General Working Model

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id52.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ComputerBased Systems"><U>Computer Based Systems</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id40.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Expert Systems"><U>Expert Systems</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id41.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Knowledge Systems"><U>Knowledge Systems</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id42.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Symbolic Systems"><U>Symbolic Systems</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id44.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Organizational Systems"><U>Organizational Systems</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id45.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cultural Systems"><U>Cultural Systems</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id46.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Working Systems"><U>Working Systems</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Lewis Works</B></FONT>     |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lewis Works"><U>home</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id51.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Goals"><U>Goals</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id60.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ProjectCentered Systems"><U>Project-Centered Systems</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id77.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="TeamBased Organization"><U>Team-Based Organization</U></A>   |   <B>General Working Model</B>   |   <A HREF="id36.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="General Methodologies"><U>General Methodologies</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id49.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Round Room Planning"><U>Round Room Planning</U></A></div> <div> General Working Model</div> <bR> <div> The general working model (GWM) that developed within the Lewis-Works framework has been based upon theoretical and methodological development in natural systems theory and metasystems science, and is especially applicable to alternative human systems development. In short it can be considered a heuristic device of the construction, experimental testing and development of a working model derived from and applied to a particular or general problem set. The model may undergo an accelerated rate of developmental modification and streamlining under controlled conditions, without the necessary investment or outlay of resources required for resolution of the real problem set that the model represents in simplified form.</div> <bR> <div> This general working model is considered applicable in modified form to all departments and sub-systems within the Lewis-works framework, and is widely, comprehensively applicable as a working, problem solving methodology in a broad range of natural problem sets in real world settings, at many different levels of analysis.</div> <bR> <div> Generally, the general working model can be defined as a problem solving model, a methodology for systematically identifying, defining, isolating, simplifying and handling complex problem sets through the mobilization and organized application of various systems resources (knowledge, technology, material, financial, labor) that are considered critical to the strategic solution of the problem set at hand.</div> <bR> <div> The problem sets typically approached by a GWM methodology are those characterized as complex, multifactorially underdetermined, and lacking any obvious or simple solution. These problems resist reliable or accurate modeling as a consequence of their inherent complexity, characteristic of most human systems, and it is usually the case that there may exist multiple, if not infinite, possible alternative solutions for any single test case that can be used as a demonstration project for the problem set as a whole.  Amid a landscape of possible solutions, just defining the key parameters of an appropirate solution set becomes a problem in and of itself, and it becomes necessary to discriminate and measure the performance of a range of variables to achieve optimum equilibrium solution conditions. What is sought is not so much a complete solution to a given problem, but a general system resolution of the sense of complexity and chaotic disorder attendant to a problem set.</div> <bR> <div> The GWM system is what can be called a "goal driven" and "goal directed" system, and its success in application to a range of problems depends upon its initial framing conditions,  in terms of the appropriate goal identification in the definition of the problem set, and subsequently the organization of resources and sub-goal structures within its framework within a working model framework. Many solutions are resolved as a consequence of identifying misdirected or inappropriate goals or goal structures within the search solution space, or the lack of clearly defined goals in the effort to achieve solution. Multiple competing goals may interfere with one another in terms of their demands for resources devoted to their achievement or realization, and alternative goal structures may be contradictory or conflict with one another. Goals that can be identified especially within human systems can be unrealistic or unachievable, or alternative may represent symbolic structures that have no material manifestation or reference for adaptation. </div> <bR> <div> The GWM methodology is based upon the presupposition that all problem sets occur within systems frameworks as the result of the inherently dynamic indeterminancy of such systems and their potential capacity to develop in unexpected and undesirable patterns. It rests upon recognition that:</div> <bR> <div>  1. All working systems, natural or alternative, are dynamically underdetermined in relation to their functional variables and parameters in their state-path trajectories and hence are unpredictable in their long-term outcomes.</div> <bR> <div> 2. All working systems are part of a larger metasystem of interacting systems.</div> <bR> <div> 3. All working systems are composed of interacting sub-systems that function as components of the main system. The behavior of one or more sub-system may be critically influenced by the behavior of other subsystems.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>  <p align="center"> <script language="javascript" type="text/javascript"> s="na";c="na";j="na";f=""+escape(document.referrer) </script> <script language="javascript1.2" type="text/javascript"> s=screen.width;v=navigator.appName if (v != "Netscape") {c=screen.colorDepth} else {c=screen.pixelDepth} j=navigator.javaEnabled() </script> <script language="javascript" type="text/javascript"> function pr(n) {document.write(n,"\n");} NS2Ch=0 if (navigator.appName == "Netscape" && navigator.appVersion.charAt(0) == "2") {NS2Ch=1} if (NS2Ch == 0) { r="&size="+s+"&colors="+c+"&referer="+f+"&java="+j+"" pr("<A HREF=\"http://www.TheCounter.com\" TARGET=\"_top\"><IMG"+ " BORDER=0 SRC=\"http://c1.thecounter.com/id=515383"+r+"\"><\/A>")} </script> <NOSCRIPT> <a HREF="http://www.TheCounter.com" TARGET="_top"><img SRC="http://c1.thecounter.com/id=515383" ALT="TC" BORDER="0" width="88" height="31"></a> </NOSCRIPT>   </div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>