Living Systems Theory and Design

from the Perspective of Competitive Advantage

by
Edwin B. Dean

Living Systems Theory uses twenty elemental subsystems to define all living systems at the cell, organ, organism, group, organization, society, and supranational system levels.

This concept is extremely important for competitive advantage since the design of systems which provide competitive advantage is concerned with the design and nature of the group, the organization, the society, and the supranational system.

The primary mechanism for design is to identify the appropriate subsystems and to map the systemic flows of matter, energy, communications, people, and money. The functions performed by the subsystems can be used as a starting point for a function deployment at the requirements stage. Miller (1987) points the way.

References

• Miller, J. G. (1987). "Applications of Living Systems Theory to Life in Space," Presented at the NASA-NSF conference The Human Experience in Antartica: Applications to Life in Space, Sunnyvale, CA, USA, 17 August, pp. 231-259.

Bibliographies

Design Bibliography

Living Systems Theory Bibliography

Living Systems Theory and Design Bibliography

Societies

International Society for the Systems Sciences

Surfing the Web

System Technologies | Living Systems Theory | Design | Use