SYSTEMS THEORY

Financial, computer, missile, and other systems, such as the ecosystem, are all ways to view something as a set of elements interacting to produce output. This viewpoint is called systems theory, and it can help you to understand how your organization or work environment operates.

System theory entails viewing an entity, such as an organization, as consisting of several elements. You must identify those elements to understand your working environment.

The basic elements of a system are:

  • image participants (e.g., people, machinery, organizations) who make decisions or receive inputs, outputs, or both
  • processes (e.g., activities, procedures ...

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