UNIVERSITY OF QUEBEC AT CHICOUTIMI
COMPTER SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS DEPARTMENT
Systemics and Computer Science
(8ASY128)
Professors: Jean Rouette & Antonin Tremblay
Semester : Winter 2005
SYLLABUS
1.
Course Objectives
In this course, students will learn how social systems adapt. This will
be achieved through the study of the following elements; an approach
that will enable future computer systems analysts to:
 Understand how social systems adapt;
 Discover the systemic approach and understand how it can be
applied in the work of a systems designer analyst.
 Bring students to understand the importance of being subjective
with individuals, especially when developing and implementing
computer systems.
 Introduce students to consultation processes and make sure they
understand the importance of doing so prior to the installation
of information systems.
 Help students acquire group facilitation abilities, such as
creativity.
 Know how to run a meeting using rules of order.
 Train students to write opinion texts and agreed minutes.
2.
Course Content
Numerous themes will be used to place administrative data processing
in the context in which it is used. This course examines the core
concepts of organizational theory. More precisely, an in-depth study
will allow to compare and contrast these current schools of thought as
well as understand the classical approaches to organizations.
A dialectical approach will be used to study the relationships between
social systems and their environments. Using this strategy will allow
students to compare and contrast two different approaches to
organizational theory: classical and actionist. Moreover, social
evolution mechanisms will be analysed: different models will be used
to study the behaviour of the organizational actor.
The following content will be covered:
Meeting facilitation abilities, rules of order and oral communication.
How to introduce yourself and a subject. Meeting follow-ups:
summaries and agreed minutes. Paradigms. Systemic vs. analytical
paradigms. Perception problems. How perception can influence, the
impact feedback can have on the quality of the interaction between a
designer and user. Decision-making and rationality. Using a systemic
approach as a solution to problems involving humans. Systems theory
and systemic approach. Power and information within an
organizational framework. The organization as a system. Problems as
a systemic process. Change as a systemic process. The objective of
change and its management. Consultants and the consultation
process.
N.B. The objective of the above stated themes is to identify the
concrete variables that can affect the implementation of a computer
information system.
3.
Evaluation
Students will be evaluated on:
1)
Weekly assignments: 50%
Each week, the professor will ask questions on one of the
themes found in the texts students have to read before each
class. Students are answer these questions. Answers must be
typed and no longer than two pages long (maximum 60 lines –
70 characters per line). The answers provided by students must
strongly rely on the authors’ opinions and each quote must have
correct footnotes and bibliographic references (author, title
page, etc.). However, students must not write a text summary in
any way. Instead, they are to prepare a critical synthesis of the
literature assigned. Personal opinions are of the utmost
importance and will be seriously taken into consideration.
N.B. Texts not turned in at the beginning of the class will be
automatically refused.
Evaluation grid for written texts:
Outstanding:
10 points
Above average:
9 points
Average:
8 points
Poor:
7 points
Very poor:
6 points
Accepted:
5 points
Refused:
0 points
2)
Participation: 20%
This mark reflects the student’s level of participation in
classroom debates. It does not assess the number of
interventions made by students, nor does it consider the extent
to which opinions correlate with the information stated in the
readings. The following criteria are presented for descriptive
and not restrictive purposes. They will be used to guide the
professor’s evaluation:
 Interest in the discussion. The interest of students can be
demonstrated even without making any intervention
whatsoever.
 The extent to which an individual invests himself
personally to agree or disagree with the proposed models
(i.e. many models differ and some may even be
contradictory).
 Being punctual and present for classroom group
exercises.
 A critical assessment of classroom dynamics.
 Etc.
3)
Oral Presentations/Group Facilitation: 30%
Students paired in teams must present two of the themes they
were assigned to work on during the periods reserved for
classroom group work.
4. Teaching Strategies
The learning process in this course relies mainly on a collective
reflection sparked by the group’s dynamics, in which the content, or
part of the content, is presented by a contributor and submitted for
discussion. In this respect, students will have to use client-centered
skills and certain process management principles. This type of
approach is far from traditional lecture-type courses. It is very similar
to group and teamwork concepts. This course goes beyond the use of
teaching strategies, it aims at using real-life learning situations that
foster the acquisition of know-how. Each individual will rapidly
realise that the objective is not to acquire new subject matter, but to
transfer the knowledge and skills currently being used by
administrative data processing specialists.
5. Mandatory Textbooks:
 Paul Watzlawick, La réalité de la réalité, Éditions du Seuil,
1976.
 Michel Crozier & Erhard Friedberg, L’acteur et le système,
Éditions du Seuil, 1977.
