Idealized Design How to Dissolve Tomorrow's Crisis...Today

Russell L. Ackoff is Anheuser-Busch Professor Emeritus of Management Science, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He was a member and former Chairman of The Wharton School’s Social Systems Sciences Department, as well as the Busch Center, which specializes in systems planning, research, and design.

Dr. Ackoff is author and co-author of 22 books, including Redesigning the Future, The Art of Problem Solving, Creating the Corporate Future, Revitalizing Western Economies, Management in Small Doses, Ackoff’s Fables, The Democratic Corporation, and his most recent books Re-Creating the Corporation, Ackoff’s Best, Redesigning Society, and Beating the System, the latter two with Sheldon Rovin. His work in research, consulting, and education has involved more than 350 corporations and 75 government agencies in the United States and abroad.

Dr. Ackoff played a key role at the University of Pennsylvania, both in the early history of the Operations Research Group and in establishing the Social Systems Sciences Graduate Group. Since becoming Emeritus, he has been honored by the establishment of the Russell L. Ackoff Endowment in the Wharton School and The Ackoff Center for the Advancement of Systems Approaches in the Engineering School, through which his legacy at the University of Pennsylvania continues.

Jason Magidson is director of innovation processes at GlaxoSmithKline. He has 20 years’ experience helping organizations create an environment where great product and service ideas are generated. His clients have ranged from IKEA and DuPont to startups and non-profits. Magidson founded ProductWish.com,

a Web-based clearinghouse for innovative product improvement ideas. He has written for publications including Harvard Business Review.

Herbert J. Addison is a consulting editor and writer who has served as vice president and executive editor in business and economics for the Oxford University Press, and director of its college textbook department.

Foreword by Ray Stata  xxiii

Preface  xxix

Introduction: The Birth of an Idea  xxxiii

Part I: Idealized Design: The Basics  1

Chapter 1: The Stages of Idealized Design  3

Chapter 2: Organizing the Process  27

Chapter 3: Preparing for an Idealized Design Process  43

Part II: Idealized Design: Applications—The Process in Action  59

Chapter 4: Business Enterprises  61

Chapter 5: Not-for-Profit and Government Organizations  87

Chapter 6: Process Improvement  103

Chapter 7: Problem Dissolving  117

Chapter 8: Facilities and Sites Design  129

Chapter 9: Take the Plunge  137

Part III: Idealized Design: No Limit—Applications to World Challenges  145

Chapter 10: The Urban Challenge  147

     An Urban Car

     A Redesign of Paris and Beyond

Chapter 11: The Health-Care Challenge  159

     A National Health-Care System

     A Health-Care Mall

Chapter 12: The Challenge to Government  171

     A National Elections System

     A New United Nations

     A Response to Terrorism

Part IV: Complete Idealized Designs  187

Chapter 13: Energetics (Business Enterprise)  189

Chapter 14: Academy of Vocal Arts (Not-for-Profit)  219

Chapter 15: White House Communications Agency (Government)  235

Endnotes  265

Annotated Bibliography  267

Index  277

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