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Hyperconnectivity and supercooperation among partners within the mobile value chain are crucial factors for sustainable growth of the mobile ecosystem. This study aims to identify the complex structure of hyperconnectivity and supercooperation underlying revenue sharing practices and the actions and reactions of Chinese mobile video triads.

This study uses the causal loop diagram and system dynamics simulation to demonstrate the feedback causal structure wherein the revenue sharing (RS) rule adjustments trigger interactions among participants (e.g., MNOs, SPs and CPs) in mobile video service triads, leading to fluctuations in the number of mobile video users and total revenue in the mobile video value chain.

Change of RS rules among value chain participants is an incentive for achieving the sustainability of the mobile ecosystem, as examined using a system dynamics (SD) simulation. However, from the perspective of a tri-partite mobile value chain, the “accidental adversary” system archetype caused by adjustment of RS rules has an unintended negative impact on counterparts in the mobile ecosystem value chain.

This study analyzes a complex feedback causal structure based on structural interdependencies among growth, limiting and relaxing loops in the Chinese mobile video ecosystem. The result of SD simulation suggests strategic alternatives such as the “growth and underinvestment” systems archetype to overcome “limits to growth”. Moreover, this study explores the accidental adversary archetype in complex and complicated mobile service triads as an impediment to achieving sustainability of the mobile ecosystem.

Some of the objectives and working tools of a new area of study, tentatively called Theory of Strategies, are described. It is based on the methodology of artificial intelligence, decision theory, operations research and digital gaming. The latter refers to computing activity that incorporates model building, simulation and learning programs in conflict situations. We also discuss three long‐term projects which aim at automatically analyzing and synthesizing strategies.

Internationally, change in healthcare is often a result of a knee jerk reaction to high‐profile adverse events. Alternatively, change is driven by a reductionist set of targets and indicators, which do not reflect the complexity of hospitals. This paper posits that hospitals would benefit from promoting organisational learning, and that system archetypes offer a mechanism for achieving this. It seeks to examine the application of healthcare system archetypes in an Australian hospital.

Archetypes do not describe any one problem specifically. They describe families of problems generically. Their value comes from the insights they offer into the dynamic interaction of complex systems. As part of a suite of tools, they are extremely valuable in developing broad understandings about the hospital and its environment.

Diagnostically, archetypes helped the hospital managers recognize patterns of behaviour that are already present in their organizations. They served as the means for gaining insight into the underlying systems structures from which the archetypal behaviour emerges. The application of system archetypes to the strategic analysis of the hospital case reveals that it is possible to identify loop holes in management's strategic thinking processes and it is possible to defy these fallacies during policy implementation as illustrated by the results of the archetype simulation model. In this study, hospital executives found that policy modification helped to avoid such pitfalls and avoid potentially cost prohibitive learning had these policies been implemented in practice.

The paper demonstrates how system archetypes were deployed within a hospital to improve organizational learning, and provides an approach that may be deployed in other large complex health care organisations.

Accepting the assumption that our intelligence depends on the ability to construct models which may allow us to acquire, update and transmit our knowledge, this paper aims to highlight the role of Systems Thinking in developing the “intelligence” of managers for all types and sizes of organization.

Four relevant contributions for improving the “intelligence” of managers will be examined: the ability to understand and model dynamic systems, the structure of Control Systems, the rules of the decision-making process and the identification of systems archetypes.

The paper will show that Systems Thinking, through the logic of Control Systems, offers managers a comprehensive representation of the problem-solving and decision-making processes, teaching them how to distinguish problems from symptoms and to acquire a leverage effect. Additionally, Senge’s system archetypes will be presented and new archetypes will be added to Senge’s list.

The viability of every organization and its effective resilience and survival make it more than ever necessary for managers to adopt Systems Thinking, not only as a technique but also primarily as a discipline for efficient and effective thinking, learning, communication and explanation with regard to the dynamics of the world.

The message of the paper is that by continually applying the rules and language of Systems Thinking, managers develop the capability to continually adapt their models to the dynamics of the world, increase their learning capacity and better gauge their consequent judgments, decisions and behavior, thereby removing the mental impediments to intelligence (inappropriate mental models, defensive routines, judgmental biases, rules, etc.).

Facility/facilities management’s (FM) continuing struggle with its search for a strategic identity is attested by publications of many leading authorities in the field. Some advocates of the alignment of strategic management with the real estate of facilities resource argue for new terms, for example infrastructure management or real estate asset management. This paper argues a different approach. FM is considered as a replicating memetic discourse; one that has traded the original strategic vision of the discipline’s founders for wider spread. To close the gap between strategic business alignment and operational management FM must learn to consider its performance with language and measures relevant to a particular business sector. While one can argue that core businesses should change the language in which they speak of FM, the blunt assertion is that most of the effort must be the other way. The alternative is that some other discourse will capture the strategic niche.

The purpose of this article is to present a system dynamic model for studying the interconnections between human weight and health problems which cause various problems throughout life.

The paper reviews key points about system thinking, its theories, and system dynamics. Models in the form of causal loops presenting the interconnections between weight factor and health problems are developed and discussed. Thereafter, a flow model of the problem is constructed and deaths caused by heart attack are studied under two situations of regular and taught cases. The paper identifies key health problems related to weight by using causal loops that demonstrate the whole picture of the situation.

