head confrontations in Moscow and Berlin and the Third World, in the decades when East and West struggled for supremacy. Kempton Jenkins was there at every turn; his memoir is a unique personal story as well as a valuable document in diplomatic history."-Ernest B. Furgueson, former Bureau Chief of the Baltimore Sun Moscow, Saigon and Washington, DC offices "As a Foreign Service veteran, I know a good FSO when I see one. Kempton Jenkins was one of the best (as he notes, at one point I tried to hire him). "Jenks'" voyage through a varied and stimulating career takes us from Asia to Berlin to Moscow to South America and to three different agencies, State, Commerce and USIA. Each assignment has its special challenges, which come to life under Kempton's facile pen. He highlights the issues and introduces the reader to the players, some good some bad. Yet Kempton demonstrates that our diplomacy worked; we more than coped. We shaped events. Reading his book is the closest you can become to being an FSO during an exciting and crucial period in our diplomacy."-Frank Carlucci "Cold War Saga provides a fascinating insider's view, enriched by personal experience. Jenkins' portraits of key cold war personalities, with whom he worked-Ambassador Llewellyn Thompson, Henry Kissinger, and Soviet Ambassador Dobryin-are especially revealing. A great read - Helen Thomas To us veterans of the Cold War's diplomatic front lines, Kempton Jenkins tells it like it was. He names the key players, gives a keen insight into their character, and shows why some were heroes and some villains. Cold War Saga is an absorbing read. If you fought with Jenks in the political trenches it will stir fond memories. If you didn't, it will take you there, and you won't forget where you've been or what was at stake. -Jack F. Matlock, Jr., U.S. Ambassador to the USSR, 1987-1991.

Download or read book Open a GLAM Lab written by Mahendra Mahey and published by . This book was released on 2020-11-30 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums (GLAM) Lab is a place for experimenting with digital collections and data. This book describes how to open a GLAM Lab and encourages a movement that can transform organisations and communities.

Download or read book Film Directors written by Michael Singer and published by . This book was released on 1989 with total page 588 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Spies of the Balkans written by Alan Furst and published by Random House Trade Paperbacks. This book was released on 2011-06-14 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Greece, 1940. In the port city of Salonika, with its wharves and brothels, dark alleys and Turkish mansions, a tense political drama is being played out. As Adolf Hitler plans to invade the Balkans, spies begin to circle—and Costa Zannis, a senior police official, must deal with them all. He is soon in the game, working to secure an escape route for fugitives from Nazi Berlin that is protected by German lawyers, Balkan detectives, and Hungarian gangsters—and hunted by the Gestapo. Meanwhile, as war threatens, the erotic life of the city grows passionate. For Zannis, that means a British expatriate who owns the local ballet academy, a woman from the dark side of Salonika society, and the wife of a shipping magnate. With extraordinary historical detail and a superb cast of characters, Spies of the Balkans is a stunning novel about a man who risks everything to fight back against the world’s evil.

Download or read book Agents Abilities written by Romy Jaster and published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. This book was released on 2020-04-06 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Die Reihe bietet ein Publikationsforum für innovative Arbeiten zu allen Themengebieten der analytischen Philosophie. Der Schwerpunkt liegt auf den Disziplinen der theoretischen Philosophie: Metaphysik, Ontologie, Erkenntnistheorie, Sprachphilosophie, Logik. Willkommen sind auch Beiträge zur Geschichte der Philosophie, wenn die systematische Durchdringung der gewählten Themen im Vordergrund steht. In Philosophical Analysis werden Monographien und Sammelbände mit hohem wissenschaftlichem Anspruch publiziert.

