Generalization and systemic epistemology: Why should it make sense?

Systems Research and Behavioral Science

Volumn 26, Issue 1, 2009, Pages 99-108

  Houghton, Luke ^a  

^a GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY   (Australia)

Author keywords

Epistemology; Systems research; Systems thinking

Indexed keywords

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKS; EPISTEMOLOGY; SYSTEMS RESEARCH; SYSTEMS THINKING;

BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH; SYSTEMS SCIENCE;

RESEARCH;

EID: 60349100367     PISSN: 10927026     EISSN: 10991743     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1002/sres.929     Document Type: Article

References (54)

1. Ackoff RL. 1987. The Art of Problem Solving: Accompanied by Ackoff s Fables. John Wiley: USA.
2. Ackoff RL. 1994. Systems thinking and thinking systems. Systems Dynamics Review 10(2-3): 175-188.
3. Ackoff RL. 2000. Making a difference: systems thinking/systems change, http://www.ju.dgel.ink.org/presentations/Girlslink/ [Accessed May 2006].
4. Atkinson CJ, Checkland PB. 1988. Extending the metaphor 'system'. Human Relations 41(10): 709-724.
5. Barton J, Haslett T. 2007. Analysis, synthesis, systems thinking and the scientific method: rediscovering the importance of open systems. Systems Research and Behaviour Science 24(2): 143-155.
6. Basadur M, Pringle P, Speranzini G, Bacot M. 2000. Creativity in problem solving through creativity in problem definition: expanding the pie. Creativity and Innovation Management 9(1): 54-76.
7. Becker J, Niehaves B. 2007. Epistemological perspectives on IS research: a framework for analysing and systematizing epistemological assumptions. Information Systems Journal 17(2): 197-214.
8. Boland RJ, Tenkasi RV. 1995. Perspective making and perspective taking in communities of knowing. Focused issue on electronic communication and changing organizational forms. Organizational Science 6(4): 350-372.
9. Checkland P. 1999. Soft Systems Methodology: A Thirty Year Retrospective. Wiley: UK.
10. Checkland P. 2005. Webs of significance: the work of Geoffrey Vickers. Systems Research and Behavioural Science 22(4): 285-290.
11. Churchman CW. 1946. The dialectic of modern philosophy. Journal of Philosophy 43(5): 113-124.
12. Churchman CW. 1968. The Systems Approach. Dell Publishing Co.: NY, USA.
13. Churchman CW. 1979. The Systems Approach and its Enemies. Basic Books: NY, USA.
14. Conklin J. 2005. Dialogue Mapping. John Wiley: UK.
15. Conlisk J. 1996. Why bounded rationality? Journal of Economic Literature 34(2): 669-700.
16. Crowther P. 2003. Philosophy After Postmodernism; Civilized Values and the Scope of Knowledge. Routledge: UK.
17. De Bono E. 1967. The Use of Lateral Thinking. Penguin: UK.
18. Derrida J. 1967. Of Grammatology. John Hopkins University Press: USA. Accessed online at: http://www.ma.rxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/ works/fr/derrida.htm. June 2008.
19. Gharajedaghi J. 2006. Systems Thinking, Second Edition: Managing Chaos and Complexity: A Platform for Designing Business Architecture. Butterworth-Heinemann: USA.
20. Grint K. 2003. Problems, problems, problems: the social construction of leadership. Human Relations 5(11): 1467-1494.
21. Haynes JD. 2001. Churchman's Hegelian inquiring system and perspectivai thinking. Information Systems Frontiers 3(1): 29-39.
22. Jackson MC. 1999. Towards coherent pluralism in management science. Journal of the Operational Research Society 50(1): 12-22.
23. Jackson MC. 2003. Systems Thinking: Creative Holism for Managers. Wiley: Chichester.
24. Jackson MC. 2006. Creative holism: a critical systems approach to complex problem situations. Systems Research and Behavioural. Science 23(5): 647-657.