With the aid of systems thinking and dynamic modeling researchers can study the impacts of weight on the generation of various health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, blood sugar, knee problems and more. This study shows that teaching people about their health will have a significant impact on the number of deaths related to heart attack.

With the model proposed here various studies can be carried out that relates weight to health issues. A sample situation is presented where deaths related to heart attack are simulated.

This article makes a significant contribution to the health study issues due to the fact that it shows how a factor such as weight can impact on hearth attacks, blood pressure, and blood sugar, to mention a few. To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first study that relates weight to health problems using systems thinking concepts and system dynamic and it therefore make a significant contribution to the health literature.

Factors such as stakeholder requirements, emergence of exponential technologies, global business operations and pressures for sustainability increase the complexity of modern projects. This article aims to contribute by developing a systems view of project elements and relations among the same.

The article is based on a design science process and uses business management, project management and the system dynamics literature to support the construction of a conceptual framework, which is preliminary validated using practitioner feedback.

The project management model includes: (a) a systems view of a project in terms of 5 subsystems, 9 components and 27 dimensions; (b) a flow diagram showing 11 key relations among project attributes and (c) a discussion of ten system archetypes which can be identified in the management of a project.

Whereas the application of systems thinking in project management has been mostly addressed to build system dynamics tools, this article advances the discussion by providing a framework useful to support theory development and contextual knowledge construction in project management activities.

The article provides (project) managers with an articulated project management model and insights to address the complexity of modern project activities.

The main value of the research stays in the integrative nature of the presented framework, along with its twofold focus on components and flows (dynamic view).

The purpose of this paper is to propose a new model for studying the patron’s satisfaction level over time for library systems. For this purpose, it is necessary to identify the key factors that are influential in nature. Thereafter, this paper explains and shows the procedure used for developing the causal loop diagram, the flow diagram, mathematical modelling and the simulation of the problem. A sample problem is used to show the applicability of the proposed model. Because the proposed methodology allows management to look into the patrons’ satisfaction level over time, it makes a significant contribution to the literature of the library and information management, as well as dynamic simulation modelling.

This paper is written based on the studies and observations from scientific journals and reports. For model development purposes, the author has used the concept of systems thinking and systems dynamics to model the complex systems and simulate that using Vensim computer simulation software.

As the trend of patron’s satisfaction shows, it is possible to improve the satisfaction level over time to a level above 60 per cent from 48 per cent over the simulation running periods. Meanwhile, the level of donation is up from 10 to 40 per cent in the same period as the satisfaction level has been studied. Because this is the first paper that looks into such important variables over time using systems dynamics, it makes significant contribution to the field of library and information management.

In almost all library models for patron’s satisfaction calculation, the proposed models are static and can find this value for a point of time rather than over a long period of time. In this paper, a system with an initial value of patron’s satisfaction level was used, and by taking all key factors into consideration, the author has developed a system that calculates patron’s satisfaction trend over time. Also, the proposed dynamic model is able to determine the level of donations that patrons can make to the library over time.

The purpose of the paper is to demonstrate the short comings in decision-making in a complex system. An approach to coping with a complex decision-making task is to identify generic structures known as systems archetypes in a given decision situation. In the “shifting the burden” archetype, decision-makers fail to identify the fundamental solution early and are subjected to accumulated side effects as they resort to quick remedial solutions.

A system dynamics-based game has been built to highlight the pitfalls of “shifting the burden” systems archetype for a decision-making situation in the Indian two-wheeler industry. Participants of the game make strategic decisions for a company and receive feedback of their decisions and corresponding actions after every plan period.

The decision-makers who adopt short-term measures to alleviate the company’s problems, invariably fail in their endeavour. Success comes to those who realize the importance of having a long-term perspective in the form of pursuing fundamental solutions.

What could be a possible way of avoiding the pitfalls? The decision-makers should be aware of the pitfalls beforehand and identify the same – a decision support system possibly can aid them in this regard.

The complexity of the system increases as the business grows. The managers need to adopt systems thinking and embrace a long-term perspective. Decision support systems integrating models of systems archetypes provide an environment to simulate various decision situations and see the effects beforehand.

This paper aims to elaborate in a greater detail about how to manage and eventually help resolve outstanding issues, including the core issue of Kashmir between nuclear India and Pakistan. In doing so, this paper elaborates various innovative measures that could be applicable to South Asian nuclear environment that in turn could assist the South Asian nuclear leadership in understanding and managing the fragility of South Asian nuclear deterrence.

Innovatively, this research paper looks at the South Asian nuclear issues at three levels of analysis – understanding the prevailing dynamics of nuclear revolution and improved means of communications and promoting deterrence stability in South Asia. All three levels may be more needed than ever before in the wake of the arrival of nuclear weapons for a broader Southern Asian region.

This paper finds out that although nuclear weapons have become a reality in South Asia and these deadly weapons have prevented major wars between India and Pakistan, nuclear weapons have not prevented the crises between India and Pakistan. Therefore, both India and Pakistan have confronted a number of crises. The paper finds out that any serious crisis between India and Pakistan could further undermine the credibility of existing confidence-building measures and the same could escalate from military to nuclear level. Absent from immediate measures undertaken by the South Asian security leadership, nuclear weapons may not help prevent the war between India and Pakistan at the sub-conventional level, this paper finds out.

By explaining innovative measures at the three level of analysis, this papers adds to the existing literature in understanding the behavior of South Asian security leadership and how these measures could best bring positive results in preventing a major crisis that potentially bears the risk of escalation to nuclear level.