 Lescarbeau, R., Payette, M., St-Arnaud, Y., Profession :
consultant, 4th Edition, Gaétan Morin Éditeur, 2003.
 Quaranta, M., Comment animer un groupe, Québecor, 2003.
 Course notes : Jean Rouette & Antonin Tremblay
N.B. Students must do the assigned readings before each class.
Moreover, contributors, and especially group facilitators must do
research to find documentation related to the theme to be discussed in
class.
6. Course Outline
Unit 1: Group facilitation and making group decisions (1 week) 9/9 AT
 Group facilitation and running meetings:
Quaranta, Comment animer un group.
 How to reach a consensus: Penser pour
http://www.penserpouragir.org/reperes/index.htm
agir:
Unit 2: The Consultant (1 week) 16/9 AT
 Integrated approach to consultation:
- Lescarbeau, Payette & St-Arnaud, p. 1-36.
 Initial contract stages
- Lescarbeau, Payette & St-Arnaud, p. 73-134.
Unit 3: Communication and Perception (1 week) 23/9 JR
 Dealing with perception and subjectivity problems:
- Tremblay, La recherche action et les sciences de
l’administration.
- Watzlawick et al., Une logique de la communication,
p. 13-17.
- Watzlawick, La réalité de la réalité, Chapters: 4, 5,
6, 8, 9, 11 and 14.
 Human perception within the framework of a group:
- Richard, Psychologie des groupes restreints, Chap. 2.
Unit 4: Systems Theory & Systemic Approach (1 week) 7/10 AT
 What does “systems theory” mean?
- Tremblay, La recherche action et les sciences de
l’administration.
- Synthesis of Séguin and Chanlat, p. 1-75.
- De Rosnay, Le macroscope, Chapter 2.
 Systemography & How to Represent a Phenomenon as a
System:
- Churchman, Qu’est-ce que l’analyse par les systèmes,
Chapitres 1, 3, 4, 11.
- Lemoigne, La théorie du système général, Chapter 3.
Unit 5: Power within an Organizational Framework (2 weeks)
 The Actor and His Strategy – Power as the Basis for
Organized Action (1st week) 21/10 JR:
- Crozier & Friedberg, L’acteur et le système, Chapters
1 and 2.
- Nord, Developments in the Study of Power (original
article and translation).
 Power Play (2nd week) 4/11 JR
- Crozier & Friedberg, L’acteur et le système, Chap. 3.
- Markus, Power, Politics and MIS Implementation
(synthesis and article).
Unit 6:
Organizational Identity (1 week) 11/11 JR
- Huard, Rationalité et identité: vers une alternative à la
théorie de la décision dans les organisations.
Unit 7:
Humans, Information and Problem Solving (1 week) 18/11 JR
- Landry, La genèse des problèmes ou le désordre
indésirable (article).
Unit 8:
Thoughts on Change (2 weeks)
 Change as a Systemic Process (1st week) 2/12 AT:
- Crozier & Friedberg, L’acteur et le système, Chapter
13.
- Lippitt & Watson, The Dynamics of Planned
Change (translation and original).
- Lescarbeau, Payette and St-Arnaud, p. 135-204.
 Reflection on the Intervention and the Objectives of Change
(2nd week) 16/12 AT:
- Crozier & Friedberg, L’acteur et le système, Chapter
14 and pages 375-378.
- Synthesis of Crozier & Friedberg, Chapter 14.
- Lescarbeau, Payette and St-Arnaud, p. 37-58 & 204279.
- Vertinski et al., A Study of OR/MS Implementation
as a Social Change Process (synthesis and article).
7.
References
-
Churchman, C.W., Qu’est-ce que l’analyse par les systèmes,
Dunod, Paris, 1974.
Crozier, M., & Friedberg, E., L’acteur et le système, Éditions du Seuil,
Paris, 1977.
De Rosnay, J., Le macroscope, Éditions du Seuil, Paris, 1975.
Huard, P., Rationalité et identité: vers une alternative à la théorie de
la décision dans les organisations, Revue Économique, Vol. 31, No.
4, May 1980, p. 540-572.
Landry, M., La genèse des problèmes ou le désordre indésirable,
Université Laval, March 1979.
Lemoigne, J.-L., La théorie du système général, PUF, Paris, 1977.
Lescarbeau, R., Payette, M., St-Arnaud, Y., Profession: consultant, 4th
Edition, Gaétan Morin Éditeur, 2003.
Lippitt, R., Watson, J., & Westley, The Dynamics of Planned Change,
H.B.J., New York, 1958.
