The Systemic Approach of SSM: The Case of a Brazilian Company

Springer Science and Business Media LLC - Tập 15 - Trang 51-66 - 2002
Fernanda Menezes Ferrari1, Carolina Bordignon Fares1, Dante Pinheiro Martinelli2
1Department of Production Engineering/UFSCar, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
2School of Economics, Business Administration and Accounting (FEA-USP), University of São, Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

Tóm tắt

This paper aims to describe the application of Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) to the reality of a Brazilian enterprise. Systemic practices are ways of putting to use systemic thought in the real world, using the precepts of the systemic approach, which is very important for knowledge management and globalization. The systemic practice SSM is used in the resolution of ill-defined problems, which often involve behavioral variables and, thus, cannot be addressed by the so-called “hard methodologies.” In this paper, SSM is applied to the problematic of a middle-market business, an auto supply distributor, whose managers consulted the authors of this paper as regards proposing improvements of its performance. As a result of this work, the authors were able to propose core changes in attitudes, leading to changes in structure and process.

Tài liệu tham khảo

Ackoff, R. L. (1960). Systems, organizations and interdisciplinary research. In Eckman, D. P. (ed.), Systems, Research and Design, Plenum Press, New York-London, pp. 26-42. Ackoff, R. L. (1964). General systems theory and systems research: Contrasting conceptions of systems science. In Mesarovic, M. D. (ed.), Views on General Systems Theory, Plenum Press, New York-London, pp. 51-60. Ackoff, R. L. (1979). The future of operational research is past. J. Operat. Res. Soc. 30, 93-104. Ackoff, R. L. (1981). Creating the Corporate Future, Wiley, New York. Ackoff, R. L. (1988). A theory of practice in the social systems. Syst. Res. 5(3), 241-246. Ackoff, R. L. (1989). The circular organization: An update. Acad. Manage. Exec. 3(1), 11-16. Ackoff, R. L. (1994). The Democratic Corporation, Oxford University Press, New York. Beer, S. (1959). Cybernetics and Management, EUP, Oxford. Beer, S. (1966). Decision and Control, Wiley, Chichester. Beer, S. (1972). Brain of the Firm, Allen Lane, Londres. Beer, S. (1979). The Heart of Enterprise, Wiley, Chichester. Beer, S. (1994). Beyond Dispute—The Invention of Team Sintegrity, Wiley, Chichester. Birchall, D. W., and Tovstiga, G. (1998). Methodology for assessing the strategic impact of a firm's knowledge portfolio. In Proceedings of the 8th International Forum on Technology Management, Grenoble, France. Checkland, P. B. (1980). The systems movement and the “failure” of management science. Cybernet. Syst. 11, 317-324. Checkland, P. B. (1981). Systems Thinking, Systems Practice, Wiley, Chichester. Checkland, P. B., and Holwell, S. (1998). Action research: Its nature and validity. Syst. Pract. Act. Res. 11, 9-21. Checkland, P. B., and Scholes, J. (1990). Soft Systems Methodology in Action, Wiley, New York. Churchman, C. W. (1971). The Design of Inquiring Systems, Basic Books, New York. Churchman, C. W. (1979). The Systems Approach, 2nd. ed., Dell, New York. Davenport, T. H., and Prusak, L. (1999). Conhecimento Empresarial, Publifolha, São Paulo. Flood, R. L. (1995). Solving Problem Solving—A Potent Force for Effective Management, John Wiley & Sons, Chichester. Garvin, D. A. (1993). Building a learning organization. Harvard Bus. Rev. July–Aug., 78-91. Hedlund, G. (1994). A model of knowledge management and N-form corporation. Strat. Mange. J. 15, 73-90. Jackson, M. C. (1991). Systems Methodology for the Management Sciences, Plenum, New York. Martinelli, D. P. (1994). On the St. Gallen management approach. In Proceedings—XXXVIII Annual Meeting of the International Society for the Systems Sciences (ISSS), Monterey, CA. Martinelli, D. P. (1995). A Evolução da Teoria da Administração e a Hierarquização de Sistemas, Doctoral dissertation, FEA-USP, São Paulo. Martinellt, D. P. (1999). Em Busca de uma Visão Sistêmica na Negociação, Tese de Livre-Docência, FEA-USP, São Paulo. Nonaka, I. (1991). The knowledge-creating company. Harvard Bus. Rev. Nov–Dec., 96-104. Nonaka, I., and Takeuchi, H. (1995). Criação de Conhecimento na Empresa, Editora Campus, Rio de Janeiro. Rhinow, G. (1997). A utilização de Competäncias para modelagem de processos de Mudançãe Aprendizagem Organizacional. Anais 2° SEMEAD 1, 413-423. Senge, P. M. (1990). A Quinta Disciplina, Editora Best Seller, São Paulo. Senge, P. M., et al. (1994). The Fifth Discipline—Fieldbook, Currency Doubleday, New York.