SciELO - Scientific Electronic Library Online

 
vol.28 issue1Initial Electronic Spare Parts Stock and Consumption ForecastingSome rankings for the Athens Olympic Games using DEA models with a constant input author indexsubject indexarticles search
Home Pagealphabetic serial listing  

Services on Demand

Journal

Article

Indicators

Related links

  • Have no similar articlesSimilars in SciELO

Share


Investigação Operacional

Print version ISSN 0874-5161

Inv. Op. vol.28 no.1 Lisboa June 2008

 

Validación del intervenciones ‘SOFT OR’

 

Carlos Raúl Navarro González †

Sara Ojeda Benítez ‡

 

† Universidad Autónoma de Baja California

Mexico

carlos_raul_n@hotmail.com

‡ Universidad Autónoma de Baja California

Mexico

sara@iing.mxl.uabc.mx

                                           

 

Title: Hard validation of soft methodologies

Abstract

In order to subsist and be successful in this environment with greater complexity and competition, any organization is urged to start and keep a inquiry-learning-improvement cycle; Establish and increase this cycle is the objective of the soft systems approach –also know as ‘soft operations research’ ‘Soft OR’ or ‘soft system methodology’ ‘SSM’–. The big benefits of “Soft OR’ and SSM is recognized by many authors, unfortunately any soft approach has an inherent difficulty to be validate in an objectivity way; thus, in many cases, it’s application not produces the expected cycle of inquiry-learning-improvement or worse only in isolated interventions that not always achieve success. In this way, this work gives a proposal methodology to evaluate in an objective manner the ‘Soft or’ approach trough the measurement of the organizational achieved; also to identify and evaluate elements (from organization, team members, or methodologist) than may limit the obtained success. An application case was provided and strong and weak elements from it’s applications was discussed.

Keywords: System approach, Soft system, Soft OR, validation, evaluation

 

Resumo

Para subsistir e ser bem sucedido neste ambiente de crescente complexidade e de competição, qualquer organização é convidada a iniciar e manter um do ciclo de inquérito-melhoria-aprendizagem; Estabelecer e aumentar este ciclo é o objetivo do soft-sistemas abordagem também conhecida como 'Soft OR' ou 'soft system methodology’ (SSM). As grandes vantagens do "Soft Or" é reconhecido por muitos autores, infelizmente, tem uma abordagem suave qualquer dificuldade inerente ao ser validar uma objetividade em curso; assim, em muitos casos, é pedido que não produz o esperado ciclo de inquérito - -melhoria da aprendizagem ou pior só em intervenções isoladas que não semper alcançar o sucesso. Desta forma, este trabalho apresenta uma metodologia proposta para avaliar de forma objectiva "Soft OR" abordagem vale a medição da organização alcançados; também para identificar e avaliar elementos (da organização, os membros da equipa, ou metodologia) que podem limitar ou condição o nível de sucesso. Um caso é apresentado de uma forma objectiva de avaliar o impacto alcançado organizacional e identifica os pontos fortes e fracos da metodologia que a interferência deve ser melhorado.

 

Resumen

Para que una organización pueda subsistir y tener éxito en este entorno de creciente complejidad y competencia requiere iniciar cuanto antes y mantenerse en una espiral de indagación, aprendizaje y mejoría; cuya instauración y acrecentamiento es el objetivo del pensamiento de sistemas suaves, representado por la investigación operativa suave (‘Soft OR’) y la metodología de sistemas suaves (‘SSM’). La gran utilidad de la ‘Soft OR’ y la ‘SSM’ ha sido documentada por múltiples autores, desgraciadamente cualquier intervención suave mantiene una dificultad inherente para valorarse objetivamente; por lo que en ocasiones su aplicación puede no redundar en un ciclo, sino más bien en intervenciones aisladas y que no siempre conducen al éxito. Este trabajo, presenta una propuesta para la evaluación objetiva de una intervención metodológica suave mediante la medición del impacto organizacional logrado; y con la identificación y valoración de aspectos propios de la organización, del equipo de trabajo y de la propia metodología que podrían impulsar o condicionar el nivel de éxito obtenido. Se presenta un caso que evalúa de manera objetiva el impacto organizacional logrado e identifica aspectos fuertes y débiles de la injerencia metodológica que conviene mejorar.

