BCSSS

International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics

2nd Edition, as published by Charles François 2004 Presented by the Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science Vienna for public access.

About

The International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics was first edited and published by the system scientist Charles François in 1997. The online version that is provided here was based on the 2nd edition in 2004. It was uploaded and gifted to the center by ASC president Michael Lissack in 2019; the BCSSS purchased the rights for the re-publication of this volume in 200?. In 2018, the original editor expressed his wish to pass on the stewardship over the maintenance and further development of the encyclopedia to the Bertalanffy Center. In the future, the BCSSS seeks to further develop the encyclopedia by open collaboration within the systems sciences. Until the center has found and been able to implement an adequate technical solution for this, the static website is made accessible for the benefit of public scholarship and education.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

DECISION PROCESS 1)4)

The sequence "of all the subprocesses pertaining to the selection of a course of action, or a plan, and its execution" (M. TODA, 1976, p.79).

TODA observes: "Most of these subprocesses except some well formalized ones like decision analysis, are covert processes taking place exclusively in somebody's mind, and are hitherto paid relatively little attention" (Ibid).

Taking a decision is the end of a frequently long and complex process.

It also is, in many cases, an embedded part of a more global ongoing one.

As to the first aspect, the decider needs information about the situation which requires the decision. This implies an inquiry, generally in order to obtain a better evaluation of an ill-structured problem. The results of such an inquiry mostly depends on the acumen of the decision- maker (or his/her assistants) in selecting the relevant data within the relevant frame and in converting them into the adequate information

An important aspect of this search process is a correct evaluation of the more general conditioning factors, i.e. the evaluation of the model of the situation within a meta-model in which seemingly irrelevant factors may suddenly emerge as fundamental.

A good definition of the goals may also be difficult, because they can be fuzzy, or complex and in need to be compatibilized or serialized.

Once the goal is defined, it generally can b reached only through an ordered sequence of decisions, each one at its proper time

Finally, no process escapes from possible unforeseen disturbances in the environment. It must thus be reconsidered frequently and this may lead to changes in the evaluation of the situation and in the sequence of decisions.

Decision process with or without disadvantage compensation

M. MARUYAMA observes that most decision processes leave dissenting or damaged minorities "in the cold". He writes: "It is commonly considered "democratic" to make decisions by voting, in which a majority wins. The majority preference is justified and legalized, and minorities are put at a disadvantage and forgotten. This false concept of democracy is the cause of the current trend of division of countries into smaller countries" (1994, p.40).

This very general cause of strife, sabotage, secession and conflict is also verified in many lesser organizations: entreprises, political parties, churches, civic groups, etc.

MARUYAMA gives examples of disadvantage compensations and shows how they could be provided, in order to maintain internal harmony in human systems.

Categories

  • 1) General information
  • 2) Methodology or model
  • 3) Epistemology, ontology and semantics
  • 4) Human sciences
  • 5) Discipline oriented

Publisher

Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science(2020).

To cite this page, please use the following information:

Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science (2020). Title of the entry. In Charles François (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics (2). Retrieved from www.systemspedia.org/[full/url]


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