Systems Paper
Systems Theory
Many seek an education in Communications this day and age -- it is a field that has now, more than ever, become essential to the American economy and to society at large. While it may seem conceptually straightforward, there are many different types and methods of communication currently utilized by professionals. A “system” is a model describing a collection or process of things/variables possessing certain characteristics and relationships. Systems theory is the trans-disciplinary study of the abstract organization of phenomena, independent of their substance, type, or spatial or temporal scale of existence. It investigates both the principles common to all complex entities, and the models, which can be used to describe them (Principia Cybernetic). Systems theory was developed as a byproduct of studies in, originally, biology and engineering. One key founder of the systems movement was Ludwig von Bertalanffy, a theoretical biologist who was interested in the study of “living systems” within his own academic realm.
At the most basic level, systems are characterized by input-throughput-output processes (Farace, Monge & Russell, 1977). In system processes, the “input” is what is entered into a system of, for example, information, in its operation to achieve an “output” result. The “throughput” is a transformational process that transitions information gathered to what it will eventually amount to. The output, then, expectedly, is the final result.
There are two kinds of processes that characterize input-throughput-output operations. The first one is the process of “exchange”. At this stage, all transformed materials and information are required to undergo an exchange with an environment outside the system. The second type of process is “feedback”. Feedback is the process of partially returning output back into the system. Systems can have internal or external feedback loops that can be active or inactive. Two types of feedback are crucial to
Many seek an education in Communications this day and age -- it is a field that has now, more than ever, become essential to the American economy and to society at large. While it may seem conceptually straightforward, there are many different types and methods of communication currently utilized by professionals. A “system” is a model describing a collection or process of things/variables possessing certain characteristics and relationships. Systems theory is the trans-disciplinary study of the abstract organization of phenomena, independent of their substance, type, or spatial or temporal scale of existence. It investigates both the principles common to all complex entities, and the models, which can be used to describe them (Principia Cybernetic). Systems theory was developed as a byproduct of studies in, originally, biology and engineering. One key founder of the systems movement was Ludwig von Bertalanffy, a theoretical biologist who was interested in the study of “living systems” within his own academic realm.
At the most basic level, systems are characterized by input-throughput-output processes (Farace, Monge & Russell, 1977). In system processes, the “input” is what is entered into a system of, for example, information, in its operation to achieve an “output” result. The “throughput” is a transformational process that transitions information gathered to what it will eventually amount to. The output, then, expectedly, is the final result.
There are two kinds of processes that characterize input-throughput-output operations. The first one is the process of “exchange”. At this stage, all transformed materials and information are required to undergo an exchange with an environment outside the system. The second type of process is “feedback”. Feedback is the process of partially returning output back into the system. Systems can have internal or external feedback loops that can be active or inactive. Two types of feedback are crucial to
Cited: Miller, Katherine. "Chapter 4/ Systems Approaches." Organizational Communication: Approaches and Processes. 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Pub., 1999. 59-77. Print. "Systems Theory." Simple Liberty -. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. "Systems Theory." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 03 Oct. 2014. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. "Systems Theory/Holism." - Wikibooks, Open Books for an Open World. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. "What Is Systems Theory?" What Is Systems Theory? N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014.