Research

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What is Systems Intelligence?

The general development and analysis of the cognitive basis of Systems Intelligence started in 2002. A basic description in English is given in the paper by Esa Saarinen and Raimo P. Hämäläinen: Systems intelligence: Connecting engineering thinking with human sensitivity. In our research we seek to give a richer and deeper characterization of Systems Intelligence and its relationships to other human competences in particular to the multiple forms of intelligences described by Howard Gardner. We strive to enrich these forms of intelligences with a wider range of human systems capabilities and endowments, the human systems intelligence we possess as human beings. Systems Intelligence also relates strongly to the Systems Thinking literature and the works of Peter Senge; see also a list of scholars that inspire us. We also seek to find practical ways to enhance and self evaluate one's personal competence level in Systems Intelligence.

» Systems Intelligence publications
» Systems Intelligence: Connecting Engineering Thinking with Human Sensitivity (2004)
» The Way Forward with Systems Intelligence (2007)
» Stages and Dimensions of Systems Intelligence (2012)

Leadership is a drive towards improvements in the company of others. It amounts to action within systems and cultivation of systems. We study manifestations of systems intelligence in leadership as well as develop systems intelligence as a frame of reference useful for understanding the actual practice of leaders. We highlight and study issues and characteristics of organizational life and leadership related to systems intelligence and systems intelligent leadership.

» Systems Intelligence - The Way Forward? A Note on Ackoff's "Why Few Organizations Adopt Systems Thinking" (2008)
» Systems Intelligence in Leadership and Everyday Life (2007), a volume edited by Hämäläinen and Saarinen.
» Systems Intelligence: A Key Competence in Human Action and Organizational Life
» Systems Intelligence in Mergers and Acquisitions - a Myth or Reality? (2004)
» Systeemiäly yritysostojen onnistumisessa (2005, in Finnish)

The holistic emphasis of systems thinking is one of the driving forces of Systems Intelligence. We study the relationship and applicability of systemic thinking and systems theoretic concepts in Systems Intelligence. These include the framing approaches of decision analysis as well as systems thinking concepts such as systems archetypes and boundaries.

» Systems Intelligence in Decision and Negotiation Support (2008)
» Systems Intelligence - The Way Forward? A Note On Ackoff's "Why Few Organizations Adopt Systems Thinking (2007)
» Coping with Complexity: Systems Thinking, Complex Responsive Processes, and Systems Intelligence (2007)

Our studies range from incentives and game theoretical approaches to the explanation of the evolution of cooperation in human encounters. Special emphasis is on mechanisms that allow agents to select announcements of intention to cooperate. Behavioral economics research is important in modeling agents with competences in SI.

» Perspectives on Team Dynamics: Meta Learning and Systems Intelligence (2007)
» Emergence of Cooperation and Systems Intelligence (2007)
» Intentions and Systems Intelligence: Prospects for Complexity Research (2007)
» Systems Intelligence as Opportunity Appreciation (2007)

Dialogue is a form of facilitated group communication process with specific rules and guidelines. We analyze how these principles reflect the ideas and how they can be incorporated into Systems Intelligence. Our areas of application include stakeholder participation in environmental management.

» Systems Sensitive Dialogue Intervention (2006)
» Decision Structuring Dialogue (2014)

Our research aims at opening up new perspectives for understanding the role of interaction in change processes through combining systems intelligence approach with the metatheory of intersubjectivity. In therapeutic settings, we manifest how Systems Intelligence can complement the intersubjective understanding to enhance the creation of more flourishing therapeutic encounters. We also want to apply this perspective to organizational settings and work psychology. The aim here is to investigate from a systems perspective the more humanly tuned, micro-behavioural, affect-laden and subtle aspects of interaction that are easily neglected in the current background paradigms of organizational understanding.

» The Nature of Social Systems in Systems Intelligence: Insights from Intersubjective Systems Theory (2008)
» Overcoming the objectifying bias implicit in therapeutic practice – Intersubjective Systems Theory complemented with Systems Intelligence (2008)

The development of approaches to stakeholder participation in different kinds of environmental management and decision making problems provide very challenging systemic tasks. We study how to improve the practical skills, participatory and communication procedures used by the planners and administration by explicitly including the Systems Intelligence perspective. We have given outlines for a Systems Intelligent Participation process in forest conservation design. We collaborate with the Finnish Environment Institute in problems related to water resources management.

Computer supported Systems Intelligence
Raimo P. Hämäläinen, Esa Saarinen, Juha Törmänen, and Teemu Tiinanen

We study the possibilities of learning and increasing the understanding of SI by computer gaming by practicing different kinds of group processes driven by computer games.

Communication takes place within systems. There is a need to extend our study of communication beyond the participants, to take into account the system or systems encompassing and influencing them, and which they in turn are influencing. We study the overlapping areas of systems intelligence and communication theories in organizational settings. Especially the concepts of organizational ignorance, communication and knowledge management, and knowing and boundary objects are relevant to our research.

Teachers are faced with numerous complex systemic interaction situations both with the students in the classroom as well as with the parents and colleagues. One of the aims of this research is to identify typical situations where a systems intelligent approach is a successful way of achieving co-operation and pedagogical goals.

Open Research Initiatives and Topics of Interest

Evolution of Systems Intelligence

Cognitive and neural basis of systems intelligence

Emotional Intelligence as a form of Systems Intelligence

Reflections of Systems Intelligence in Different Cultures

Family centered cultures, Resiprocation in cultures (blame, guilt, forgiveness)
Is there Systems Intelligence in religions?

Systems Intelligence in International Relations and Global Change

Systems Intelligence in Communications and Media

Systems intelligence in creativity and in the arts

Application Areas