Download or read book Ultimate Toolbox written by Dawn Ibach and published by Alderac Entertainment Group (AEG). This book was released on 2009-09 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Strategic Project Management Made Simple written by Terry Schmidt and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2009-03-16 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Fortune Magazine estimated that 70% of all strategies fail, it also noted that most of these strategies were basically sound, but could not be executed. The central premise of Strategic Project Management Made Simple is that most projects and strategies never get off the ground because of adhoc, haphazard, and obsolete methods used to turn their ideas into coherent and actionable plans. Strategic Project Management Made Simple is the first book to couple a step-by-step process with an interactive thinking tool that takes a strategic approach to designing projects and action initiatives. Strategic Project Management Made Simple builds a solid platform upon four critical questions that are vital for teams to intelligently answer in order to create their own strong, strategic foundation. These questions are: 1. What are we trying to accomplish and why? 2. How will we measure success? 3. What other conditions must exist? 4. How do we get there? This fresh approach begins with clearly understanding the what and why of a project - comprehending the bigger picture goals that are often given only lip service or cursory reviews. The second and third questions clarify success measures and identify the risky assumptions that can later cause pain if not spotted early. The how questions - what are the activities, budgets, and schedules - comes last in our four-question system. By contrast, most project approaches prematurely concentrate on the how without first adequately addressing the three other questions. These four questions guide readers into fleshing out a simple, yet sophisticated, mental workbench called "the Logical Framework" - a Systems Thinking paradigm that lays out one's own project strategy in an easily accessible, interactive 4x4 matrix. The inclusion of memorable features and concepts (four critical questions, LogFrame matrix, If-then thinking, and Implementation Equation) make this book unique.

Download or read book Balanced Scorecard Step by Step written by Paul R. Niven and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2002-10-15 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explains how an organization can measure and manage performance with the Balanced Scorecard methodology. It provides extensive background on performance management and the Balanced Scorecard, and focuses on guiding a team through the step-by-step development and ongoing implementation of a Balanced Scorecard system. Corporations, public sector agencies, and not for profit organizations have all reaped success from the Balanced Scorecard. This book supplies detailed implementation advice that is readily applied to any and all of these organization types. Additionally, it will benefit organizations at any stage of Balanced Scorecard development. Regardless of whether you are just contemplating a Balanced Scorecard, require assistance in linking their current Scorecard to management processes, or need a review of their past measurement efforts, Balanced Scorecard Step by Step provides detailed advice and proven solutions.

Download or read book The Maker Movement Manifesto Rules for Innovation in the New World of Crafters Hackers and Tinkerers written by Mark Hatch and published by McGraw Hill Professional. This book was released on 2013-09-27 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: YOU can create the next breakthrough innovation A revolution is under way. But it's not about tearing down the old guard. It's about building, it's about creating, it's about breathing life into groundbreaking new ideas. It's called the Maker Movement, and it's changing the world. Mark Hatch has been at the forefront of the Maker Movement since it began. A cofounder of TechShop--the first, largest, and most popular makerspace--Hatch has seen it all. Average people pay a small fee for access to advanced tools--everything from laser cutters and milling machines to 3D printers and AutoCAD software. All they have to bring is their creativity and some positive energy. Prototypes of new products that would have cost $100,000 in the past have been made in his shop for $1,000. The Maker Movement is where all the next great inventions and innovations are happening--and you can play a part in it. The Maker Movement Manifesto takes you deep into the movement. Hatch describes the remarkable technologies and tools now accessible to you and shares stories of how ordinary people have devised extraordinary products, giving rise to successful new business ventures. He explains how economic upheavals are paving the way for individuals to create, innovate, make a fortune--and even drive positive societal change--with nothing more than their own creativity and some hard work. It's all occurring right now, all around the world--and possibly in your own neighborhood. The creative spirit lives inside every human being. We are all makers. Whether you're a banker, lawyer, teacher, tradesman, or politician, you can play an important role in the Maker society. So fire up your imagination, read The Maker Movement Manifesto--and start creating! Praise for The Maker Movement Manifesto "It’s the same revolutionary innovation model, but now applied to one of the biggest industries in the world—manufacturing." --Chris Anderson, CEO, 3D Robotics, and former Editor-in-Chief, Wired "He (Henry Ford) probably would have started in TechShop." --Bill Ford, Executive Chairman, Ford Motor Company, and great-grandson of Henry Ford "We are heading into a new age of manufacturing . . . Hatch has a front-row seat and has written the must-follow guide to democratize this new age. This is the book I wish every American would use. It contains the keys to the future of work and joy for everyone." --Robert Scoble, Startup Liaison Officer, Rackspace “TechShop is the garage that Thomas Edison wished he had, and thanks to Mark Hatch, it’s open it to the public. This book is a lifeline to a country with a skills gap that threatens to swallow us all. For aspiring inventors and entrepreneurs, The Maker Movement Manifesto is a ‘celebration in the making’—even if the only thing you make is a mess.” --Mike Rowe, Dirty Jobs "Mark’s book is pitch-perfect on why the Maker Movement is so important for our collective future." --Beth Comstock, CMO and SVP, GE

