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Back to the future: A critique of Demetis and Lee's "Crafting theory to satisfy the requirements of systems science"

Mingers, John (2017) Back to the future: A critique of Demetis and Lee's "Crafting theory to satisfy the requirements of systems science". Information and Organization, 27 (1). pp. 67-71. ISSN 1471-7727. (doi:10.1016/j.infoandorg.2017.01.003) (KAR id:60668)

Abstract

Demetis and Lee's paper outlines criteria for constructing theory in accordance with systems science. This is a laudable aim but in this comment I suggest that their view of systems thinking is both narrow and somewhat dated. Demetis and Lee equate systems science with only one aspect of it – General Systems Thinking (GST) – and they discuss in detail only one theorist – Niklas Luhmann. I draw attention to a range of other systems approaches including system dynamics, soft systems methodology, complexity theory, critical systems thinking, critical realism and multimethodology. I conclude with tentative guidelines of my own.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1016/j.infoandorg.2017.01.003
Divisions: Divisions > Kent Business School - Division > Department of Analytics, Operations and Systems
Depositing User: John Mingers
Date Deposited: 02 Mar 2017 12:32 UTC
Last Modified: 09 Dec 2022 21:05 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/60668 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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