Social Dynamics in a Systems Perspective

This book targets the critical issue of decision making in uncertain conditions and situations. The aim is to increase readers’ understanding of complexity and of socio-economic interactions through the application of systems thinking perspectives. Among the various areas and topics addressed are complexity and sustainable management, markets as complex adaptive systems, the impacts of psychological and emotional factors upon value co-creation exchanges, and ICT enablers of service network performance and service exchange fulfillment. Thanks to the chosen perspectives, all of which are based on different systems research streams, the book will support more consistent and robust decisions, leading to sustainable, wise, and viable systems dynamics. It will aid managers, practitioners, and consultants in their decision-making processes and will also be of interest for academics and scholars in management, systems, computer science, engineering, and marketing.

Sergio Barile is Full Professor of Economics and Business Administration (SECS-P/08) at the University of Rome “La Sapienza”, where he is also Director of the Management Section of the Department of Management in the Faculty of Economics. Professor Barile’s areas of research range from business economics to systems theory and he is an expert on the Viable Systems Approach, in particular with reference to governance and business management, decision theory, and complexity theory. He is a member of AIDEA (Italian Academy of Business Economy) and a member of the board of the Master Universitario in Marketing Management (MUMM). Professor Barile has been a consultant for both public and private institutions. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Research Centre of Pure and Applied Mathematics (CRMPA), the Board of Directors of Centro Studi Arnia, the scientific committee of Esperienze d'impresa, and the editorial board of Sinergie, edited by CUEIM. He is the author of numerous publications in Italian and English.

Marco Pellicano is Full Professor in Economics and Business Management at the Department of Business Science – Management and Innovation Systems, University of Salerno. He is currently coordinator of the working group for drafting the “Social Report (SR) UNISA” of the University of Salerno. He is also a member of AIDEA (Italian Academy of Business Economy) and SVI.M.A.P. (University Network for Management Development in the Public Sector). Furthermore, he is manager of the professional training and refresher course in Business Economic Discipline at the Department of Business Science – Management and Innovation Systems and a member of the scientific committee of the journal Business Experience. He has presented papers at national and international conferences.  His main research interests are Enterprise Relational View, Managerial and Strategic Studies, Business Ethics, Industrial and Business Relationships, and Small Businesses.

Francesco Polese is Full Professor of Business Management at the University of Salerno, Italy, where he teaches Marketing, Service Management and Business Management. He is founder and Director of SIMAS (Centre of Systems for Innovation and Healthcare Management). He was also founder and Director of MADILab (Laboratory of Innovation Management) and President of the Center for Disability and Handicap at Cassino University. He has been Scientific Responsible of the international research project “Perspectives of Service Science Research” involving universities in Italy, Sweden, and Argentina. Professor Polese has authored books, book chapters, and articles in international journals on topics such as Viable Systems Approach, Service Science, Service, and Networks. He was a co-chair of the 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015 editions of The Naples Forum on Service: Service-Dominant Logic, Service Science and Network Theory. He is a member of the editorial boards of ServiceScience and the Journal of Service Theory and Practice and has been guest editor of numerous special issues of various leading journals in the field.