March, J. G., Rationalité limitée, ambiguïté et mécanique du choix,
Séguin & Chanlat, p. 227-253.
Markus, L., Power, Politics and MIS Implementation, October 1980,
CISR, No. 59, Sloan Working Paper No. 1155-80.
Morin, V., Procédures des assemblées délibérantes, updated by M.
Delorme, Beauchemin, 1994.
Nord, W.R., Developments in the Study of Power – Concepts and
Controversy in Organizational Behavior, B.P.C., 1976, p. 437-450.
Quaranta, M., Comment animer un groupe, Québecor, 2003.
Richard, B., Psychologie des groupes restreints, Presses
universitaires, Cap Rouge, 1995.
Tardieu, H., Nanci, D., Pascot, D., Conception d’un système
d’information: construction de la base de données, Éditions
d’organisation, 1979.
Tremblay, G., La recherche-action et les sciences de l’administration,
Revue PMO, Vol. 4, No. 1, 1989, p. 42-49.
Séguin, F., & Chanlat, J.F., L’analyse des organisations: une
anthologie sociologique, Gaétan Morin Éditeur, 1983.
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-
-
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Vertinsky, I., Barth, R.Y., & Mitchell, V.G., A Study of Or/MS
Implementation as a Social Change Process, Schultz and Elevin
Editors, Implementing Operations Research/Management Science,
American Elsevier, New York, 1975.
Von Bertalanffy, L., Théories générales des systèmes, Dunod, 1973.
Watzlawick, P., Beavin, J.H., Jackson, D.D., Une logique de la
communication, Éditions du Seuil, Paris, 1972.
Watzlawick, P., La réalité de la réalité, Éditions du Seuil, Paris, 1976.
TEAMS
Theme 1:
Group Facilitation and Making Group Decisions AT Sept. 9
Quaranta, Comment animer un groupe.
Penser pour agir http://www.penserpouragir.org/reperes/
index.htm
Team:___________________________________________________
Theme 2:
The Consultant
AT Sept. 16
Lescarbeau, R., Payette, M., St-Arnaud, Y., p. 1-36 & 73-134.
Team:___________________________________________________
Theme 3:
Communication & Perception
JR Sept. 23
Watzlawick, La réalité de la réalité, Chap. 4,5,6,8,9,11, & 14.
Watzlawick, et al., Une logique de la communication, p. 13-17.
Richard, La perception dans le groupe.
Team:___________________________________________________
Theme 4:
Systems Theory and Systemic Approach
Von Bertanlaffy, Chap. 2.
Synthesis of articles.
De Rosnay, Chap. 2.
Churchman, p. 33-35.
La parabole des aveugles, unknown author.
LeMoigne, p. 44-58 and more to come.
Synthesis of LeMoigne, Chap. 3-6.
AT Oct. 7
Team:___________________________________________________
Theme 5:
Power within an Organizational Framework
JR Oct. 21
The actor and his/her strategy
Crozier & Friedberg, p. 1-76.
Synthesis of Crozier & Friedberg, p. 1-109.
Team:___________________________________________________
Power Play within an Organization
JR Nov. 4
Crozier & Friedberg, p.77-109.
Synthesis by Crozier & Friedberg, p. 77-109.
Rouette, Translation of Nord, L’étude du pouvoir...
Nord, Developments in the Study of Power... Original.
Synthesis by Markus, Power, Politics and MIS Implementation.
Markus, Power, Politics and MIS Implementation, Original.
Team:___________________________________________________
Theme 6:
Identity and Decisions
JR Nov. 11
Huard, Rationalité et identité: Vers une alternative à la théorie
de la décision dans les organisations.
Synthesis of Huard, Rationalité et identité.
Theme 7:
Humans, Information and Problem Solving.
JR Nov. 18
Landry, La genèse des problèmes ou le désordre indésirable.
Team:___________________________________________________
Theme 8:
Thoughts on Change
Change as a Systemic Phenomenon.
AT Dec. 2
Crozier & Friedberg, Chap. 13.
Synthesis of Crozier & Friedberg, Chap. 13-14.
Lippitt & Watson, The Dynamics of Planned Change
Translation.
Lippitt & Watson, The Phases of Planned Change,
Original.
Lescarbeau, Payette & St-Arnaud, p. 135-204.
Team:___________________________________________________
Reflection on the Intervention
Crozier & Friedberg, Chap. 14
Synthesis of Crozier & Friedberg, Chap. 14
Lescarbeau, Payette & St-Arnaud, p. 37-58, 204279.
Synthesis of Vertinsky et al., Chap 12.
Vertinsky et al., Chap. 12, Original.
Team:___________________________________________________