Strategy Dynamics in Moscow

[Bayram]

Hello everyone!

My name is Bayram Annakov, I am a project manager at EPAM Systems and a guest lector at Moscow State University, Russia. I and my partner are running a number of courses in MSU including system dynamics (based on materials of Strategy Dynamics by Kim Warren and Business Dynamics by John Sterman) and metaphors of organization ("Images of organization" by Morgan). We are trying to popularize systems approach to education and would love to connect to anyone interested in this here in Moscow.

Apart from lectures at MSU we plan to handle an open seminar in the near future. http://www.empatika.ru - is our project dedicated to systems approach in business.

SD is not the only methodology we are trying to popularize, the other is - complexity theory and agent-based modeling (ABM). I think that SD and ABM supplement each other and have a great potential in business management.

I wonder if anyone is using ABM in his/her classes?

[kim]

I know that agent-based modeling is an extremely powerful technique. However, for the audience I am trying to reach [current and future executives], the strategy dynamics book and classes start a long way back from the use of advanced modeling methods.

From a teaching perspective, most students [undergrad or Masters] know little about what a business or other organization actually consists of [we will define the simplest of these factors as 'resources' in class 2] - or how it functions [the basics of which are explained in classes 3-4]. Current executives and consultants are more familiar with business realities, but still lack a rigorous and practical framework for making their understanding explicit and working with it. That is the purpose for which strategy dynamics was developed.

That is also why the strategy dynamics course says very little about modeling of any kind, including the details of system dynamics and agent-based modeling. If executives can gain a clearer picture of their organization's structure and performance, though, they will be in a much stronger position to know whether modeling is likely to be useful, and how to get value out of such approaches.

Kim

[Bayram]

Kim, thank you for your comments!

I agree with you and wanted to note that the most thing I liked about your book is that it does not require any modeling skills from the reader and explains everything using regular business terms. I think this is what makes readers (and I guess your student) understand the materials easier!