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The idea of emergent property

Author

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  • I Georgiou

    (Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia)

Abstract

Those who venture into systems thinking may find difficulties in identifying exactly to what the idea of emergent property refers and what its significance might be. Drawing upon the writings of four major systems thinkers, twelve aspects of emergent properties are identified. Simultaneously, four related epistemological tasks are made explicit. An overall result is that the idea of emergent property is a unifying epistemological concept. More generally, systems thinking may be understood as an epistemological theory, or at least as a theory whose strength lies in its epistemological aspects. Such an understanding is considered in view of the similar concerns and conceptual similarities which systems thinking shares with phenomenology, a consideration which yields two additional aspects of emergent properties. The correspondences seen to exist between systems thinking and phenomenology lead to the conclusion that the two fields taken together illuminate an untapped source for future interdisciplinary research.

Suggested Citation

  • I Georgiou, 2003. "The idea of emergent property," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 54(3), pages 239-247, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:jorsoc:v:54:y:2003:i:3:d:10.1057_palgrave.jors.2601520
    DOI: 10.1057/palgrave.jors.2601520
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Werner Ulrich, 1994. "Can We Secure Future-Responsive Management Through Systems Thinking and Design?," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 24(4), pages 26-37, August.
    2. Ormerod, R. J., 1997. "The design of organisational intervention: Choosing the approach," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 25(4), pages 415-435, August.
    3. Ulrich, Werner, 1987. "Critical heuristics of social systems design," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 276-283, September.
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    1. R J Ormerod, 2004. "Pragmatism: an emergent property of Georgiou's paper?," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 55(11), pages 1229-1230, November.
    2. Tavella, Elena & Pedersen, Søren Marcus & Gylling, Morten, 2012. "Adopting a Farming Systems Research Approach to carry out an economic and environmental analysis of food supply chains," International Journal of Agricultural Management, Institute of Agricultural Management, vol. 1(4), pages 1-13, July.
    3. Raoul Beunen & Kristof Van Assche & Monica Gruezmacher, 2022. "Evolutionary Perspectives on Environmental Governance: Strategy and the Co-Construction of Governance, Community, and Environment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-18, August.
    4. J B Atkinson, 2004. "A note on Georgiou's discussion of emergent property," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 55(11), pages 1230-1233, November.
    5. I Georgiou, 2004. "Reply to the comments of Ormerod and Atkinson," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 55(11), pages 1233-1234, November.
    6. Vargo, Stephen L. & Koskela-Huotari, Kaisa & Baron, Steve & Edvardsson, Bo & Reynoso, Javier & Colurcio, Maria, 2017. "A systems perspective on markets – Toward a research agenda," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 260-268.

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