Planning for Human Systems : Essays in Honor of Russell L. Ackoff

Russell Lincoln Ackoff is a recognized authority in the field of operations research and systems theory. This volume is divided into four major sections. The first deals with Ackoff's intellectual roots in the American pragmatic tradition. The second section demonstrates how systems thinkers have incorporated Ackoff's ideas in their own work. The third section shows the influence of Ackoff's thinking on decision making and problem solving, while the final section offers a reassessment of current approaches to systems planning on the national level. In addition, the editors have provided a general introduction, as well as introductions to each of the five sections. __Planning for Human Systems__ will be of interest to students and scholars of operations research and systems theory. **Contributors**: Michel Chevalier, C. West Churchman, Thomas A. Cowan, Eric Trist, Ian I. Mitroff, Stafford Beer, and Ignacy Sachs. Contents Acknowledgments Section I: Russell Ackoff and Anheuser-Busch: The Story of a Model Relationship 1. Russell L. Ackoff and Anheuser-Busch: I. The Influence of the Man on the Organization 2. Russell L. Ackoff and Anheuser-Busch: II. The Influence of the Organization on the Man Section II. Pragmatism and Progress: Foundations 3. Analysis of Concepts 4. The Apostle of Progress 5. A Present of the Future 6. OR, MS, Systems Science, and Russell Ackoff: The Development of Two Paradigms Appendix: Principal Publications of Russell L. Ackoff Section III. Systems Thinkers and Systems Applications 7. Planning Concepts, Planning Contexts 8. OR in Organizations 9. Andras Angyal and Systems Thinking 10. A Theory of Management 11. Educating for Reflection-in-Action 12. Performance Criteria as a Means of Social integration 13. Some Comments on R. Ackoffs Concept of Interactive Planning 14. On Suicidal Rabbits: A Relativity of Systems 15. Personal Computers and the Shifting Control of Information in Corporations 16. Democratizing the Corporation: A Stakeholder Perspective Section IV: Decision Making and Problem Solving: Purposeful Action Within Systems 17. Inequalities in Decision Theory 18. Priorities and Decisions in Hierarchic and Feedback Systems 19. Measuring Process Creativity 20. Innovation and Optimization 21. Is It the Right Problem? 22. How Management by Consensus Is Bringing the Kingdom Down 23 Innovation in Juvenile Justice Section V. Planning for National Development 24. The Elusive Interdisciplinarity of Development Planning 25. National Development Planning in Turbulent Times: New Approaches and Criteria for Institutional Design 26. Redesigning Western Foreign Policy 27. Power in the Design, Management, and Evaluation of Organizations 28. Toward Interactive Planning for International Development Projects 29. Surutato: An Experience in Rural Participative Planning Contributors Subject Index Name Index

Russell Lincoln Ackoff is a recognized authority in the field of operations research and systems theory. This volume is divided into four major sections. The first deals with Ackoff's intellectual roots in the American pragmatic tradition. The second section demonstrates how systems thinkers have incorporated Ackoff's ideas in their own work. The third section shows the influence of Ackoff's thinking on decision making and problem solving, while the final section offers a reassessment of current approaches to systems planning on the national level. In addition, the editors have provided a general introduction, as well as introductions to each of the five sections. Planning for Human Systems will be of interest to students and scholars of operations research and systems theory.

Contributors: Michel Chevalier, C. West Churchman, Thomas A. Cowan, Eric Trist, Ian I. Mitroff, Stafford Beer, and Ignacy Sachs.