 

 

Texto completo apenas disponível em PDF.

Full text only in PDF.

 

 

Referencias

 

Amir E., Lev V., Sougiannis T., (2003),“Do Financial Analysts Get Intangibles?”, European Accounting Rreview, 12(4):635-659        [ Links ]

Ackoff R.L., (1979), “Resurrectiong the Future of Operational Research”, The Journal of the Operationa Research Society, 30(3):189-199

Argyris C. (2001), “Sobre el aprendizaje organizacional”, Oxford university press, México

Baer M., Frese M., (2003), “Innovation is not enough: climates for initiative and psychological safety, process innovations, and firm performance”, Journal of Organizational Behavior, 24:45-68

Banker R.D., Potter G., Srinivasan D., (2000), “An Empirical Investigation of an Incentive Plan that Includes Nonfinancial Performance Measures”, The Accounting Review, 75(1):65-92

Banker R.D., Potter G., Srinivasan D., (2005), “Association of Nonfinancial Performance Measures with the Financial Performance of a Lodging Chain”, Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, 46(6):394-412

Barnden A.W., Darke P., (2000), "A Comparison of SSM with an Organisational Learning Model". in Proceedings of the International Conference on Systems Thinking in Management (ICSTM 2000), Australia

Bartlett C., Ghoshal S., (2002), “Building competitive advantage through people”, MITSloan Management Review 43(2):34-41

Bergvall K.B., Grahn A. (1996), “Expanding the framework for monitor and control in Soft Systems Methodology”, Systemic Practice and Action Research, 9(5):469-495

Bhattacharjya J., Venable J., (2006), “The Mutual Influence of Organizational Culture and SSM Applied to SISP – An Action Research Study in a Non-Profit Organization”, The tenth Pacific Asia Conference of Information Systems (PACIS 2006), pp.516-530

Blackman D., (2006), “How measuring learning may limint new knowledge creation”, Journal of Knowledge Management Practice, 7(3)

Cameron K. (1980), “Critical Questions in Assessing Organizational Effectiveness”, Organizational Dynamics, 15:66-80

Cameron K. (1986), “Effectiveness as paradox: Consensus and conflict in conceptions of organizational effectiveness”, Management Science, 32(5):539-553

Checkland P., Scholes J., (1990), “Soft systems methodology in action”, Edit. Wiley, USA

Checkland P., (2000), “Soft Systems Methodology: A thirty year retrospective”, Systems Reseach and Behavioral Science, 17(S1):11-58

Checkland P., (2001),“Pensamiento de Sistemas, Practica de Sistemas”, Limusa, Mexico

Connell N., (2001), “Evaluating soft OR: some reflections on an apparently ‘unsuccessful’ implementation using a Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) based approach”, Journal of the Operational Research Society, 52(2):150-160

Daellenbach H., (2001), “Hand OR, Soft OR, Problem Structuring Methods, Critical Systems Thinking: A Primer”, Conference Twenty Naught One of the Operational Research Society of New Zealand

Dash D.P., (1994), “System Dinamics: Changing Perspectives”, Systems Practice 7(1):87-98

Davel E., Tremblay D.G., (2003), “Organizational culture and social performance : insights from the experience of family organizations”, presented in Iberoamerican Academy of Management, 3rd International Conference, Sao Paulo

Davidson G.M., (2003), “The relationship between organisational culture and financial performance in a South African investment Bank”, Industrial and organisational psychology, University of South Africa

Denison D.R., Janovics J., Young J., Cho H.J., (2005), “Diagnosing Organizational Cultures: Validating a Model and Method”, International Institute for Management Development, Working paper 2005-11

Denison D.R., Mishra A.K., (1995), “Toward a Theory of Organizational Culture and Effectiveness”, Organization Science, 6(2):204-223

Denison D.R., (1990), “Corporate Culture and Organizational Effectiveness”, John Wiley & Sons

Dixon N., (2001), “El conocimiento común: Cómo prosperan las compañías que comparten lo que saben”, Oxford university press, Mexico

Etzioni A., (1987), “Normative-Affective factors: Toward a new decision-making model”, Journal of Economic Psychology, 9:125-150

