Objectives:

SPMC aims to enhance systems theoretical development by -

1. improving the nature and quality of interaction between an existing loosely coupled network of stakeholders in systems theory and practice whose nexus are the Systems Discipline in the Centre for Complexity & Change at the Open University and The Department of Information Systems at De Montfort University. This will be achieved by:
2. introducing a number of external international participants to our incipient network to create challenging initial starting conditions for the emerging 'system of interest' (see below);
3. drawing into conversation our existing research collaborators (especially our NGO and systems education associates) and our extremely large network of users of systems thinking and practice via taught postgraduate project and research work and our OU Systems Society Alumni (who to date have not been engaged in any systematic interaction).

The purpose of the project is to bring together individuals and groups of diverse perspective including systems theorists, systems practitioners and other interested groups from business and industry so as to establish a research agenda for systems thinking, systems theory and systems practice.

The network will be organised around five 'big' questions:

1. What constrains/enhances the translation of systems thinking into systems practice and new systems thinking?
2. To what extent does the reification of current 'first-order' conceptions of knowledge, information and 'effective communication' constrain organizational change, precipitate failure, particularly in IT and IS related developments and restrict the evolution of new communities of systems practice?
3. Is it possible to manage for 'self-organization' and emergence and if so how?
4. What constitutes an effective pedagogy for building capacity in systems thinking and practice?
5. What constitutes ethical systems practice particularly in relation to the issues of global sustainable development and the threats of enclosure of the 'knowledge/information commons'?

The objectives of this network can be summarised as follows:

Theoretical

• developing of systems theory and of new forms of systems practice by applying systems thinking to new domains
• facilitating the emergence of new research questions about systems practice and systems theory
• subjecting new theoretical developments and reflections on practice to scrutiny and challenge in industrial and business environments

Practice-based

• initiating and supporting 'networks of conversation' between systems thinkers in academia and potential systems thinkers in business and industrial contexts
• identifying and pursuing themes of interest shared between the academic and industrial and business participants
• bringing together those involved in the development of information systems

Management

• facilitating a wider appreciation of systems thinking and systems ideas in industrial and business contexts and a desire for systems skills and understandings is manifest
• eliciting new case-study material for research and teaching
• generating new proposals for shared research activities, for example through the use of CASE studentships.