This book concerns the management of social organizations, offering ways to think about complex situations. It will be of interest to management scientists, organization experts, information scientists and computer experts.

In the last few decades, managerial and business studies have shown an increasing inability to explain and forecast emergent dynamics in society, economics, and the environment. Consolidated managerial approaches and business theories seem to be incapable of communicating and depicting the ongoing evolution, and new perspectives are required to support both researchers and practitioners in tracing new paths for development. Building upon the constructivist approach, this book illustrates the multiple advantages that systems thinking can offer in supporting a holistic understanding of social and economic phenomena. The book proposes a representation of the firm as a viable system and represents its functioning and decision-making processes trough a recursive depiction that can be applied for each of the multiple levels through which socio-economic environments are defined. As a result of the focus on the differences between decision making and problem-solving processes, the book enriches current knowledge about systems thinking and provides useful instruments through which both researchers and practitioners can effectively understand the multiple variables able to influence decisions and actions within a firm’s configuration. The book is aimed at both postgraduate students and researchers interested in the multiple dimensions of systems thinking.

Based on papers from the 4th Business Systems Laboratory International Symposium (BSLAB) in 2016, this volume contributes to the business management, organizational and innovation literature by providing insights on the antecedents of systems thinking in the business systems domain. The Business Systems Laboratory International Symposium addresses current global economic and social challenges from a systemic perspective, drawing from the domains of management, economics, engineering and sociology. In particular, the 2016 Symposium focuses on the epistemological, theoretical, methodological, technical and practical contributions that represent advancements in the theory and practice of governing business systems to address present and future challenges in the global economy. The contributions explore the application of systems thinking to governance, involving the introduction of new administrative organizational and managerial activities aimed toward organizational innovation and control.

Informed by systems thinking, this book explores new perspectives in which culture and management are harmoniously integrated and cultural heritage is interpreted both as an essential part of the social and economic context and as an expression of community identity. The combination of a multidisciplinary approach, methodological rigor and reference to robust empirical findings in the fertile field of analysis of UNESCO’s contribution mean that the book can be considered a reference for the management of cultural heritage. It casts new light on the complex relation of culture and management, which has long occupied both scholars and practitioners and should enable the development of new pathways for value creation. The book is based on research conducted within the framework of the Consorzio Universitario di Economia Industriale e Manageriale (University Consortium for Industrial and Managerial Economics), a network of universities, businesses and public and private institutions that is dedicated to the production and dissemination of knowledge in the field. This volume will be of interest to all who are involved in the study and management of the cultural heritage.

Mathematics of Computing -- General.

This book targets the critical issue of decision making in uncertain conditions and situations. The aim is to increase readers’ understanding of complexity and of socio-economic interactions through the application of systems thinking perspectives. Among the various areas and topics addressed are complexity and sustainable management, markets as complex adaptive systems, the impacts of psychological and emotional factors upon value co-creation exchanges, and ICT enablers of service network performance and service exchange fulfillment. Thanks to the chosen perspectives, all of which are based on different systems research streams, the book will support more consistent and robust decisions, leading to sustainable, wise, and viable systems dynamics. It will aid managers, practitioners, and consultants in their decision-making processes and will also be of interest for academics and scholars in management, systems, computer science, engineering, and marketing.