Etzioni A., (1960), “Two approaches to Organizational Analysis: A Critique and a Suggestion”, Administrative Science Quarterly, 5(2):257-278

Fey C.F., Denison D.R., (2003), “Organizational Culture and Effectiveness: Can American Theory Be Applied in Russia?”, Organization Science, 14(6):686-706

Fisher C.J., (2000), “Like It or Not ... Culture Matters”, Employment Relations Today, 27(2):43-52

Flood R., (1998), “Fifth Discipline: Review and discussion”, Systemic Practice and action reserarch 11(3):259-273

Flood R., (1995), “Solving problem solving”, John wiley & Sons

Forrester J.W., (1989), “The Beginning of Systems Dynamics”, MIT, Banquet Talk at the international meeting of the System Dynamics Society Stuttgart, Germany, D-4165-1, USA, p.16

Fuentes A., (1993), “El pensamiento sistémico, Serie: Cuadernos de Planeación y Sistemas, Vol.3.”, DEPFI, UNAM, México

Gomez P.J., Lorente J.C., Cabrera R.V., (2005), “Organizational learning capability: a proposal of measurement”, Journal of Business Research, 58:715-725

Grinstein C., s/f, “El pensamiento sistemico: Parte 1”, <http://www.cepao.org/contenidoscepao/ArticuloMes.htm> (Con acceso en Octubre de 2005)

Guerra J., Martinez I., Munduate L., Medina F., “A contingence perspective on the study of the consequences of conflict types: The role of organizational culture”, 17th Conference of the Internationale Association for Conflict Management (IACM 2004)

Henri J.F., (2004), “Performance Measurement and Organizational Effectiveness: Bringing the gap”, Managerial Finance, 30(6):93-123

Heslin P.A., Moldoveanu M., (2002), “What’s the ‘real’ problem here? A model of problem formulation”, presentado en “Managing the Complex IV: Conference on Complex Systems and the Management of Organizations”

Holst M., Nidhall L., (2001), “Soft Systems Methodology and Organizational Informatics”, Institutionen for Industriell ekonomi och systemvetenskap

Ittner C.D., Larcker D.F., (2001), “Determinants of performance measure choices in worker incentive plans”, Journal of Labor Economics, 20(2):S58-S90

Joldersma C., Roelofs E., (2004), “The impact of soft OR-methods on problem structuring”, European Journal of Operational Research, 152:696-708

Juechter W.M., Fisher C.J., Alford R.J., (1998), “Five Conditions for High-Performance Cultures”, Training & Development, 52(5):63-67

Kushner R.J., (2002), “Action Research Validation of an Inventory of Effectiveness Measures”, Conference “Nonprofit Organizational Effectiveness and Performance”

Leonard A., Beer S., (1994), “The Systems Perspective: Methods and Models for the Future”, AC/UNU Project, 

Lev B., Radhakrishnan S., (2005), “The Valuation of Organization Capital,” in Corrado C., Haltiwanger J., and Sichel D., eds., “Measuring Capital in a New Economy”, National Bureau of Economic Research and University of Chicago Press, pp.73-99.

Lopez M.P., Delgado A., (2003), “Application of a systems methodology in the diagnosis of the organizational culture in a telecommunications company”, International Journal of Computers, Systems and Signals, 4(1):22-32

Marmenout K., (2006), “Aligning your Culture with your Growth: Where to go and how to get there”, McGill University - Faculty of Management, Working Paper Series, Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=941991

Miller J.G., (1995), “Applications of Living Systems Theory”, Systemic Practice and Action Research, 8(1):19-45

Miller J.G., (1982), “The Earth as a System”, Behavioral Science, 27(4):303-322

Mirijamdotter A. (1998), “A multi-modal systems extension to soft systems methodology”, Institutionen for Industriell ekonomi och samhallsvetenskap

Mingers J., Liu W. y Meng W., (2006), “Combining SSM and DEA: Evaluating the Basic Research Performance of the Chinese Academy of Sciences”, Kent Business School, Working Paper Series, No.128

Mingers J., (2001),“Combining IS Research Methods: Towards a Pluralist Methodology”, Information Systems Research, 12(3):240-259