Download or read book Children s Books in Print written by and published by . This book was released on 1980 with total page 1140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Gnuplot in Action written by Philipp K. Janert and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2016-03-08 with total page 779 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Summary Gnuplot in Action, Second Edition is a major revision of this popular and authoritative guide for developers, engineers, and scientists who want to learn and use gnuplot effectively. Fully updated for gnuplot version 5, the book includes four pages of color illustrations and four bonus appendixes available in the eBook. Purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF, Kindle, and ePub formats from Manning Publications. About the Technology Gnuplot is an open-source graphics program that helps you analyze, interpret, and present numerical data. Available for Unix, Mac, and Windows, it is well-maintained, mature, and totally free. About the Book Gnuplot in Action, Second Edition is a major revision of this authoritative guide for developers, engineers, and scientists. The book starts with a tutorial introduction, followed by a systematic overview of gnuplot's core features and full coverage of gnuplot's advanced capabilities. Experienced readers will appreciate the discussion of gnuplot 5's features, including new plot types, improved text and color handling, and support for interactive, web-based display formats. The book concludes with chapters on graphical effects and general techniques for understanding data with graphs. It includes four pages of color illustrations. 3D graphics, false-color plots, heatmaps, and multivariate visualizations are covered in chapter-length appendixes available in the eBook. What's Inside Creating different types of graphs in detail Animations, scripting, batch operations Extensive discussion of terminals Updated to cover gnuplot version 5 About the Reader No prior experience with gnuplot is required. This book concentrates on practical applications of gnuplot relevant to users of all levels. About the Author Philipp K. Janert, PhD, is a programmer and scientist. He is the author of several books on data analysis and applied math and has been a gnuplot power user and developer for over 20 years. Table of Contents PART 1 GETTING STARTED Prelude: understanding data with gnuplot Tutorial: essential gnuplot The heart of the matter: the plot command PART 2 CREATING GRAPHS Managing data sets and files Practical matters: strings, loops, and history A catalog of styles Decorations: labels, arrows, and explanations All about axes PART 3 MASTERING TECHNICALITIES Color, style, and appearance Terminals and output formats Automation, scripting, and animation Beyond the defaults: workflow and styles PART 4 UNDERSTANDING DATA Basic techniques of graphical analysis Topics in graphical analysis Coda: understanding data with graphs

Download or read book Teaching Academic Writing written by Caroline Coffin and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2005-07-26 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Student academic writing is at the heart of teaching and learning in higher education. Students are assessed largely by what they write, and need to learn both general academic conventions as well as disciplinary writing requirements in order to be successful in higher education. Teaching Academic Writing is a 'toolkit' designed to help higher education lecturers and tutors teach writing to their students. Containing a range of diverse teaching strategies, the book offers both practical activities to help students develop their writing abilities and guidelines to help lecturers and tutors think in more depth about the assessment tasks they set and the feedback they give to students. The authors explore a wide variety of text types, from essays and reflective diaries to research projects and laboratory reports. The book draws on recent research in the fields of academic literacy, second language learning, and linguistics. It is grounded in recent developments such as the increasing diversity of the student body, the use of the Internet, electronic tuition, and issues related to distance learning in an era of increasing globalisation. Written by experienced teachers of writing, language, and linguistics, Teaching Academic Writing will be of interest to anyone involved in teaching academic writing in higher education.