25. Jackson MC, Keys P. 1984. Towards a system of systems methodologies. Journal of the Operational Research Society 35(6): 473-486.
26. Johnson P, Duberly J. 2003. Understanding Management Research. Wiley: UK.
27. Kellner D. 2007. Critical theory, poststructuralism, and the philosophy of liberation, UCLA Electronic Resource, http://dogma.free.fr/txt/Kellner- Critical01.htm [Accessed December 2007].
28. Locke E. 2007. The case for inductive theory building. Journal of Management 33(6): 867-890.
29. McLennan G. 1985. Pluralism. Open University Press: UK.
30. Metcalfe M. 2004. 'Conjecture First' Problem Solving. Systems Research and Behavioral Science. 22(6): 537-546.
31. Metcalfe M. 2005. Generalisation: learning across epistemologies. Forum for Qualitative Research 6(1): 1-10.
32. Metcalfe M. 2007. Problem conceptualisation using idea networks. Systemic Practice and Action Research 20: 141-150.
33. Midgley G, Richardson K. 2007. Systems thinking for community involvement in poney analysis. Emergence: Complexity and Organizatbn 9(1-2): 167-183.
34. Mingers J. 2001. Combining IS research methods: towards a pluralist methodology. Information Systems Research 12(3): 240-259.
35. Mingers J. 2003. The paucity of multimethod research: a review of the IS literature. Information Systems Journal 13: 233-249.
36. Mingers J. 2004. Real-izing information systems: critical realism as an underpinning philosophy for information systems. Information and Organization 14(2): 87-103.
37. Mingers J. 2006. Realizing Systems Thinking: Knowledge and Action in Management Science. Springer: USA.
38. Mitroff IO. 2004. William James and a theory of thinking. Journal of Information Technology Theory and Application 6(2): 83-90.
39. Rittel H. 1972. On the planning crisis: systems analysis of the first and second generations. BEDRIFTS0KO- NOMEN (8): 390-396.
40. Senge PM. 1990. The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organisatbn. Random House: USA.
41. Schon D. 1995. In Learning and Change: Landmarks in Higher Education, Dezure D (ed.). Routledge: USA.
42. Schultz M, Hatch M. 1996. Living with multiple paradigms: the case of paradigm interplay in organizational culture studies. Academy of Management Review 21(2): 529-557.
43. Stacey R. 1996. Complexity and Creativity in Organizations. Berrett-Koehler Publishers: USA.
44. Ulrich W. 2003a. Beyond methodology choice: critical systems thinking as critically systemic discourse. Journal of the Operational Research Society 54: 325-342.
45. Ulrich W. 2003b. Replies to the comments of Jackson. Journal of the Operational Research Society 54: 1226-1228.
46. Vandenbosch B, Saatcioglu A, Fay S. 2006. Idea management: a systemic view. Journal of Management Studies 43(2): 259-288.
47. Van De Ven A, Poole MS. 1995. Explaining development and change in organisations. Academy of Management Review 20(3): 510-540.
48. Wadsworth Y. 2008. Is it safe to talk about systems again? Self organising processes for complex living systems and the dynamics of human inquiry. Systemic Practice and Action Research 21(2): 153-170.
49. Walsham G. 1993. Interpreting Information Systems in Organizations. Wiley: Chichester, UK.
50. Watson D, Ledington PWJ. 1998. Weak incommensurability and the development of systems thinking, Synergy Matters Conference: Working with systems in the 21st Century, Springer, USA.
51. Weick K. 1995. Sensemaking in Organisations. SAGE: UK.
52. Weick K. 2006. The role of imagination in the organizing of knowledge. European Journal of Information Systems 15: 446-452.
53. Wulun J. 2007. Understanding complexity, challenging traditional ways of thinking. Systems Research and Behaviourial Science 24: 393-402.
54. Zhu Z. 2007. Complementarism versus pluralism: are they different and does it matter? Systems Research and Behavioural Science 23: 757-770.