Paper

Lenth (2001) – Guidelines for effective sample size determination

Eliseo Vilalta-Perdomo Paper, Scientific method, Statistics , ,

No doubt that presents a very informative paper on why and how to define sample sizes. I recommend reading section 7 ‘Avoid Retrospective Planning’. An interesting insight involves his sentence concerning the idea that to obtain statistical significance, while ignoring scientific meaning, it is just asterisk hunting! Important for those supervisors and examiners of PhD dissertations that recommend to increase data collection in order to achieve scientific breakthroughs.

Follow this link: Lenth (2001) text

On the theory of scales of measurement (Stevens, 1946)

Eliseo Vilalta-Perdomo Paper, Statistics

This is a paper that any student involved in statistics must read. It would also be of use for people that uses statistical analysis for their research. It indicates some of the challenges in measuring : “the assignment of numerals to things so as to represent facts and conventions about them”.

Follow this link: On the Theory of Scales of Measurement

Future Decision-Makers and Complexity: Learning problem structuring through System Dynamics

Eliseo Vilalta-Perdomo Conferences, Paper

Coauthors:

Eliseo Vilalta-Perdomo, Lincoln Business School, University of Lincoln

Ricardo Thierry Aguilera, Universidad del Valle de México, Campus Toluca, Mexico

Abstract:

Studies on complexity suggest two sources for uncertainty. On one hand, environments constituted by immense amounts of actors interacting through (almost) infinite relationships. On the other, subtle changes recognizable only after it is too late to react. We characterize both situations as complex because of the difficulties to guarantee any links between causes and effects, and to identify effective and efficient paths for action.

This paper deals with the challenge of introducing our students, future decision-makers, to the exercise of simulating systems with complex behaviors. System Dynamics (SD) is used to illustrate the process from a problem structuring perspective. By modeling and simulating different scenarios, complex situations can be studied and analyzed. Conceding that these activities may help on improving human action, the difficulty would strive on how to expand its use as it seems difficult to be caught by students. This paper elaborates on this by proposing an approach based on looking at SD as a problem structuring method (PSM), rather than a problem solving tool. Instances of the procedure are provided from a SD course delivered to undergraduate students in a Mexican university.

Keywords:

System Dynamics, Complexity, Problem Structuring Methods, Problem Solving, Education

Status:

Presented in FUBUTEC 2013

 

Communities that behave as information systems (under review)

Eliseo Vilalta-Perdomo Paper, Resources

Coauthors: Eliseo Vilalta-Perdomo; Rebecca Herron

Abstract

In thinking about Information Systems (IS) it is quite usual to consider knowledge resources as something abstracted from those who use the knowledge. This suggests seeing knowledge as something that can be disengaged from a particular situation / action to become general advice. An alternative perspective is to consider collectives that act in certain ways as themselves being the information systems. These ‘information systems’ will change in response to their collective understanding of the need for (or possibilities of) action.  Furthermore, these information systems may frequently recognise the need to create new actions in the light of changing experiences. This paper looks at one response to studying such information systems.  The approach involves introducing a formal language into a collective (in this case introducing the concepts of Viable Systems Modelling into a crime-reduction partnership) and engaging the members of the collective in designing and testing this framework as co-researchers. The intention was to see if this exercise could help to make visible communication and organisational processes within the collective (the IS) and to stimulate its self-organisation.  In particular, participants were encouraged to reflect on attenuation and amplification processes within their communications and feedback systems.  The study was conducted in a small, industrial, English town with members of a cross-agency Crime Reduction Partnership. An alternative approach to Crime Reduction Partnership information development was also observed in another nearby City; the differences revealing further differences in the relationship between information and agency in both these contexts.

Keywords: Research Methodology; Human Information Systems; Collective Knowledge Acquisition; Performance Improvement; Viable Systems Modelling.

Status: Knowledge Management Research and Practice (Under review)

System Dynamics as a problem structuring method: A teaching/learning device (Paper under review)

Eliseo Vilalta-Perdomo Paper, Resources

The intention of this paper is to discuss how to extend the use of System Dynamics (SD). The rationale to do the effort is its proved record to better inform decision making in complex environments. SD is a discipline helpful to recognize counterintuitive behaviors. By modeling and simulating different scenarios, complex situations can be studied and analyzed. Conceding that these activities may help on improving human action, the difficulty would strive on how to expand its use as it seems difficult to be caught by students, our future professionals. One possibility is to teach the discipline, another to show how to deal with complex situations by using SD. This paper elaborates on the latter by proposing an approach that looks at SD as a problem structuring method (PSM). Instances of this procedure are provided from a SD course delivered to undergraduate students in a Mexican university.

Keywords: OR education, system dynamics, problem structuring methods, problem solving

Status: The Journal of the Operational Research Society (Under review)