MGF9210

Introduction to systems thinking

Mr John Barton

6 points · One 3-hour class per week, block mode, in-house · First and second semester · Caulfield

Objectives To develop an appreciation of the application of systems thinking to management and of system dynamics in particular.

Synopsis Organisations as open systems - the relevance of systems thinking to learning organisations. Using the 'beer game' to develop techniques for mapping systems and the development of causal hypotheses; system archetypes. Introduction to the use of computer simulation models to test policy options. Applications to business and public policy.

Assessment Individual assignment: 15% · Group assignments: 45% · Examination: 40%

Recommended texts

Senge P M The fifth discipline Random House, 1994
Senge P M and others The fifth discipline fieldbook Nicholas Brearley, 1994
Robert N and others Introduction to computer simulation: A system dynamics approach Productivity, 1983

Back to the 1999 Business and Economics Handbook