Mingers J., (2000),“Variety is the spice of life: combining soft and hard OR/MS methods”, International Transactions in Operational Research, 7(6):673-691

Murdaugh J., (1998),“Organizational Effectiveness and Executive Succession: Conclusions About and Implications for Florida’s Municipal Police Chiefs”, Senior Leadership Program Publications, SLP-5

Ormerod R.J., (2001), “The success and failure of methodologies –a comment on Connell(2001): Evaluating Soft OR”, Journal of the Operational Research Society, 52(10):1176-1179

Pardo M, Martinez C., (2005), “Resistencias al cambio organizativo: un análisis empírico en cambios reactivos y anticipativos”, M@n@gement 8(3):47-67

Pardo M., Martinez C., (2003), “Resistance to change: A literature Review and empirical study”, Management Decision 41(2):148-155

Pauley G.S., Ormerod R.J. (1998), “The Evolution of a Performance Measurement Projecct at RTZ”, INTERFACES, 28(4):94-118

Pidd M., Brown J., Cooper C., (2006), “A taxing problem: The complementary use of hard and soft OR in public policy”, European Journal of Operational Research, 172(2):666-679

Richmond B., (1994), “System Dynamics/Systems thinking: Let’s just get on with it”, Delivered at the International Systems Dynamics Conference in Sterling, Scotland, USA, 25 pags.

Roth G., (2001), “El lado humano del cambio: La innovación y el aprendizaje en la organización”, Oxford university press, Mexico

Salner M., (2000), “Beyond Checkland & Scholes: Improving SSM”, Occasional Papers on Systemic Development, University of Western Sydney, 11:23-44

Senge P., (1998), “La quinta disciplina”, Granica, Mexico

Sorensen L., Valqui R.V., (2006), “Evaluating six soft approaches”, Informatics and Mathematical Modelling, Technical University of Denmark, DTU.

Sterman J.D., (1991), “A Skeptic’s guide to computer models”, MIT, Wetview Press, D-4101-1, USA, 25 pags.

Sterman J.D., (2001), “System Dynamics Modeling: Tools for learning in a complex World”, California management review 43(4):8-25

Stetzer A., Morgeson F.P., Anderson E.L., (1997), “Organizational Climate and Ineffectiveness: Evidence from 25 Outdoor Work Crew Divisions”, Journal of Quality Management, 2(2):251-265

Taylor S., Robinson S., Ladbrook J., (2005), “An investigation into the use of net-conferencing groupware in simulation modelling”, Journal of Computing and Information Technology, 13(2):95-106

Taylor S., Robinson S., Ladbrook J., (2003), “Towards collaborative simulation modelling: Improving human-to-human interaction through groupware”, Proceedings of 17th European Simulation Multiconference, pp.474-482

Tolvanen J.P., (1998), “Incremental Method Engineering with Modeling Tools”, University of Jyväskylä, Finland

Torras L., (1997), “Aprender: La ventaja competitiva mas sostenible en el tiempo”, Alta Dirección, 191:13-19, España

Ulrich W., (2000), “Reflective Practice in the Civil Society: The contribution of Critically Systemic Thinking”, Reflective Practice 1(2):247-268

Ulrich W., (1998), “Systems Thinking as if People Mattered: Critical Systems Thinking for Citizens and Managers”, Lincoln School of Management, Woring Paper No. 23, <http://www.geocities.com/csh_home/downloads.html> (accessed in July 2007)

Valqui R.V., (2005a), “Operational Reseach: A multidisciplinary  discipline”, Informatics and Mathematical Modelling, Technical University of Denmark, DTU.

Valquil R.V., (2005b),“Soft OR approaches”, Engevista, 7(1):4-20

Wilson, B., (1993), “Sistemas: Conceptos, metodologías y aplicaciones”, Megabyte - Grupo Noriega Editores, Mexico

Young S., Tu Y.M., Tseng Y.T., (1999), “Organizational Learning as a feedback system: a Conceptual Framework”, presented in The 17th International Conference of The System Dynamics Society and the 5th Australian & New Zealand Systems Conference

Yeung A., Ulrich D., Nason S., VonGlinow M., (2000), “Las capacidades de aprendizaje en la organización”, Oxford university press, México